The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-12-31
AMIISEM ENTA.
The New PLAY ut Boo,h's Tbcatre-Truts made
simple.

well played, but because u has enough OF tue
drawing element to induce paving houses IN an
exceptionally bad time. Its story has been told
In the comic dallies by the critics." and 1HE
SuN gave 1t publicity 50 thatI shall deal merely
with its presentation aud the people who act.
with such reference to the tale AS may be nee
cssarv.
The hits u tho piece are made by Mr.. Jen-
n.nes. Mr.. warde. and MIR. sheridan. Jennings
is me II the uniucNy men Of earth who have
bad parts In good play-. and good opportunities
In bad PLAYS lie appears IN " Bruce as BODY
scrv mt or steward t. cavalier Colonel (sheri-
dan). and swashes about the stage In charad-
stic manner hail fun. half earnest. and wins a
llueh by the frequent repetition Of " brave old
man SIR Nafde - a sailor lad, lover to the only
lady in the pliv and she a pirl Oi six'een. DIR
rofhy DJuc, tNIiss Palmer, daughter Of Ddnid
bruce (lir Barre,U, the hero Of the play MIR.
sheridan. the Colonel, without spurs, makes
much u his part. and loses nothing Of It.
There are only three acts. I'll take them up
soiriim.
Heaven onlv knows the era OF the action.
Red coats. chromos mixed dialect, and the
battle of Worces fer confuse the mind that
really couldn't say whether the scene IL laid In
1857 or 1874 Not that II matters much, for the
average auditor is not a critic, aud the ordinary
critic l. not q sage.
The first act mas all sorts Of elements in Its
composition. Rain. snow, cavaliers, rouIrd-
heads, miser, and n baby enter the cauldron'
and from them the author has evolved rather
tough mess. In brief, D,1tce and Rip,D Collier
are sitting In Diuce's hut when Mdrpc (weaver)
enters with gust of terrific wind. Mdrplt
claims bruce as his long lost brother.
Dtce, who really was the long lost afore-
said. struck Roman attitude, and In deep
base voice lied when h, said he wasn't. IL
seems, In other days he had had another name
and wife. and was about to have child, when
his wife ran 81 with colonel. In order to save
her good name the husband changed his cogno-
man to DrUce. pretending that the othcr fellow
was ueAd, Sentimental. but thin. Barrett rs
Dr1ice did most Of the taking. ! like Barrett.
regard him as stern Young man with moder-
| ate ability. great pluck, and corsdertole lungs.
| lie gave us 10 the 50 act OF bruce KIND of
Charley Backusi ~ imitation OF the cuurtlN tus-
siir, the lamented Lear, ana the ferociuus Fd0in.
| His make w as an OLD. old man sitting over a
| miserlv little ire, was very good. lie shook his
| head to indicate age, aud now ana then wnggled
! his knees to denote feeOlcness; but hts roar
was like that of a lion; certainly rs loud a. a
| lions, ana some ofhis remarks were truly ten
| der.
Druce had a long talk-from which It might
| he inferred he was aboriginay \ North Amer-
| can Indian-with his two visii ors. who. having
| hcHrI enough, left him to spout alone. Then IL
was he revealed himself az lover-of gold-for
| be opened little square hole, pulled out bag
fectionnte and miserl, manner His apostrophc
10 his money trophy was almost idyllic. IL GER
some one knocked at the door. The Colond
| (Sneridanl, without spurs, entered with n DASH
| accomp inied 10y "a COmic Serrdnt (JenningsJ.
lte three were picture.
Tho set represented common hut. rudcly
| furnished. hghted bv tallow dip. and beauti-
| fed by an occasional flush from the fires Il re.
! In the centre, resting on "A table. sat the Colo
| MI. near him stood. IN mock respect. the Comic
| torn with mathematical exactness TO Indicate
| power Y, ana covered with a Kind OF senatorial
toga. tue sleeves vt which hung gracefully IN
IaIk ensued--a great deal Of talk ensuod. As
| n Narisgated Dictionary Of PRONUNCIATION Druce
was success. Father" now. "feythcr'' then,
| father" aft,rward, while BARN. child, and
daughter were sprinhed here and there with
charming to recognize.
| lie i-iers wanted food. but Daniel swore he
mad none. Then they threatened HIM. gave him
| a groat. and told hun to 20 out ana purch Sc
bread and cbesse and wine Win terrbs
togi ana tirpauln TO the door. ~lammine it
| haid against the wall ing Lear glsred upon the
| age, piave ,astauets with his tremulinE knees.
and cheese ma vine. hours Alter tn, baker, h ID
gone ~ ed AID every alehouse was closed by
order II the MAYOR.
| me Coiond and his servant had baby.
| know IT. for saw 10.
The servant had II bundled up in a shawl and
shod With machine-sewed boots--was II loI OI
LTi-ind held J. head foremost 10 the fire. Then
he laid It down on the hOor. and the httle chap
cutied up by the iootlights, showed its striped
|
Bread and wine were found In an old chest
but there " .sn't enough. 40 the Colonel ordered
his servant out 10 hurry up Drucs. Not know.
ing where he RAD zone II naturally occupied
time which the Colonel uulized hy accident lily
stumbling on the cover Of the hiding place
lie pulled OUT tho bag. Gold" said he, land
In profusion ''-e6O all told. " But no. I'll moi
the II. ill wal. week said he, and sighed
just then the servant regntered and warned
the master TIA, Drrice mad BETRAYED MIN. IN,
IN Tla Ila lt.ff 4 ha
child Win locket. stole the god, anu jumped
ont OF a window Just In time TO avoid CdSstas
! Lsir, Barrett Druce, and file OF uniformed
soldiers, WHO rushed into the hut with yells OF
loyal disappointment.
barrett discovered his loss and raved. Their
he found the enid AMI raved again, but pres
emily subdued by memories 81 days gone by h,
olaspsd the baby to his ire st aud announced
his intention II reentorina society, while tue
curtain went down 10 incidental music.
This incidental business Ia nuisance.
In the II 81 act Of Drtcs really charming
pretty, domestic picture with odd develop
ments. like warts on fair child hand-ther,
bro zue Was Incidental so was Operti's music
and ditto vincenrs wind aud storm.
rhe scenes are pretty, but the Conversations II
decidedly talky, not to say preachy.
long wait-whst nuisanees they are-was
occupied by. a cornet player with msssive check
dozen times, ana tantaliEed the audience by
Rlmpses OF al astonsninaly clean BLACKSMITH
who was washing his hands III real water, auC
eurslnE the curtains with real damp.
Ihe second act Introduces King Lear and Cas-
nus D1uCc, WHO, IN a KIND Of trinity, with Fur
nisr Acorn Ms the tnIrd, mildly be an upon rea
forge until Dorothy (niss Mipnis Palmer. HI
daughter, denuTely enters, when the gone i
transferred 70 her.
Nature has been kinder to Miss Palmer IN n
her tutors. | should deem II ungener0us to sub
jsct the young artist to criticism and / woul,
hesitate long before conssnting to even hint IA
her shortcomings. She Is very pretty, with eye
Of Deauty-and there IL enus. Clad In homei
gIrb, sue presented a sweet, std-faCed pictur
down 20 hor feet which were dislgured by tn
abuuTdest Shippers, with terrific French heels
q and they one sided.
II DoFufhU were a mute, Miss Palmer woul
make Ahit. Unfortunately the little lady ha
no voice T. speak Of end unless very great
! sJudge her, she conceived her duty don
when she had committed her lines to memory
= No gorgeous featherei parrot ever repeat I'd tn
good Lura's PRAYER with less pathos than tina
Win witch Dorothy reclted her authors word,
IiaueV's adoption OF the baby. now grow
| into this pretty village maiden, seems to hay
; transformed him from very dirty old youth I
3 a very clean young oldster. His BAR was oil
ana white, but his fucs was rcd with the flush q
| youth; now aud then he shook his head, to re-
r ! mind US u his venerable age; his form wa
= erect, hir back straight, and his limbs hrm O
| occasion he bumped his knees together, and au
toma,icaly made believe he WAS walking o
stills, 20 show that he hadn't forgotten how fee
Die ho WA still he had the ensemble of a youu
man Of forty, whose nair mad turned white IN
single nlght, but whose YOiCB was still for war.
There was pretty scene between DruCe an
| IJOTOfhv. | say between them because D11C
: Murdered AT the dress circle aud Dorothy de