The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-07-30

Obviously In IT'S mode OF presentation, its pic
torial beauty, and Its charactcrizations.
The characterizations arc numerous, but the
notable tracerles are those OF Stote, Mrs. Ga
tory, Brood, and Libby Ray The pictorial
charm Of the piece is something always at the
the command Of an enterprlsing manager, and
In this Instance Mr.. wallack has added 10 his
claim to be considered man OF enterprise and
liberalty. There are three sets for the four
acts, the last two being In one. The first act Ia
represented at Grabmore the house and grounds
OF Col Dart being illuminated for Jfte." MIR.
Joseph Glare gives, with gorgeous drop, rip
ping water shining with moonlight, q house
"hich once domesticated Mr.. wheeler's
I"ins' prohle statumy lining a tempting
arDor' staiwart trees aud profusion Of colored
lanterns, very pleasant picture Of a possible
| home on the Potomac. The second act d. devoted
to picLic scene, IL also done In a single open
| set, with rock pieces. rows OF well grown trees,
an open lawn reaching back to the river, to a
landing on which a we'll aDaged steamer con-
| veys the party from the city. The third ana
| fourth acts are presented In one set by Richard
| Marston. II represents Chinese room In the
| Grabmore mansion very deliberately arched,
| elegantly furnished and adorned with Chinese
| chandeliers, Raudy decked and cutiously made
| No Just fault can be found with the manage
| ment on this score. The necessities OF the case
being laid before competent artists and intelli-
gent carpenters, with instructions to do their
best, nothing further 10 left TO the director. Mr..
Clare's success in the first acts set ia entire. In
the second, IT may fairly be objected that pic
| mic ground, such provided for Col Darts
| party was never designed by the Heavenly lrchi-
tect that Art, not nature Is Its author, and that
| under any circumstances tho extraordinary
habit OF breaking in the middle and swinging
apart INDUCED In by the mammoth trees at the
| left of the stage would warrant the proprietor
| In fencing the place in, calling IL museum, and
charging a price for sight Of his curiosities.
| Mr.. Marston has happy faculty Of doing all
things well. The Chinese Room ia a possibility
in any well-regula,sd house. We doubt II tho
Drawing Room " Of the average Washington
ian furnishes quite so many inkstands and chiro-
graphical facilities in general as this does but
altogether the design Of the set IL good, and the
| execution better.
The stage artists have done all they oan to
make the play success.
| go have the actors.
| II the author had done as much for bis play
as the carpenters and players, he might consider
himself success also. As II Ia, seeing that the
| plot Is weak, the situations old and the story
dull, the audience very naturally settles down to
the ocular delights prepared by the scene shift
ers and to what may properly be termed the &C.
centric Interpretations Of the chief players on
the stage.
Some years ago a queer old oficer-his name
| was Porter-was In the habit OF calling frequent.
| " at house where Mr.. Florence was visitor.
| AT the left hand bottom corner OF his card, Mr..
| Porter Invariably wrote up. ID. O." The oddly
Of the circumstance struck the funny bump OF
| the actor, and II occurred to him that an eccen-
| trio comedy character might be developed from
the idea. who should interlard his conversation
4.
expanded until in years thereafter, the
modern politician In all his vulearity
and greed doomed up before the coun-
| try, and 1t further occurred to Florence that
| his opportunity had come. As is well known TO
/ the friends OF the lady, Mrs. Florence went
| abroad come years ago and renamed long
| time. In her constant travelling she naturally
| saw many queer people Among them
English lady, rich, common, superoly dressed,
fond Of airing her Ollendornsh French, and I'M
| ceasinsly rebukng, scoldng. and calling from
her little iirtations a pretty niece, her Libby
dear" Here we have the groundwork for the
two pictures, the Slote and the Gilforu. MIR.
Florence told bis idea to Mr.. woolf, outlined his
| sketch, paid him $3.50 down, promised to pay
| him 5000 II the play drew one hundred lights
| In any one place aud so royalty every night the
| piece was produced. When written the play did
not suit Mr.. Florence but he accepted It, altered
| II, wrote IN and struck out, until he succeeded
10 producing very bad play, which steadily
grows In public favor, and will In time make
| author and actor rich beyond the dream OF
| ayirice.
Florence's make up rs Bdrdtreu S1ote is Inn
| mense. He presents man OF nfty, gray haired
| with the American tuft on his chin, dressed In
broadcloth evening dress, black silk waistcoat,
| hiSh stock, and standing collar. There Is an
Undesirable air OF vulgar humor about the
man which takes hold Of sympathetic audi
| ence, which makes him fayorite with the peo-
| pie who most quickly detect his sel1shness, his
schemes, and his deceit. No other actor could
play the part successfully. Florence's own hi
NOR, Florences ~. pene trates the sordd Slote.
| and wins back the regard that Siofe would lose
| As John Raymond makes Cot sellers attractive
| because he puts John Raymon mo Col. Sclleis's
clothes, So Florence invests Siote, vulgar and
unbearable az he is, with an inenaoIe good ma
ture, characteristic OF Fiorence's self. and of
course charms the observer. SlOte, though vul-
| gar, Is a hypercrticism on score Of men in
| Washington. His hits at q third term. though
| but inferentielly political, are invariably APP
| plauded. His illusions TO the investigating
committees are hi 8 palpable and popular. At
| times he keeps the house in a roar by his
burlesque attitudes. when he apostroph
| himself as "B. b., Brave Boy" inane and
|
that secures the laugh. His situations are al
ways good, because he makes them. what can
be more absurd than that picnic party should,
when landed at the grounds, instantly seat
themselves In chairs and stools IN a semi-circle,
and without world
| Mum as mutesl
Solemn as owls
And yet the moment SlOte takes the stage,
standing in the centre. his absurd singing Of
columbus the Gem Of the Ocean" his an
nounced determination to be up. |. c.,
perfectly Independent gentleman" and
an oct Of RrotesqIe and farclcal dew
iltry redeemS the scene from It's plain
| OF inanity aud makes it jolly and
"go," Nothiag could be more comcal than his
address to the coored boot blacks, whom he
metamorphosed into MIR. Speaker" and the
| Houss, while he rhetorically congratulates them
on being the equal Of their white brethren, and
damns them for losing sight ~ his boots In their
Interest IN his remarks. Nothing could be fun.
nler, but II is because he does It. One Of the
rignest scenes Is whore SiJ's and Mrs. Glf0rv
| look through an album Of Foreign Views"
| tOnathar. T. ric1. heclIso thp artt4ta nj AZ