The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-09-17
Otis SKINNER HAS
FINE COMEDY ROLE
"Humpty-Dumpty" at Lyceum
Dominated by Hair Dresser
and Mother.
BERYL MERCER SCORES
Story Tells Adventures of a
Man Who Was a Lord
for O While.
"Humpty -Dumpty"-At the Lyceun
Theatre.

L Money Delamothe. Huth Rose Il
MIS- Mott. .......... =. Beryl Mercer
Crissie Parkins. Elizabeth Risdon i
Mrs. Rogers. Clara T. Bracy ]
Though Otis Skinner. with his virile
personality. dominates Horace Annesley
Vachel's comedy in four acts, which
Charles Frohman presented al the Ly-
ceum Theatre last night, there is an
other figure in the play. quaint and deli
cate as a bit OF lavender in old linen. or
| a piece OF china-though speaking OF
china she does drink her tea out OF her
saucer "a character that should GER
tainly be bracketed with the hero's in
the announcement Of "Humpty- Dumpty."
! That is little Mrs Mott, as done by Beryl
Mercer-Mrs Mott. mother of Albert
Mott, the hairdresser who becomes
! lord and then becomes again a hair
| nobody.
Theatregoers will remember the wom-
an who took the leading part in Barrie's
moving war play. The Old Lady Shows
Her Medals" In this English comedy
| she does very much the same SORT of
work. and her simplicity, her Iowa BILE
| ness. are irresistible. 1t comes as
1 strange bit OF anti-climax that this little
mother who is the soul OF truth and
naturalness should have told. or acted.
the lie which put her loved son in the
peers place which didn't belong to him.
| but remembering back to one of the first
| scenes one gets the key to her conduct
| in something she says when her son tells
her.
You couldn't tell lie 10 save your
life, mother"
To Happiness and Back.
| But could tell dozen to save yours,
Bert" she answers. And so she permits
| a deception to make him. as she believes.
happy. and 1t turns out that they aren't
happy any more till Humpty -Dumpty
has his fall! and they are back in the
| hairdressing establishment at Swash-
combe on the sea again. and he Is fol-
lowing the tonsorial art he loves and the
rightful heir is holding down the lord
ship.
1t was a pity that the author wasn't
there to witness the friendly reception
of his comedy Otis Skinner thought it
/ a pity. for IN the authors absence he
was forced to make a speech. He was
dragged before the curtain at the end
OF the second act. very red and fus-
tered. declaring only the fact that Mr..
Vachell was far away in England could
make him do It.
The first act is unqualifiedly dull.
Why are first acts always dull? 1t is
convenient in that 1t enables one to
finish ones dinner comfortably and still
miss no entertainment. Still there are
always things in that first act neces-
sary to getting the hang of the thing.
VI A-INN
to bring everybody there before the
curtain rises? Then the audience would
know what 1t was all about
ubiquitous VIII Appears.
The first act Is about will. that thing
that has played so prominent a part in
so many plays and novels. The will is
| satisfactory In that the dead Lord has
left the property to the handsome young
heir to the title. who Is in love with the
pretty daughter OF the heirs impecunious
uncle. He is prepared to do the proper
thing by his uncle. General Deldmothe
and everything seems smooth, when the
old lawyer requests to see John alone
and makes the painful revelation which
elevates Humpty- Dumpty to the wall
1t appears that the title and the prop
erty weren't the dead Lords to be be.
queathed. For he had a brother who
was supposed to have been unmarried
but he did marry girl Of the people
and died a month after their son was
} born. The dead Lords conscience had
troubled him to the extent that he
caused a search to be made. and his
brothers son was found in the person
of Albert Mott, hairdresser.
Thus ar the plot Is threadbare enough
But with the rising of the curtain for
the second act, in the hairdressing
: establishment, all ,commonplaceness
vanishes There Is a delicious comedy
In Otis Skinner the tonsorial artist
for his work is an art to him, sharing
equally his affections with his mother
) with his assistant. MISS Pressy Parkins
whom his mother took from the found.
ling asylum and raised, and with his
delight in speaking at meetings on the
inlquities and general uselessness OF
the British peerage.
Lost Earl Is Found.
, Upon this idyllc life-for It is idyllic
the happiness OF the little family in the
little parlor behind the barber shop
breaks young John Deldmoth and
General DeIdDlothe, TO tell the barber
that he Is the Earl Of MottisJont. There
is excellent acting in the way Mott re-
ceives the news. He detested the peer
, age. yes but the funny streak OF van
, ity that runs through the honesty and
goodness OF his simple nature sets hin
smiling with delight at the notion Of
being a member OF II, and he hastily
rev!ses his views. There Is little dc
!, light for him. however. after he goe.
, up to London with his mother and trie!
to AL his place at Montisfont House II
Mayfair, and there is less for the lIttl,
mother.
Gen. Dolamothe and his wife ar,
; prepared to do their duty and show
Albert the ropes. meantime featherinl
their own nest capably. They are suci
pair as Thackeray loved to paint. an,
: Viscount Loosehdn0er might have com
out Of page of Thackeray too-o
Dickens. Albert, a humorous hgur,
enough, and yet lovable and with
certain dignity in all his social errors
moves among them. In his smplicit.
deeming all men his friends. His streal
OF vanity makes him fall in with tn,
plans of Gen. Delan,Othe for mar
rage between him and Ndncp. He still
loves Prtssy, who Is back helping Jane
WaIlop run the barber shop, but h
agrees that ne needs a wife who will
e show him the ropes in this nobility bust
ness.
Fine Comedy Opportunity.
And then a word between the viscoun
! and the General, overheard by poo
J Humpty-Dumpty. shows him how he 4
regarded. and with the instinct OF tn