Evening journal., 1918-03-12
CHAhAtTERs.

H'PaoJ ssFsssssss -sss.ss .AddIh tolfhdn
"Old Lady 3in Is a double romance
OF an old couple who see the past
through NE sorrows OF life. and a
young couple who see the future IN
rosy oolors, but both see love with
this for a basis, the play bubbles over
with delicious humor. There is a
laugh lu nearly every line and even
In the furniture and the costumes n
Is impossible 10 give an adequate idea
Of the sweetness and funnlness OF the
play IN words, but every one. who at
tended the opening night, last cven-
Ing, went away cuthused ana saying
they would not havt missed Il for
worlds. Every adult person was con-
tlnually discovering something that re-
minded him of childhood days, IN the
old china dog, the horse-hair sofa, or
some country tradition or way Of
speaking, and here were continual
chuckles over familiar things recalled
TO the audience.
Who Will ever forget the Old Ladies'
Home, with It's tinkly, out-of-tune,
square piano, and tides on the chairs,
and oval portraits?
The wife OF the only man in the
place, who was admitted by the old
ladies' partly that he would not have
10 go TO the poor farm and partly be.
cause they were stll sentimental
enough TO be thrilled by having a man
In the house. How they knit wristers
and mended socks for him, and brought
hot water bottles and patchwork quilts
and red nannel rags for his throat
when they thought he was ailing The
old man finally said he didn't know
whether he was a man or an old lazy,
being the only man IN the house with
thirty women. When the impression
that he Is getting 10 be old lady 81 gets
too strong he finally bolts, and has a
regular mans spree for a night az the
old life-saving station.
Miss Dunn, as the wife, kept her
sweetness and diplomacy all through
the iealousies OF the old ladies', and
| played the near-tragedy Of the night
when Abe Is away, through the thun-
derstorm, with great power and feel
| ing. Miss Dunn's playing is marked 10y
/ a perfect naturalness that makes an
audience forget she Is acting. Her
genius Illuminated the entire play and
gave IL vitality and grace To use a
woman's phrase, she is a dear, whether
She is comforting Abe, or recognizine
the missing husband by his character
istic snore after his night out, whether
sho Is mourning her Little home, now
lost, or whether she Is alternately
wcepins on her husbands coat and
noticing the clam chowder spots there
on.
Miss Dunn was given eminently salts,
factory support. John Stokes as ABE"
was strong personality whose play
ing was thoroughly adequate Thomas
Shearer as Mike was as funny and true
TO nature as he could be. Louise Pierce
as Samuel Darby was also excellent.
and Irving Mltchtll was a winsome boy
ot attractive ways The old ladies' were
indescribsbly funny, and each one was
an individual type, finely acted
There was the gushing old maid, the
thin, furiously knitting old maid the
naughty widow, the motherly plump
widow, the busy Marths type. and
many others. The great charm Of the
play Is that while II is as funny as Il
can be, II is perfectly true TO nature,
not an extravaganza.
"Od Lady 81" will be at the play
! house tonight and tomorrow night
with A matinee on Wednesday. There
are a prolog and three aets. elaborately
set in New England surroundings.