Show G Grait r at D- D Divide Dd d e eA A Delight at atThe atThe atThe The The Great Divide recalling vividly vividly viv vividly viv- viv idly two great artists of the dramas drama's halcyon days Henry Miller and Margaret Illington and serving as a revival of a drama of ot enduring appeal appeal appeal ap ap- ap- ap peal opened at the Playhouse Sunday Sunday Sunday Sun Sun- day to large and enthusiastic audiences audiences audi audi- at the matinee and evening ening performances r The National Players headed by Lorcne Lorene Lane and George Barnes gave a competent presentation of William Vaughn Mood Moodys Moody's s colorful story of the thc west its gun toting characters characters characters char char- gold mines and tenderfeet The Thc play opens with a brother and sister struggling in an isolated desert to recoup the fortunes of ot the Jordan family then to return to the thc mother in the New Nev England homestead Ruth and Phillip are saying goodbye to their sister Poll Polly Folly and Winthrop Newbury Newbury Newbury New- New bury who has loved Ruth from her school da days s Circumstances leave Ruth alone In m the ranch cabin and three drunken char characters break in with sinister intent To save herself Ruth promises to marry the least of offensive offensive offensive of- of of oC the thc three Unable to obtain obtain ob ob- ob- ob tam tain release from her promise she weds him and he takes her off to his place in the mountains where he has discovered a river of gold Their life together is filled with misery for both In the end she returns to her mother There her baby is born and she is on the verge of losing her mind Through the thc connivance of her mother and sister and the family physician she and her husband are arc reunited he is made to see sec that he truly loves her and that she has made n a man of or him She blames herself for much of their unhappiness ness and they plan their lives all allover allover over o again The fhe story is dramatic Every Ever human human human hu hu- hu- hu man emotion has full pl play Miss Lane gives a most convincing handling handling han han- dung to the exacting role of Ruth played originally by Miss Illington Though a depressing and pathetic figure figure figure fig fig- ure all the thc wa way through the stor story Miss Lane imparts to It high artistry and is thoroughly satisfying in the thc part Mr Barnes as Stephen Ghent who bore her away to become his wife As the western bad man and then as a tender husband he play plays the part with convincing intensity Marie Mane Gray is Polly Folly light hearted and winsome all the way through Howard MacNear plays Phillip with much power and Al Stephens is young Newbury a colorless role of which he makes the most All AU the theother theother theother other parts are mere bits essential to the story but nowhere ing Willard Jensen Art Loft Reed Erickson Huron L. L Blyden P P. A A. A. A Erickson Claire Sinclair and Richard Richard Rich Rich- ard Tracy are entirely adequate in m their characters Art Loft is on the stage for only a fe few minutes but buthe buthe he makes himself a convincing bad man The play is handsomely mounted The Grand canyon scenic effect is produced with h high h art The last ac act furnished in m antique st style le throughout through through- out gave an authentic touch The Thc Great Divide runs the entire week with matinees Thursday and Saturday |