Evening star., 1938-07-26
Roadsiders
Return. to
Old Idea
Miners Daughter
Is Hissable Bit
OF Theater.
BY HARRY MACARTHUR.

n II ELODRAMA came back to
M the Roadside Theater last
IV night and that is a very fine
4 L thing, as every one knows.
There's a heroine to be cheered and
encouraged in THE Miners Daugh-
ter" and there's a villain to be Missed
with all the enthusiasm you can get
into your Kissing, all Of which sort
Of brings the good people Of the Road
side back into their place in the sun.
This melodrama which is going on
now. piece written by some one
named Lizzie May Elwyn and first per-
formed back in 1888, is trulyAmag-
niflcent as melodramas 60. 1t is, in
fact, melodramatic almost unto satire
or melodrama and thus it becomes one
Of the roaring good times of the Road
sides season. The heroine is pure and
sweet and the villain is . dastardly
citizen indeed and there IS a lot of
stark, heart-rending business before
she is saved from him for the man
she loves
1t is something Of complicated
plot which involves all of the people
you will find on the Roadside's stage,
the villain Of the piece having in his
past a discarded wife and in his pres
ent yen for a lass, which he tries
to promote through his knowledge of
the Fatal Confession" which is the
other half Of the title. 1t is much
too complicated, in fact, to be set
down here. but setting it down here
probably would not whet your appe-
tite for 1t anyway.
And really your appetite should be
whetted. for ''The Miners Daughter"
Is q melodrama with which you can
have a gay time. II the good melo-
dramatists of the Roadside run into
any difficulties with the play it is by
getting away from their original man.
ner OF dealing with old-time melo-
dramas, by giving in on occasion to
the temptations to burlesque instead
OF playing Straight" But they do
not do any irreparable harm to THE
Miners Daughter" in spite Of the fact
that they may irk some of the old
time melodrama fans now and then.
and the grandiloquent old tale is still
something to be seen.
Norman Rose. a newcomer to the
ranks OF the foul fellows who have
trod the Roadside boards and harassed
pretty heroines, achieves completely
the tradition, becoming a villain YOU
can Mss with great glee. Miss Betty
Gray Is the principal young lady Of
the piece and, in spite of the fact that
she Is one Of the people who would
oVeroo the melodrama now and again.
sne makes a fine heroine indeed.
Among the others you will find Fran
ces brunt returned to carry of manv
OF the acting honors and show manv
o, tne newcomers a thing or three
ABOUT playing melodramas: Ralph
Fowler doing another of his neat char
acter interpretations; Edward Stew
hneson playing nobly a young man
whose intentions are all to the good.
Betty Rice and young James Craw-
lord contributing fine moments In
nlack1ace and lot Of other people
ooing the things they should do the
way they should do them,
No Roadside melodrana. Of course
Is complete without the entr'acte and
tnis mas one that is truly a honey,
sung magnifcently by Miss Brunt,
MISS Gray. Mr.. Stevlingson and Mr.,
Rose. The title Of it is "The Fatal
wedding and Miss Brunt's grandoise
coloratura and the whole four of
them "truncking' are something not
to be missed.