The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-21
ADJUSTMENTS
"Experience"- e"-Jefferson

George V. Hobart's allegorical play,
 ''Experience," which was presented in
 Birmingham last year, returns to the
 Jefferson theatre for an engagement
 of three nights and a matinee.
 The opening performance was given
 last night. Tn some respects the com
 pany is not as strong as the organiza-
 ton which formerly appeared here. but
 most of the parts are well acted and
 Leonard Doyle continues to give an
 excellent interpretation of the prin-
 cipal role, that of Youth who leaves
 Love behind and journeys into the
 world with Ambition to lead him and
 Experience for monitor, there to
 meet with Pleasure, Chance, Work,
 Temptation, Passion, Wealth, IntoXica-
 tion, Frailty, Delusion. Crime, DeSra-
 dation and many other phases of mod- ern life personified.
 Youth soon abandons Ambition, harkens to the siren voice of Pleasure and her handmaidens, falls from hls high estate through successive stages to the depths, but in "The Street or Forgotten Days" is redeemed by moth- CT love and return to Love, still fol- lowed by Experience, who has proved his friend and adviser in adventures which have shown him how to make of his dead self a stepping stone to success. Once more, with Love at his side and Hope and Ambition, who has been restored to him, he will face the battles of life with knowledge to avoid it's pitfalls and strength to con quer.
 The play, in it's numerous scenes and l episodes, pictures in a vivid way the bath Youth must tread through bit ter disillusionment to realization Of 1 lifes verities and a comprehension Of those influences which make or mar mans character. The sub titles arc fraught with meaning-"In the Land Where Dreams Begin,' "In the Cor riders of Chance" sThe Street of Dis illusion" ",rhe House of Last Resort" "The Street of Remorse,' The Street of Forgotten Days" "In the Land Where the Dreamer Awakens." The Gambling he'll the basement cabaret, the den of dope fiends" and numerous other scenes lend powerful realism to the play which has already received extended notice in these col 1 umns. Experience" goes a bit fur ther than it's companion piece, Every woman,' in some respects It delves | deeper in the mire and it deals with ] young man instead of a young | woman.
 l Leonard Doyle gives to Youth an | impre eSSion of great sincerity and at l first an unsophistication which is worn 1 away by contact with the world aud l it's sorrows. He is well adapted to the l part in appearance and manner. He 1 was seen here last year in the same | role. Duncan Penwarden is virile ard 1 kindly as Experience Julia Cobb admir- l ably portrays the tenderness and da- l votion of Love, while Mae Paul makes l of Pleasure a persuasive figure that 1 fits well into scenes of frivolity and dissipation. Especially good character l studies are contributed by William l Dupont as Despair and Poverty Georse E. Miller as Chance. Make eshift ana Crime; Fred Mosely as Work, and Ger aid Rowan as Delusion. Leona Hogarth as Frailty,a a girl of the underworld, brings out the type with rare fidelity and strong, sympathetic appeal Ber- nard Craney makes Wealth dominant l personality and William Thompson fills all the requirements of Arnbi- ton.
 With the exception of occasional mismanagement of the light effects the various scenes were well staged and the performance had a great deal of dramatic effectiveness