Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-05-02
ADJUSTMENTS
MISS COLLINGE ADOR.nIE
AS MERELY yrxnx-

Richmond never saw Il more lovable
Mary Ann than the Mary Ann that was
portrayed last night at the Academy
Of Music by Miss Patricia Collinxe in
Hanswills ever-charming comedy ):
sentiment And-taking il all in all
Richmond probably never saw. outside
the 50 circuit. more capable support
ing cast than the one Manager Price
ma assembled TO assist Miss Collnge in
the presentation of the Academys
hrst dramatic offering Of the summer
season
In the loose termnolosy OF the thea
ter Merely Mary Ann" must be called
the opening play OF Richmond's sum.
amer stock season. But ;t is hard TO
think OF last nights performance as
stock. Perhaps super-stock would he
inter. Except for an exCusable first
leading mans staginess i'll the first
two acts. the performance ran smoothly
through three hours tina, sped by be-
fore you knew it. II set pace, which
If followed. will give Richmond the oest
summer dramatic season it has known
in years
In Mary Ann. Zanswi!ls adorable lit
lie slaNey. Miss collimge found Il char
acter after her own heart. Those who
saw her as the Glad Girl in Polly
anna. and rem ember ZanEwilrs fanct-
full naive little English orphan that
has somehow found her way from the
green fields and pigs and "puddin' on
sunday into a Squalid London board
Ing house. will understand Between
the Glad Girl and merely MARI Ann
there is not 50 much difference after
all There is rare. wistful comedy in
MISS toilinge's Mary Ann ald once in
while tear. y playhouse full of
people sighed with her and laugh ed
mt her--for Merely Mary Ann" is not
by any means all sentiment There
| is comedy, too, and plenty of satire
And the inspiration OF all OF Mary
AIMS joys and troubles was one Lance
Tot, Il penniless composer blue blooded
and temperamental. who had the third
| hoor front in the boarding house in
which Mary Ann was the slavey Rich
ard Dix was only a partly success full
Lancelot. Perhaps he suffered by con
trast with Miss Collinge, perhaps IL
was an unSmoothneSs charE cable 10 4
nrst-night performance. Lancelot is at
best thanklcss part Of a red -blooded
hero. AS the garnet genius quarrcling
with n world absorbed in material de
lights, he was stacy TO n distracting
degree In evening dress and with
Fortune smiling on him. He gave A
manly performance In the last two acts
quite redeeming himself in the final
scene with the little servant girl Of
the garnet. now most charming So
cial butterfly. but true to her first
and only love.
As Mrs. Leadbattcr the lodging 'ouse
keeper Miss Helen Tracy played
with a faithfulness to type and finish
that ranks her as a character actor
Of the first order. Her cockney Eng
lsih never slipped a notch and her
portrayal OF the slatternly boarding
Il IN, .Ox,n !, n1h
her ugly, giGgly offspring, whom she
, was "raisin' TO be a leyedie." was n
mastery piece of work.
Everybody knows the simple story of
Zangwilrs Mary Ann. She worships
| the struggling composer, who finds
TOO late that he loves the little siavey.
, She inherits a fabulous fortuna and
goes 20 live with her aristocratic rel
afives Five years pass. The com
poser-now famous--visIts the home of
said relatives and there comes face to
face with merely Mary Ann. The rest
: only matter OF minutes.
Peter, i.ancclot's chum at the uni
! FeraitN and successful tea mercha nj
or Philistine turn OF mind. is well
'onc by Louis Hanes. Mr.. Hanes pos
Sehscs naturally radiant personality
ana one forgaNe him for stumbling sew
crh! times over his lines. william T.
N"te Is ah entirely satisfying Lord
''''- nam WIN Il quite satisfactory
English hrog"c and moustache to
: match. Arthur e. Ifohl. as Samuel
:'m"ds". tn" vicar who doesn't objct,
:" drink. succeeds in making a Law
hSur" e good comedy character, which
IS all that was necessary Effective
olts or acting are contributed by w
=. "nItecar. ~ Herr Brahmson. the
music publisher: by Pacic Ripplc. a.
o''"rinan. the sunday morning news
paper reporter turning I'm after HE
days work. and by Alfred Atleld. ms
jim Hiaydes, the medical student max
ing his way hilariously upstairs after
a night with the boys. The other
minor parts are all we'll taken and sat
isfac;hrily played.
/ Merely Mary Ann" will be given
every evening this week with matinees
on Wednesday and Saturday. II is the
~. No. s"tisfE.nS Dost-scason Offering
! that the city has had In wears.
J.. J. j.