New Britain herald., 1916-02-28
MISS HERNE'S PLAY
 TO GET GOOD START

With full stage set with scenes just
 @s it will be portrayed at the pre-
 micr performance tonight the Alfred
 Cross Players spent the entire morn
 in in their final rehearsal of An
 Outsidcr,' the play by Miss Julie
 Eierne which promises to be second
 Peg O My Heart" in popularity. Under the direction of Kendall Wes- ton, the stage director for the Cross Players, the situations have been at tuned, the scenes rounded out and the lines mastered. Miss Herne's
 mother, known to theatergoers of a generation ago as Katherine Cor coran, the wife of James A. Herne writer of "Shore Acres,' lent help ing hand in the direction of the pie'V . All who have anything to do with the play declare it will prove the one best bet of the local season which has numbered a score of triumphs
 When the curtain goes up tonight C1 An Outsidcr' Miss Herne'S friends and admirers who have signfied their intention of taking the opportunity to sec the premier of her big play will witness one of the prettiest and most
 
 is the story of western girl a girl tceming with life, love, enthusiasm
 and d big heart, who mectS a big
 good natured millionaire of the East
 She is 'Katic' Murray. q character SO cleVcrly drawn that she promises to rank with some of the old favoritcs Of staged dom katie" eventually marries this young blood, Peter Van Courtlandt. He brings her back to the homo of his people. And there she, a girl of tho open West, a girr not used to the conVentionalitieS of the effete East, sees society for what it is worth. And having had "Katio'
 nut on their hands, the rela of
 her husband. after trying first to get
 rid of her, decide to educate her up
 10 the ways of the world. And they do. What katie" Murray has to go through, the great episodes and situations in her life would fill a volume of the best fiction ever Writ- ten but she is good. real honest to- goodness American girl such they grow in the big wild places, and she delivers the goods. "I<atie' murray is a success At first rated as an out sider, she comes to be the real one of the family, and everything ends happily. There are four acts re- puired in the unfolding of An Out sider." and each of these acts is filed with the stuff that human hearts long to see enacted,-life and
 (; ction with heart throbs and smiles Miss Julie Herne has played some big parts during her career on the American stage Tn her eight weeks
 as ladne lady of the Alfred Cross
 players at the LNceum she has demonstrated her ability to clinch the 1 human interest," part of any char ] actcr. to engravc her emotions on the hearts of her auditors. She has mas tered the art of imperSonating the Sympat hetic little girl bit, the down trodden, the common clay sort. US in her Mary Turner in ''Within the Lav.' Her impersonatlon of that wonderful character Glory Quayle, in "The Christain,' ranks as a not- able stage triumph. Last week as ..Molly." the wife of the criminal 1 hero in Kick In" Miss Herne scored another success. But in her own play she promises to outdO herself, to put over the footlights character greater tha she ever dream d. merely Katie" Murray.
 It is expected that a vast audience will turn out tonight to witness Miss i1erne's attempt at big vital drama Many of her theatrical friends from New York and Boston will be here will several theatrical producers. Elaborate scenery has been painted by Maurice Futile, the artist who has applied his brush to all of th" scenes thus far shown for the Cross Players. Because Miss Herne made her first appearance on the Lyceum stage, playing in the same company with her distinguished father, au added interest has been manifested in her work. Numerous theater parties have been arranged and from all accounts predict the largest opening house ever recorded at the LYceun1. Alfred Cross will play opposite ] Miss Herne, and Eugene Weber. one of New Yorks best stock actors. has been secured to play an important part Mrs. Adelaide Hubbard will have the lead character role and Miss Dora Booth and J Irving White have been assigned characters in