The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-02-20
At the Theaters
"THE GAMBLERS SCORES
AT THE ACADEMY

With startling. unanticpated and
undesirable 4uddenness and fatefui
career OF the talented industrious
IaVerne-less Academy Stock Company
IL 10 come to n temporary close WIN
tonight's performance of the Gam
blers" They are &c he transplanied
temporarily to the sunier south and
spend couple of months In savannah.
after which they promise to return
home" when they can pursue more
uninterrupted existence, Last night
they played with rare effectiveness and
SKILL one OF the most successful meio-
tdra mas from the pen Of Charles Klein,
The Gamblers. Like the most OF his
plays. this has a story. full OF human
Interest, and possesses all the elements
that are essential to depict a plot that
involves the most powerful of human
emotions, honor. friendship. paternai
and fll.al love, treachery, fear and dis
honor The climax is effective and
dramatic but the denoue-
ment is. to he frank, somewhat ais
appointing, though affording the only
possible and satisfactory disentansie
ment Of the web woven by CUNNING
and deceit To recount here the events
that unfold themselves would hc
profitiess use Of space. and duh the
interest for those who have not seen
and will see the performance.
Cnloved and Cnloying.
The big parts and opportunities are
those entrusted to and afforded Miss
Brent and Mr.. wupperman, Tho
attorneys unloved and unloving wife
which fact allows the predominance %
a sense Of duty and honor and pity. not
permissible under normal domestic
Miss Brent gives a fine
reading and superb acting perform
ance. and reveals a dramatic power
and an emotional nature that she has
not hitherto disclosed. but has always
led us to suspect She is superb
as usual. eternally fem
mime. and rises 10 the exacting de-
mands Of an intense climax with tell
ing power and absolute accuracy and
sureness. Mr.. Wupperman, as the
overzealons and misguided, but DE-
voted son of the unfortunate bank
president. did piece of work In
iinitely better than anything he has
yet done, too. Hts performance IL
clean -cnt. precise, dramatic, hut suf-
restrained and the most un-
mistakabfc proof of talent that he has
furnished In the few weeks he has
been here. Mr.. Arnold. in a thankless
unpleasant part. that OF the unscrupu-
lous prosecutor and suspecting nus
'tand. and usirg the same striking
makeup he employed in The Witch
ing Hour" played with his accustomed
skill and excellence that 1t IL always
"a pleasure To watch. Mr. Beane IL the
bank president and father forcefui
end realistic Miss King has the small
est part vet given her. but. she and
Messrs. Yelling and Lance gave very
satisfactory accounts Of themselves,
Mr.. Leftwicn stages two interiors very
|tastefnlly. but in his acting shows too
Idecided tendency to chew the
scenery to bits. Before the curtain.
however. he very gracefully expressed
the plans OF the company to return
here later for a spring and summer
season or brand new plays. including
"a number Of musical Comedies. and
We Join with him snd the large local
Following OF the company in the sin
cere wish that these plans will be full
nlled II Success he dependent upon
merit there Is no doubt OF the future
OF this organization.
c. p.