The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-07-30
A MYSTERY UNEXPLAINED.
The Mighty DoIIar-why the Play has Sue
ceeded.

| held the attention OF the public for manv
months, and enters tomorrow night on a new
era OF probable success. We refer to the play
OF the Mighty Dollar now running at wallack's
| Theatre, which was originally produced at the
Park Theatre. and has since, with varying for
tune, been a feature throughout the entire coun-
try, drawing crowded houses In a duh season,
and amply rewarding author, actor, and dram
attic director. Great plays are not ALWAYS great
| successes. Nor does the single fact that play
| floats on the popular current for a few years
| necessarily establish Its claim to immortality.
| The plays OF Shakespeare differ widely In their
merit so far as popular presentation Ia CON
cerned, aud several OF the richest In all that can
please the fancy. crafty the taste, or stir the
Imagination OF student or q reader, are utterly
worthless IA acting dramas. We are living In an
anomalous day when the three certainties be-
| fore the eve OF the managers are:
l. Hamlet, King Lear. and Macbeth.
2. MeretrIcious adaptations OF French plays
stolen from the German. and originally written
| In Spain, and
8. Character parts like Rip, Van Wrinkle, Lord
Dundredrv, Col. Sellers. Scion ShinoLe and Bard
vel Slote.
II may be said that we leave out OF the qucs-
| ton the American plays of our American auth
ore, several Of which have enjoyed brief popu-
larity and brought many shekels to their fortu-
nate writer's.
| 81 we do.
II NAV be said without contradiction, for IL
has nothing whatever to do with the singular
fact, that the managers Of the country at large
| ind profit in, and only In the three grades OF
dramatic competition, instanced above. The
mighty Dollar" Is called a play, because being
placed upon the stage OF a theatre, It occupies
the attention Of an audience three hours and a
quarter In reality It isa series OF disjointed
dialogues, the most OF which are thrown before
the people to occupy their several senses, while
two characters, the Hon. BdrdUcu Slote, NJ. c.,
and Mrs. Gen. Gdrory, OF the stage. II
requires no special genius to make phi OF ograph.
Neither did IL to paint the characters referred
to. But as no photographer can make picture
without subject, 80 the author Of the Mighty
Dollar" would to-day be earning his modest re-
portorial stipend In the duh routine of a Bos-
ton sdnctum, had he not been furnished with the
types of human nature, he has so amusingly por-
trayed.
Ordinary men and common women roar at the
erimaces OF Bdrdtceu Slote, NJ. c., and shake with
laughter at the vulRarisms OF Mrs Gen. GDfOrv,
but tn y fail to detect the subtle satire of the
one, OF the superb snub the other gives with the
cleverDess OF an artist. The average theatre
Roer finds In Mr.. Florence's admirable persona
tion OF Slote broad humor, characteristic
oroesq,Ierte, the fascinating abandon. which In
earlier DAYS made that actor favorite farceur,
and az the average theatregoer Ia the one who
pays his money, aud on whom the manager de-
Ponds for his support, perhaps that should suf-
nee. But there Is more than an attempt to
tickle the cuticle of the general. The author
endeavored to strike beyond the skin, and to
establish, we judge, a standard Of estimation by
which public men might be-measured, h um ougs
detected aud sohemiDg, selfish politicians be
disgraced.
Has he succeeded
That's u fair question and deserves q fair
answer,
The story OF the mighty Dollar Is familiar
to many Of the readers Of rHE Sun. and yet 1t
would be difficult to speak critically OF the play
without such reference to 1t as would seem to
Justify brief telling OF II here. 1t Is told 10
four acts by Mr.. II. L. woolf OF Boston. Mass.
The scenes are laid at and near Washington.
The parties particle atlng are as follows:
The Hon Bardwen slote. from the
Charley Brood VINO would il he could '" . florence
Eosnd ysnes, young Journals. M: Frank Weston
LORD c.ifnsorn, Gnsisa iqui:i; ferguson
Col Tom Dart. Millionaire Rail
Thu. aoa Ssorse ssvie, member WI = '" '''nn0o
G s.,, wHSas s, sEdmore. cyn Rights
Messrs T. " Holland and {. +. Edwin
TspauIni"ns nsrSin AZ, r A,sin,
Senator hogwhistle. the People. &. c. sherman
SUI 90 pons abroaa', ""o JUS Mrs W l. Florence
Clara part Tue Millonaires Mi'e MIS- Nellie Cumuns
Farm '' Miss lone purke
Lioy ksys, ...'.'.......... Mis- Josephine BAKER
OF the plot sufce II to say that IL involves the
desire Of L.mdttre. schemer, to utilize his be-
lief In Mrs Darts inndelity 20 his pecuniary ad-
vantage, and her successful outcome from a
series OF complications with Vance, Col. Dart,
Blanche MoSdhorn, SlOtc and Mrs. GtfOry; a
series OF nonsensical love scenes between Brood
aud Lnby Ray; constant interference on the
part Of >lotc, vulgar, good hearted, schemng
member OF Congress; the frequent sppe rance
and disappearance behind cloud Of bad French
OF Mrs GtnorB; the miserable preachings Of
Lord CGiTng0rm about the infelicities OF a new
country, and more or less comical farcing DO
tween Slote and the several personages brought
on and taken on for no obvious purpose.
Mr. Slote figures as An agent for Dart, a comIc1l
hatterer and coddler OF Mrs. GGTorV, to whom
he proposes marriage friend TO Charley Brood,
who has with Libby Ray kind OF Dolly SpdnkSr