Maude Adams Book 8: Op o' Me Thumb.

This is a one-act play that Maude Adams performed. Her physical appearance was changed for it, so instead of appearing as young and beautiful, she appeared as work-out and not attractive. She played the part of a very poor character in the play. There's also not a whole lot out there about this play. In order to obtain a copy of the play I had to end up using a book made in England that contained the text of the play. The play was written by two Englishmen.

Maude was Amanda Afflick, emotionally starved and physically worn, homely orphan girl, who works in a London laundry.

Articles About the Play

New York Times, Feb. 7, 1905. MAUDE ADAMS IN NEW PLAY. Op o' Me Thumb an Appealing Portrait in Miniature.

If bringing women to that verge of laughter and tears at which their womanhood is most womanly, if making men lean forward breathless with the queer, uneasy smile upon their faces which mans the corresponding state of mind in them-if this is playing upon the heart strings of humanity as a real artist should-then Maude Adams in Op o' Me Thumb last night at the Empire was all that an an artist should be.

But you forgot that she was an artist, you forgot that she was Maude Adams, charming, indefinably beautiful on spite of every argument to the contrary, you could believe in nobody but the poor little orphan who had nothing-nothing-who was homely till it made your heart ache, who was dowdy and slatternly and poverty pinched-who, except her woman's lonely, hungry heart, had nothing about her that was lovely, who comforted herself in the face of jeers with nothing better than dreams and lies, whose little tragedy was sadder than a tragedy on the stage often dares to be.

It is a one-part piece, and Miss Adams was everything. One could not have wished to see her play it differently in one single point, one feels somehow that he couldn't have borne to see anybody else pay it at all.

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Dramatic Mirror, Feb. 18, 1905: With a flat old straw hat jammed on tightly drawn hair, which is pulled back and tied into a doughnut loop, Miss Adams was ludicrous yet pitiful in the picture she made. the loose old garb of the hard worker at starvation wages hung limply about her seemingly flat-chested and stooping figure. she walked with the flat-heeled, short-stepping gait of a burden-carrier, and was the extreme opposite to the light-hearted, dancing sprite of gypsy Babbie.

Not a moment was she other than she seemed, though too critical analysis could pick flaws in her dialect, but that would be unfair, as she had the throbbing heart of the part in every tone and movement. Her humble pride and feverish idealizing of the anaemic, half-starved brain were shown as deftly and in the high art of simplicity. The passion and pathos needed to be remarkable to overcome the homely handicap of her make-up, and the achievement adds other laurels to her artistic store.

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The Theatre, March 1905: Her performance was 'perfectly composed as to the theatric details, deliciously quaint in its humor and compelling in its pathetic force.

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The Washington Times April 23, 1905. Op o' Me Thumb. Miss Adams' new character a distinct sensation-sure to widen field of her art.

Maude Adams gave the past week the distinction of dividing local theatergoers into two bitter factions. the whole city was affected. In the first place the attendance was large-large not for Holy Week only, but large for any week in the year. Then each member of each audience became a partisan and influenced his circle of friends. Then came the readers of the newspapers who noted the reviews of Tuesday but were not able to view the two Adams plays. The number interested was large and it was divided evenly.

'Op o' me Thumb' was the bone of contention, of course. 'The Little Minister' was an old story-a delightful story, to be sure, but familiar in all its parts. So the several audiences brought together by the magic of Miss Adams' personality followed it indulgently and kept all their curious interest for the afterpiece.

The afterpiece reward all that interest. Of its technical excellence, as interpreted by Miss Adams, there can be no two estimates. In all the course of her busy and productive life she has accomplished nothing else which buried her own personality as fully vivified a stage role so effectively. As was said in The Times of Tuesday the effect cannot but be a widening of Miss Adams' activities.

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The Trenton Times, May 1, 1905:MISS MAUDE ADAMS COMING.

Miss Maude Adams will add to her piquant and altogether charming Lady Babbie, another and a novel role when she fills her engagement here at Taylor Opera House tomorrow night. In addition to appearing in 'The Little Minister,' she will place on view a one-act play that has attracted much attention and gained much popularity since she brought it out at the empire Theater, New York, In February, last. it is known as 'Op O'Me Thumb' and the part to be essayed by Miss Adams is that of Amanda Afflick, a poor, little sad-eyed waif,who toils in a London laundry. She is a marvelous builder of air castles. It's a quaint little play, and has in it touches of human nature both comical and pathetic. Miss Adams as Lady Babbie in 'The Little Minister' is one of the most delightful stage impersonations that the country has become familiar with in many years. Arthur Byron, leading man for Miss Adams, is in both plays.