The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-11-03
MAUDE ADAMS, IN NEW BARRIE PLAY,
 HERE WEDNESDAY
Celebrated Actress to Pre- sent "A Kiss for Cinder- ella,' Matinee and
 Night

In the feelings regarding the en- gagement of Maude Adams in J. NJ Barrie's new play "A Kiss for Cinder- ella at the Jefferson theatre Wednes- day of this week, matinee and night, pleasure and curiosity coming. The pleasure, or a good part of it, will come from seeing an actress who IS always welcome in the first new role opportunity has given her in several seasons The curiosity is aroused in seeing how Barrie has in his first long dramatic excursion since "The Legend of Leonora" modernized the oldest of fairy tales.
 Barrie is never dull; in fact, his genius has never been questioned. If he has a fault it is in not always mak- ing himself understood, which is an- other way of saying that he writea over peoples heads-means more than he gives his characters opportunity to explain in words. The dramatist is not guilty of this in his latest effort which. in his whimsical way, he IS pleased to term a fancy"
 Of the play this is known: London hailed it with delight and it is now being given in the English provinces, On it's first presentation in New York 1t ran all winter and spring. On it's tour last season the play was en- thusiastically received in Boston, Phil adelphia, Chicago and other large cities throughout the country.
 HEROINE LONDON WAIT
 The heroine of "A Kiss for Cinder- ella" played by Miss Adams, is Lon- don waif first seen as the drudge in an artists studio. Some boards, used fo 10 cIx tul.t show glow that would attract the "Zeps,' are missing. This causes q big policeman to follow the girl home, little penny" shop, where she spends her evenings doing odd jobs for oth- CTS as unfortunate as herself. There the policeman finds the boards. They have been made into boxes that hang on the walls. Each of the four boxes contains a war orphan and one of them is named Gretchen. The girl has adopted the children as her wartime ''bit"
 The waif, who is of that class that has to imagine its happiness or go without it, tells the children she is Cinderella and the idea takes posses sion of her Exhausted and starving she falls asleep in the street.
 BALLROOM SCENE WONDERFUL
 In her fevered dream the fairy god- Iloti.eI comes tO grant ner Inrec wishes. She asks for the ball, to assis, Tn nursing the wounded and to marry the man of her choice. Then she Is whirled to the ball This is the big scene of the play. The girls dream is reproduced in all it's imaginative details. Barrie let's loose his whims.- cality and great Is his opportunity. for the girl has never seen anything more gorgeous than the outside of a gin palace in Cheapside. The king and queen are pictured arter their DOT. traits in an old deck of playing casdi The pale blue prince pears a wonder full resemblance to the policeman who has been kind to her. The music is that which the girl has heard on coach horns and the hurdy gurdies of the streets. principally American ragtIme. The ice cream is served in golden cones from a golden pusncart The scene is the most fanciful ono Bar rie has written and, Indeed, one oi the most fanciful and imaginative cre- ations that the stage has ever known At the stroke of 12 all becomes dark and Cinderella is next found in hos pltal, where. as she is recovering her strength. she Is assisting In the nurs- ing and thereby having her second wish gratified. And in the end her real prince. the policeman. comes to give her new kind of engagement