Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-02-19

thirs; OF JOY William II. crane and
Stuart Robson made OF The IIcHrj..Ja''
lit must have been twenty-five years
ago that they stopped playing il. All
OF us who Wee Of last nights fortu-
nate audience at the Academy of Music
nov how wholesome and hapry Il blend
Of comedy aud drama is made ut Tie
Ne" l!"uriSttU' by the notable cas-,
with which Joseph Brooks now pre-
! scnts the new old play. Any one of tire
tive principals Of the company would
icud certain distinction to q cast;
the five together place it beyond almost
amy organization OF players that has
ever appeared III Richmond.
lhcy arc not mere names, either:
they arc actors all. each as well quilted
hy nature. training and experience To-
! his rolc though the part had been
specially written for him. The cc-
feet Of this all-actor cast, working
! each for the bcttcrment Of the whole.
ana with such material for the display
OF ability individual and collective,
was so strong upon the audience that
filled the house from gallery to or
chestra pit last night that the APP
p!ausc after each point frequently
drowned the box parties.
Heading the company is the rcvcrctl
" lillian II. Crane, practically the dean
OF the American stage, seventy ono
Years young. OF the old school, he is.
and Of the new school, too. An,actot,
with all OF him. voice. face. body and
hands, he is OF no school i'll particular.
save that OF the actor. which, At its
best. is agcless. Playing with young
stcrs. some of them. he still stands out
bless him. May hc revive our
Bachelors some day. or. perhaps, again
play The Comedy OF Errors"
Thomas W. Ross has about the most
dillicult role that this stage has pro
! vidcd in half Il generation: he follows
stuart Robson as Bcrtic. the Lamb He
hasn't Robsou's ludicrous croak in his
throat, but lac has everything else
There - no use going into the why
OF IT, which might lead to all sorts of
talk as 10 has use Of the voice. his
expression his walk. his rare change
10 an instant's seriousness. Let i,
suffice TO say that his is one of the
finest acting performances seen here
in years II all narrows down TO this.
he is an actor. And his comedy is
irresistible.
Maclyn Arbuckle makes altogether
different comedy OF the Rev Murray
Hilton from that which is remembered.
but it is peculiarly unctuous comedy
which produces roars Of laughter.
rather than chuck!cs He being also
can be made Of u cartoon part.
Amelia bingham would lie too clever
a Coincidence to waste on Il part COM
parativcly so small but FOR the fact
that the slightest miSplayinG. even OF
Il small part. would he rlaring in this
company. AID Edith Talafcrro is
charming in another small part. The
roles not hllcd by men and women with
conspicuous names are nevertheless
handled by thoroughly competent ac-
tors so numerous that il is possible
To mention only orN, whose perform
ancc. in Il most implcasinG part, is we'll
, worth watrhinS-Janle J. Ryan, the
trcnchcrouS Sou-in-l law.
1t isn't the business OF this column to
prefer advice, but it would be a pity
To miss The New Henrietta" this af-
t"rnoon or Tonight. In any season. il
would he as welcome rs II quart in a
dry month.
Douglas Gordon.