"AT CRIPPLE CREEK"

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2154, 21 May 1914, Page 6

"AT CRIPPLE CREEK"

WiLLOUGIIBY DRAMATIC CO, "At Cripple Cro. li," n uxMiama ill four acts, by Hal dick!. Cast Joe Mft'i'flcld iff. Cyril Madtiiy Stm-tj.ii .Kittson >«> Vivian Jvhvacis Manuel Alvarez Mr. Herbert, k'iL'ii JyalilteUili •. jir. Ik-no M liHoy mt White T),'ii"y Kciy.av iifcsgic. .llatwood »,tr. l'tan'k Kill ««lv ,) i " ilson V f,fr - p - O'Viil iiutc to „ ycr« Unggiii, llclle Oof(l«'n kiss Pearl. fimicfi. J-arah idvely JUm I'.imrl Ik'tirtioli i«£«ric. Mason Miss Sdi Hafrnyd Dynamite Auq." .... Miss Seltiii F<?rjju¥ E oH

''At Crigjrio Creek,'"' presented by tl'i'e YV illoug-hhy Dramatic Company at t-hij Grand Oyitf,'!. House last evening, is that type <;i melodrama which tin; ani- ' mated pictures have, more ihjui anything else, ciKteafcil in the hearts of the- -soalsat-ian-Wi-rsg jAblie, Jj.tft foftfy. natoly in this play olio jjots &fj the coi"Hi of the M Wild Wesi-tho days of '■!'.! -and its attendant ;spfisatioifal vbimj adroitly Uiii'.povyd with a lireo/.v tcVh of capital comedy-" comedy of a o.jj'tss uracil nwi'G heartily natural than <u-nirs j-n tiro average rim <)J' modern iiielodftiinai Tiro second act, for -ojsiiT pie., iirfuita i-ivs comic love fie,Mi.os that conspcl laughter f-voln the most blase playgoer, ami lost <;vetung lvt-.pt the aiidisiice hi a, splutter -from beginning -to end. But melodrama untonuiiateiy cannot pe-p----fof-m the mission it. iruiy liav-c in the sunshine of klughtc-r, and the d<vks Iwb to be cleared now a-n.ti again t<i enable the vdhivu to -exerc-i-s-o his deadly BialignaiicD in his own fashion and for the itoro and his i'r'eads to in.u:fratc item lis t!it; ant Ivor dictates, U> obtain tiio correct consistently. The locale pi the play is a 'Western America!!, -m'lmig camp., where .100 Mayi field i« SGrWciiii-ig away at a claim that looks very like a "dulifcf." This is had luck, far .Too is -a. good follow, who -is always ready to hold out a helping hand to IJiosD ill distress, anil Iras in tho bigi,«ss of 'iijs heart steady ado pied Moggie Mason, and Little Tat, too, -the allege/] child aad grandchild oi the Mot of Ci ipplc C.reeli, one May-. tin Mason, .a tlm-f un<i* iilaelfgiiil-'ivd, iVlnson works in sv.itli Ma'line! Alva tvz, a Mexican, and Hen Wiijie, a negro, who together plot to destroy Mayiield, who will net' give up ihe" girls', and. who is not. slow -it exposing tiro wrongdoing of li is 0-lieinie.Si It is Joo. who brings "Dyr.amiio Ann," a wastrel, to repentance, and -who rescues 'Belle Gordon, tile governess, from the clutches of Mason, Tho latter act fines Mason and his gang to deeds of violence, Tlu-y jwo heard tinst ..Joe's claim has a rich ■ leftd 1 and when Joe -'refuses to give it tin. (though lie tons-iders it a "duffer"), Alvarez suspends Little Tattoo .over ■i clflT, whilst Mason threatens that tho child will ha dropped unless Joe signs over tho mine to them. Joe veteses, awl Alvarez lei's the child go. but at the psychological moment Wahketab, .Joe's faithful Indian shadow, swings out W-om tile opposite cliff and eki.teh.es the child in niHKur. Then Mason, plots to e'ean out Joe and everyone connected with him., whilst they are all down in fiv>< -mine, but again tho Indian and tho reYonned Aim _ spoil their plans. F'iunlly. Alvarez, in. a knife fight ivith the Indian, meets his fate, and the same fafSTiful son!! dispatches Mason with n Tntflei. just as- lie- is about to shoc.i .Too on ifio. hitter's jvedding day., , which clears tiie wa.y to a joyous tnutetn. The Chnraetci'lsatio'li is excellent throughout-,, Mr, Cyril Miickay., an a«tur of sterling parts., gavo .a cliM.fi-cii.t t ftvaiul-y, -and winning pprß'rmaiiee as joa 3-layi'ie.ld. Not only iVa-s ljo,a ! live to every, dramatic point tl.rd part holds, but bis comedy iii the love scene in t,jio second -let wa.s ■ itu unalloyed do-* ligifi. His personality is full at dianji:.-and--Ills : is -attuned to ; very emotion. .Miss Nellie Ferguson. (His aptly placed as D-yiiamiio A-n-a. iV'i-th _ iter tJiorougii-going motlioiis and ixpeit'tence.,, she was.' 'never at' fault iix vhe 111elocii";tinatic deiiiaivds of .tlrfe r-dlo. Nell llolrojd agniu 'distinguished •■••'vself hy investing tlm part of Magfia UaSo'ii with a buoyancy and spontaneity :iwt was pleasantly exhilar.'sting. She '■poke the. r-aey lingo of the Wild Wert is to 'ho liianiier born, and t-ucseeded n presenting a protutyi'-e of the Vi'esteni pr;>irie wild (lower that Bret Ila Ho vould hayc v.'rittel. verses .shout. Mr. Herbert Leigh had a sonn-uhat stodgy •ole as Manuel Alvarez-- one- wliicu vould defy the. liesr. of actors io do any.liing with, and M'c. Vivian K<!wards uggested all tile devilish malevolence if Jktrtir, '.Ma-s.ou very forcibly, but iu ho one key. Mr. li-onald lliley was efcetivo enough as WalsUwion. and Mr. )aroy Kelway extracted a good deal if .end-man humour e.ui of lien White, he darky in Mason's gang. Ijieidontaly the Kra Coriiedv. Four., a' coloured .uai tot. harmonised quaintly in a comdy vein .to iiie delight of the audieiico, .-.ho couid not get enougb of them. The National Dtio -also obliged., will), all iuei'polntcl duet ill .keepifig ivit h . thft eiting of the play. The play is admirhly mounted -and stage managed, ana lie lighting effect s ivere a feature. "A 1 Cripple Creek" will be per.f»rm« d for the rest of the week.