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Show "THE RIGHT OF WAY" Had Mr. Durkin himself choacn the play in which ho should close his engagement at the Garriclc, he could scarcely have selected a better bet-ter one than did the management when Pres-bury's Pres-bury's dramatization of Sir Gilbert Parker's story, "The Right of Way" was picked for the week which closes at the Garrick with today's to-day's performance of that play. The story Sir Gilbert wove around Charlie Steele's life before and after his fight in the Cote Dorion, is one in which interest never lags and it is big and strong and compelling in every line, and in all the situations that are piled one atop the other through its four acts. ADELINE DUNLAP Who plays "Madame x" at the Colonial next week Interest in any production of "The Right of Way" centers on the portrayal of Charlie Steele and the French Canadian woodsman, Joe Portugais. At the Garrick theatre these roles are in the hands of Mr. Durkin and Mr. Sumner, respectively. Of Mr. Durkin's characterization it must in truth be said that his Charlie Steele is not the character Sir Parker wrote, nor is it Presbury's dramatization of the man. The portrayal is distinctly Mr. Durkin's and on his shoulders falls whatever criticism one must make of his Steele in the first act and the praise that instinctively goes to him for his splendid work in the three remaining acts. He is cynical, but his methods are stereotyped in his opening effort. With Portugais in his mountain home, however, Mr. Durkin swings out into a broad, carefully shaded and splendidly splendid-ly executed characterization that merits all the praise it has received this week. Portugais in John Sumner's hands, is splendid. His conception concep-tion of the role is convincing in iis faithfulness and he grows in his work from the minute of his firs appearance until the play's finale. Miss Adair, Mr. Seymour, Mr. Herblin, Miss Dills, Miss Ross, and Mr. Totten are all good and a world of credit is due Neil Pratt for the realism with which he plays Brown. The production pro-duction is well staged and ranks with anything else the Garrick people have done this season. |