The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-12-07
MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC.
Miss nntcmnn ns nMnry Warner.O

Miss Bateman last evening attracted very
good audience to the Walnut, in spite of the
tremely unpleasant state of the weather, and
she achieved a measurable success in spite OF
very Indifferent play. Miss Bateman has i'm
proved within the last five years, and while she
retains all the peculiarties OF her style she has
her powers better under control. and is able to
manage her effects with more skill The drama
of Md,qy Warner was written by Tom Taylor
for the purpose of fitting this actress with part
suited to her and of furnishing her with variety
number of situations that would enable her to
represent certain emotions. The subject chosen
is not pleasant one, and it undoubtedly appeals
to a very low order of taste. A robbery is COM
mitted under circumstances that point very
plainly either to "George Warner workman
in a machine shop, or his wife, as the perpetra-
tor. Each believes the other guilty, but the wife
steps forward and confesses that she committed
the crime, and thus rescues her husband. She
serves out term of Imprisonment, her suffer-
ings being aggravated by the desertion of her
husband whom she imagines to be the real cul-
prit and the dramatist piles horror upon horror
by contriving that she should, after her dis
charge from the prison, be accused second
time of theft and by her own husband, who
has now become wealthy manufacturer. The
two are brought face to face in the police court
but the wife, although her innocence OF the last
crime is established, refuses TO meet the man
whom she believes has so cruelty wronged her,
and makes her escape from him. She is then
turned out of her lodgings by hard-hearted
landlady, who has a regard for the character of
her, house, and does not wish to harbor person
accused of theft, and just as "Marys" misery
appears to be complete, the real perpetrator of
the robbery for which she had been condemned
confesses, and a meeting between the husband
and wife and mutual explanations ensue, which
are satisfactory to all parties concerned. 1t will
be seen that this subject despite its coarseness
possesses considerable dramatic interest, and it
might be easily worked into O powerful play
Tom Taylor, however, has not by any means
done it justice, and Mary Warner
is one of the very poorest pieces from his pen
that has ever been produced in this city. Any
success that Miss Bateman achieves in it is due
entirely to her own abilities and not at all to her
author. Such characters as MARY Warner" ap-
peal strongly to the sympathies of a certain
class of playgoers, and several actresses now
before the public make speciality of represent
ing unfortunate women in various situations of
distress, moaning for their children, and weeping
over the loss of husbands and lovers In this
line of business Miss Bateman is probably supe-
rlOr 10 any Oh neT rivals. Sne does not equal
Lucille Western in genuine tragic intensity, but
she has a refinement that Miss Western entirely
lacks, and her acting is natural withous affecta-
tion and forcible without rant. In the scene in
the second act where MARY Warner and her
husband have an interview at the prison gratings,
Miss Bateman played withfne feeling. In the last
act, however, when she discovers her little
daughter she does not make the most of the
situation, and she falls very far short of Lucille
Western in the somewhat similar scene in East
Lynne Miss Bateman is a good actress in a
certain class of characters, but she is not great
one by any means. 1t is to her credit that she
can make such botched piece of work as Mary
Warner interesting; but itwould be more credit
able if she could do as much for plays better
worthy of notice.
Mr.. George Jordan gave good performance
of George Warner" and Miss Virginia Francis
acted the part of ''Milly Riggs" passably well.
Mr.. Walcot made the most of the very un-
promising part of 'Bob Levitt" and Mr.. Bailey
was good representative of "Funks," the
warm-hearted warden of the prison. Mary
Warner is well put upon the stage, and the
scenery is for the most part very good.