The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-12-01
The new HENRIETTA

All powers converge to make the
New Henrietta" which was shown at
the Grand theater last night, a most
delightful performance. The five stars
mix a perfectly harmonious batter, as
Mr.. Arbuckle explains it, and get every
spark out of the adaptation of Bron-
son Howard's comedy. In addition to
the technical and mechanical finesse
of the play there is a psychological eff
feet of five stars that paves the way to
success before the first curtain is
raised.
When theater goers attend a show
and know they are going to see rec
ognized talent-William H. Crane, best
known perhaps for his David Harum.
Thomas w. Ross, who presented The
Only Son" before a Topeka audience,
Maclyn Arbuckle, whose County
Chairman" will be remembered, Mabel
Taliaferro, who gained fame as LOvey
Mary in Mrs. Wiggs.' and Amelia
Bingham. not so well known here as
the other four but equally as bright
star-they are in receptive frame of
mind, expect and appreciate what they
receive.
Perhaps the outstanding feature of
the entire performance is the COM
pleteness with which every effect is
brought out. Few plays that come to
Topeka are able to boast of such at
tention to detail is given in the
New Henrietta" Mrs. Fiske and a
few stars of her ma gnitude are known
to be ..stickIers'' for detail but the
average play gets over if the big"
scenes are handled satisfactorily But
after all the small things please the
audience and give a feeling of entire
satisfaction As an example of this
take any one of the human interest
bits of the play. Cranes dress or his
attempt to smoke a cigarette, any one
of these and you have one of the
secrets of the success of the play.
The polished work of the five stars
and every member or the company for
that matter is directly responsible for
the completeness of the play Mr.
Crane, the dean of the company, pre-
sents Nicholas Van Alstyne, an astute
and Hkable millionaire stock broker,
with his usual depth of appreciation.
In spite of his fifty years of stage
work he still puts plenty of fire into
his character.
To the character of BERTHE. Mr.. Ross
adds coat of veneer which is one of
the supreme comedy assets in the play.
While making BERTHE a typical boob
a times Ross succeeds in adding just
enough solidness to his Interpretation
to leave a good taste with the audi
ence. Such = character might be en-
tirely disgusting but Mr.. Ross han
dies the part that possibility is elm
mated.
Maclyn Arbuckle's THE Rev. MUIR
ray Hilton is one of the eccentric
parts of the play. Mr.. Arbuck1e gives
a IuSJer TO the part InaC WOTkS IN
splendidly with the scheme of things.
Perhaps Miss Taliaferro and Miss
Bingham should have been mentioned
before the trio OF male stars but the
order of appearance does not have
anything to do with the merit of the
work of each. Therefore 40 not count
it an act of disrespeCt or an indication
of inferiority because the women were
not mentioned first.
1t is hard to find a phrase that will
completely characterize the work of
Miss Taliaferrc in the role of Agnes
Gates Size is thoroughly lovable
and she is able to bring the lump in
the throat" feeling to the audience
with perfect ease. Excepting Mr..
Crane, Miss Taliaferro has the most
hkable part in the play.
With h-r eyes Miss Bingham gains
her greatest effect. The sly twinkle
in her deep blue eyes adds fifty per
cent to her lines. She is come
diene of a distinctive style.
1t is hardly necessary to say that
the New Henrietta is a success. The
boX-office test of any play il it's abil-
ity to repeat" The play repeated in
Topeka last night to an audience that
was almost as large as the one that
saw it last April. E. w w.