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Show MUSIC AND DRAMA "THE SHEPHERD KING." "The Shepherd King" is a mess a William A. Brady hookworm to catch the dollars of those who seldom attend a theatre and then go only with the assurance that the play is of a semi-religious semi-religious nature and its lesson ennobling. A few Odd Fellows liked it because their ritual embodies many of the expressions heard in the play; W. J. Bryan likes it and his opinion is concurred in by Wright Lor-imer; Lor-imer; also the shackled critics whose advertising departments will not allow their representatives to give a fair criticism of anything behind the footlights, admired the play. "The Shepherd King" I is supposedly a roman tic drama based on the story of David of Beth-Meliem, Beth-Meliem, but in its present pres-ent shape, produced by those who are playing play-ing it here this week, it is not to be taken seriously seri-ously and the only impression im-pression it leaves is a fear that Paul Gilmore and Charliebhanfor J are about to be supplanted sup-planted in the affections affec-tions of the great mass of hero worshippers by the bare limbed boy behind the slung shot. The construction of the play is unusually poor, from a dramatic or literary standpoint it is valueless, and the attempt at-tempt to visualize the scenes of the story has not added anything alii al-ii luring to modern ace-nic ace-nic investure. In all the play there was just one time when Mr. Lorlmer rose above .mediocrity, and that was in his work in the third act which was followed fol-lowed by the usual speech before the gong 1 sounded for the fourth and last ordeal. Brig-: Brig-: ham Royce as Saul acts every minute he is on the stage, but lie is in bad company so far as any other exhibition of the art is concerned. The English, enunciation, enuncia-tion, and delivery of almost al-most every one who had a speaking part was harrowing, and the -ladies in the cast, whose fatal gift of beauty had evidently been delayed In transmission, trans-mission, shared equally with the men in burdening bur-dening the audience. Mn. Lorlmer mounts 'the! Parapet tiear the tent city in the Vale "of " Blah again this evening and when Goliath is not looking, will hit 'him on the wrist with the same stone that slew the Hon, while Princess Mlchal was picking daisies do embellish the matutidnal ham and eggs. - Thls;-"wlll -close a week at the Theatre made doubly sad by the special music decomposed for the production. gP' Mm ' jf |