The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-02
Fapersham Fine
In a Play From
Mark Twain Novel

| William Faversham, too long absent
night to the Booth Theatre. acting in
new play made from Mark Twain's
popular tale. THE Prince and the Pau
per-" Actors Of such ripe skill and such
physical powers as Mr. Favcrsham
possesses are rare on the American
stage and when they prefer to wander
| in the golden pastures OF the cinema
the public is the loser. Mr.. Faversham
must have realized something of the
kind when the modish audience vel
coined him back with such uncommon
| fervor. At all events, he has returned
md under circumstances which must
be as gratifying to the actor as they
proved to his public.
Amnl.e Rives Is named on the pro-
gramme as the author Of this arrange
mont o. Mark Twain's material. She
| has founded her play on the previous
work of Abby Sage Richa rdson. which
with Miss Elsie Leslie as its hero enjoyed
| favor in its day. or course Ii is possible
to no playwright to make any strikingly
different use OF the stuff In hand. The
selection of incidents to show how the
prince may suffer as a mere boy and a
sar.ly limited Miss Rives has chosen
we'll and has moreover impaired to the
speeches of her own composition an ap-
propriate literary color which keeps the
MAY and its inspiration on an equal
niveau.
Faversham as HendOn.
Mr. Faversham acted Miles Hepdo1,,
the bluff and honest soldier OF fortune.
Ill
He impaired to it all the robust hearth
ness and the so'dierly braggadocio which
are characteristic Of the hero. There
was just the agreeable degree of bluster
and exaggeration In the portrayal II
was a most engaging performance, not
exacting technically nor intellectually
but the achievement of real artist
The audience was grateful to Mr..
| Faversham for this. but also for the in
PRODUCTION OF Miss Ruth Findlay in the
title role. Here personality and art
blend with uncommon success 10 maxi
a perfect representative of the two boys
pauper and prince. Appealing wistful-
ness, an irresistible symrathy OF bear
ing and manner, naturalness never
monotonous but piquant always With the
expert indication OF changing moods
made Miss Findlay's performance MEM
Jrable. She had a pretty little triumph
all her own.
There are four acts. all but one with
two scenes which reveal by the aid OF
Rollo Peters's artistic brush various
pictures OF the London of the Tudors.
All seemed mellow with age and some
present tho Illusion of soidity. The
lighting in most OF the scenes hid the
highly esteemed virtue of most modern
methods In that the actors were half
the time in shadow More than
once their faces were all but completely
obscured when a step brought them
again into the full light. The groupings
of the players were graceful and signifi-
cant. The suggestion OF the unseen
multitudes was always eloquent.
Comedy and Melodrama.
Miss RIves's use Of the old material
blends comedy and melodrama interest
!ngly. When the soldier waits on the
be yish king and is in turn knishted BY
INN. the mood Of playful humor was
delightful. There was the stir of real
melodrama In the close of tho third act.
Throughout tho romantic spirit Is main
tanned without the apparent struggle for
II which Is so often fatal. The acting
of the company was In every important
particular of kind to reveal the work
OF its best. Cecil Yapp gave In Mad
Anthony one of his elaborate studies of
grc tesque humanity with genuine effect
iveness. AS tile young Queen Elisabeth,
Miss Clare Games bore hcrseif with suf-
ficiently regal distinction and revealed
In their beginnings all the force and de-
tern .ratlon OF that historic parsonage.
indeed. the swept through the scenes like
nhlrlwind. Reginald Barlow gave q
sufficiently revolving sketch of the VII
famous Cdntl'.
Mr.. Faversham was recalled after the
second act to acknowledge the applause
In short speech. There was riotous
approval indeed after every act. Mr..
Shubcrt and Mr.. Faversham seem TO
have given New York a delightful and
genuinely romantic melodrama which is
destined to please for n long time.