The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-01-16

An audience, comparable in sire
and orilliancy only to that which
greeted Pavlewa. filled the Academy
last night and attested TO the undying
esteem in which Maude Adams, thu
greatest of Frohman's stars and dain-
test of living condolences Is held in
this mans town. Her present engage
ment might be termed a Barrie fest"
Last evening she was seen in a double
bill comprising two OF his shorter and
more recent plays, while today nj
both performances she will present
the better-known Quality Street.
but known here only by reputation.
OF the matchless art of the wonder
ful little woman, volumes have been
written and when all is said, IL might
be summed up in the one word
personality The most wornanly OF
all women on the stage. she possesses
an influence we'll nigh magical a sub
tie charm that floats over the foot
lights and iiffuses itself into the re-
hottest corner OF the theater IT
would be useless to recount the ex-
cellencies OF her acting Her winsanla
smile, the grace OF every movement
and gesture. her musical voice with
the queer little catch In 1t. and the
expressIvenssS Of her reading are all
familiar 10 her worshipers. And
las night she was her same dear
sweet self Sc much herself that she
made some of us at any rate. long
for Lady Robbie. or awake a longing
for The boy who wouldn't grow up
Both plays. however. exploited fully
the whimsical hamor Of Barrie. OF
whom Miss Adams IL indisputably the
greatest interpreter, and to her the
author has been. and ever will he.
ina nensurah ly indebted for 80 brilliant
an exponent In THE Legend OF Ie-
fFty
Captain Ra tray, admirably and force
fully enacted by Charles Hammond,
Is the gues; Tor dinner Of his friends.
the ToFeys. His host tells him that
among the other expected guests there
viii be a woman who has no sense
of 1unor and one who has, a mother.
and so on to the number OF seven.
the last "a nlurderess Ieonora np-
pears. and during the young officers
Interview he discovers that she is
the seven-iu-one woman, and her last
reputation is due TO her having showed
a man through the window of a NOV
ing train ana caused his death when
he would not close the window when
she requested him. because her child
had cold. Acts two and three por-
tray the trial and In Il farcieal, an
surd courtroom scene the comedy de-
selopR along altogether improbable,
but highly amusing. lines. and the de-
monument is as startling as IL is
unique, Fau'tless acting Is contrib
atable to the success OF the piece.
Arthur Lewis az the judge. Morton
seieH a. he prosecuting attorney,
ana RoberJ Peyton Carter. who was
In HE original Little Minister COM
pany and later made many friends
mere in stock. gave performances that
We have been lie to expect OF Miss
Adams support.
In THE Ladies' Shakespeare" n
program In tnree acts, but In reality A
ons-act play in three scenes, Barrie
mas conceived the quaint idea OF All
adaptation rom The Tanning OF the
shrew" with conditions reversed.
And here again Miss Adams skill =.
and charm enchanted her hears until
the final curtain fell all too soon, Mr..
Carter played Baptista with a fine
sense OF its humor Grant Stewart
was the Petruchio and performed in
an eminently satisfactory manner
And the remaining characters were
competently portrayed. The witcherv
OF Miss Adams acting. however. stood
out above the rest and her coauetttsh
Katherine was a more striking piece
OF work than the fanciful. legendary
Leonora. Long may she Twelve To
return to us again--though In tina
dipsy robes Of Babbie or the mason.
line habiliment of Peter Pan. II l.
by these that we wish to know and
remember 'her best for all time