The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-11-14

comedy or rather a modern bur-
lesque upon the home life of a GER
tain queen who went transforming
in this country.
This play is by Robert Emmett
Sherwood, who has no mean repu-
tation for turning out smart plays
filled with rapid remarks done in
the slang Of the day.
We are permitted to see 1.-THE
Queens Husband" as the opening
production of the season of the In
dianapolis Little Theatre at the
Playhouse. The comedy was given
it's first Indianapolis presentation
last night at the Playhouse and it
will continue for the remainder of
the week.
I might tell you that the touring
company of 1.-THE Queens Husband"
is now at the Shubert in Cincinnati,
o., with Marie Adels, formerly of
the Berkell company, in one of the
roles.
The production now on view at
the playhouse is entirely the work
of the Little Theatre from the
scenery right up to the actors.
The cast of the Little Theatre
production of this play is as fol-
lows:
Frederick Granton .....Gordon F. Engeler
PhlppS :Clgae Jones
LORD Birten ..........; Harry +. Conner
Princess Anne .......... Elizabeth Hassler
queen Martha ;.:....Anna Louise griffith Ctti
Another Lady-in- Waiting .............
-''O .................M Mrs. William E. over
General Northrup $500; Vernon Bronson
klng Eric VII ....... .Heglnaio SaTStang
Major Blent minimum. EqWln j; hunSI
Or. Fellman ...s.soss.s...W llllam T.: over
Prince William .......... Hardin Calhthan
Soldier ............,. Edward Calendar
I can say that the outstanding
performance in this comedy is con-
tributed by Hardin Callithan as the
insipid, but modern carefree Prince
William. The makeup was in ma
ture of gay farce, but with realism
in it. The voice fitted the character
as well as the actions. George
SomneS, the director, picked the
right individual to play this role.
Reginald Garstang as King Eric
! permitted his character most of the
time to be the weakling that the
Queen supposed him to be, eSpe-
cially when she and some of his
ministers were around.
1t seems to me that the King was
not such weak baby as Garstang
! plays him because the playwright
gives the King a two sided charac-
ter-the dummy as well as man
who could scheme as well as COM
mand.
Anna Louise Griffith as Queen
Esther looked like a Queen who
could boss a royal palace and every
thing in it.
THE Queens Husband" is done in
three acts, but in the same setting,
that of the private office of the
King in the palace.
The comedy gets a smart, wise
cracking start in the first act and
keeps up that tempo until the sec
ond act when it becomes melo-
dramatic by injecting revolution
and that sort of thing. The third
act picks up the nervous smart
tempo of the first act. In other
| WOIQo JAlC oCSO1lQ dCO oeb6o q VICE
bit and loses some speed.
The Little Theatre has many
functions and one of them every
once in a while is to present a new
smart comedy that would not reach
the city as legitimate attraction.
That is the only possible excuse for
doing this very modern bunch of
nonsense.
I am not finding fault with the
Little Theatre for presenting this
comedy. 1t is within the object of
some of the accomplishments Of
such an organization.
THE Queens Husband" opened to
absolute capacity last night and will
be on view at the Playhouse for the
rest of the week.
Other theaters today offer: "The
Silent House" at English's; Chase
and La Tour at the Lyric; "Fazil' at
the Apollo; Charlie Davis at the In
diana; 1.-THE Wedding March" at
Riffar.Watar SaIfe