The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-01-12
MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC.
."Arser Dark mt the Walnut.

Last eVe,oing BOucicaulps drama OF aver
Do,k was pro, Iuced at the Walnut. This piece
has been extens vely advertised by means OF
lawsuit about the @. .~lgin of one OF the principal
effecs-a style of ad ,ertising, by the way, that
from too frequent use, ~ beginning to lose Its
effectiveness Boucicaulps name, too, has q
powerful attraction to large class OF playgoers'
and the first performance OF hIter DARK In
this city was accordingly given to full house
The plot OF the piece may be thus stSted-A
scoundrei known as "Chandos Bellingham,"
but whose real name is ''Rtchard Knatchbull,"
number of years before the opening OF the
play eloped with the wife of an army officer
The woman, after being deserted by him, died
in the workhouse, and her legitimate daughter
was taken care of by strangers with whom she
grew mp virJuous and happy, and finally mar
ried o seemingly honest cabman. Her father, on
returning from distant field Of service, hears OF
his wife's shame and death and his daughters
disappearance. He endeavors to drown his
sorrows with drink, and at the opening OF the
play he appears "Old Tom" The cabmRn,
"George Medhurst," is Of good family, and heir
to q large estate, the possession of which, how
ever is contingent upon his marrying his
cousin. In his younger days he ran through
q large fortune by course of dissipation, aud
forged bill, which "Dicey Morris, ;" the keeper
of % gambling house and concert saloon entitled
the "Elysium Hail." and the confede
rate OF "Belingham," holds in hi
possession, These scoundrels endeavor to
turn to their own advantage the
peculiar olrcum stances in which "Med
hurst" is placed. They induce him to consent
To the conditions by which alone IL is possible
TO gain possession of the coveted estate, and to
= purchase the forged bill tor a satisfactory sum
To get rid OF "Medhursts" wife, "Bellingham'
persuades her that she has lost the affections OF
= her husband, and in despair the woman jumps
from the BlRckfriars bridge int the Thames
sold Tom" rescues her, and recognizes
her as his daughter. Ashamed, how
ever, of his degraded condition, he keeps
the relationship secret. Through the instru.
mentality of "Captain Gordon Chumley," of
the Light Dragons. who has recognized in
"Old Tom d brother officer, the daughter
cures a sttuation as lady's maid TO "Miss Rose
Egertop," who is preparing for her marriage
with "Sir George Medhurst." AS the wife had
only known her husband under his assumed
name Of Hayward" she is unaware OF the
shook which is in store for her.
She has Just recognized his portrait, when he
enters the room. and in the dark, IuIstaking
her for "Rose," he asks to be released from MS
marriage engagement, as his affections are
given solely to one he believes to be dead. The
entrance of Rose" at this moment reveals the
real situation of affairs, and affords effective
5sNuation for the conclusion of the act.
In the meantime buckingham" has been re.
cognized by Captain Chumley" as an escaped
bushranger. for whose arrest reward is offered,
and he sets to work to obtain from him the
forged bill. buckingham" consents to part with
the bill at a much smaller p ice than he origi-
nally demanded, and the music hall OF "Dicey
Morris ls appointed as the place OF rendezvous.
Buckingham" and morris" contrive to have
only their friends in attendance, and "Chum.
ley" after obtaining possession of the bill, Is
drugged and robbed. "Oid Tom," who has fol-
pocket book. but the villains force 1t
~'yrom him aud throw him into cellar.
AS the underground railroad passes
under the adj dining house the scoundrels agree
to dispose of "ChumleY" by putting him upon
the train and then to throw the cars from the
track 10y placing an obstruction in their way,
with q view of comprising "Chumley's" death
thereby. "Oid Tom," however, views the
whole proceeding through chink in the wall
of his cellar. and just as the train is heard ap.
preaching he manages TO break through and
throw the log off the track, and the cars dash
past in safety. After the great Sc: satton of the
piece, nothl Ing remains but to bring matters to
conclusion expedltiously as possible.
"Bellingbsm" and morris are astounded by
being confronted by their supposed victim
and on being placed in the hands o the police,
and with a view Of making matters easy for
themselves as possible, they give up the forged
bill. Old Tom" reforms, "Sir George Med
hurst" and mis- wife are reunited, and it is init.
mated that Captain Chumley" will console
Rose" for her matrimonial disappointment.
In the drama originally performed,
"Chumley" was placed upon the track, and
was rescued by "Old Tom" The Court, however,
decided that Daly's copyright OF Under the
Gaslighs covered this man on the track, but
not the cars. so 1t found necessary to sub.
stitute q log of wood in the great scene of the
play, thus depriving it OF its chief interest," The
"Ely sium Music Hail." in the third ACT, is taken
from John Brougham's Lottery Of Lie. and most
Of the situations have been adapted in Bouc-
csult's usual graceful style.
AJter Dark is certainly not the best OF Bouci
caults pieces, and 1t is about on par as regards
merit with Daly's Flash Of LtgItti,tg and is
scarcely equal to Under ,he GdSIi0ht, or Broug-
hams LOaerY Of Lye The Iast.name piece
had some fun in II, and the author, to q certain
extent, disarmed criticism by gracefully ac-
/ knowie6siug that he himself considered It to
be uBmitigated trash. AJte DaT; is we'll placed
upon tho stage; the scenery Is good but tho
railway ain is by no means effective as was
the similar contriyauce at the Area, nor is the
concert room scene equal to the one in The
Lottery Of L0e Indeed, the bone and banjo
business, and other features introduced, are far
from being entertaining, and an Improvement
will be effected by REFRESHING the enthusiasts re OF
the Ethiopian gentlemen, who occupy consider
abe time 10 very little purpuse,>
The part of "Old Tom" Is played by Mr.,
! McDonough with considerable power and
effect. There is at times a little too much dis
Il position TO mount the hIgn tragic stilts but, or
the whole, Mr.. Mcponough is to be commended