Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-03-27
THE DRAMA.

THE DRAMA.
" Bankers Daughter ut tho Opera House.
A good audience witnessed the produc-
tion of the society play Of "The Bankers
Daughter at Fulton opera house last even
ing, despite the circumstance-unfortu
from managerial point Of view, but
hardly to be so regarded by good church.
men in that if afforded them an opportu-
nifty to prove the sincerity of avouched
convictions-that the day was one of Pc
culiarly sacred and solemn significance in
the religious calendar. There is scarcely a
doubt, as a question of fact, that at almost
any other time than Good Friday, the ca
pacity of the opera house would have been
tested to the utmost to accommodate the
throng that would have poured out to wit
ness this play Of phenomenal popularity.
A popularity, by the way, which
is not SO phenomenal after all,
but which may be explained by the
simple statement that it is good
''society" play, clean and wholesome,
and all such are bound to be popular. The
theme in which the whole interest of the
piece hinges is 4 trite one, but is worked
out with more careful elaboration of detail
and attention to incident than are usually
found on plays Of this class. "The
Bankers Daughter belongs to the school
of pronounced "emotional drama. The
author has ventured on no startling inno-
vations, but has faithfully followed the
landmarks, kept strictly in the line of the
traditional rules of dramatic composition,
and produced a very we'll finished piece of
work. A dutiful daughter, to rescue her
father from financial ruin, accepts pro-
posal of marriage from man she does not
love, covenanting with her parent, how
ever, that he shall truly state the facts to
her suitor, who is her senior by many
years, and tell him she gives him her hand
without her heart. The rich banker fails
to keep his promise, and the middle-aged
lover takes his girl-wife in full confidence
that he possesses all her affection. In the
progress Of the play, and seven years
after the marriage, there appears in the
scene young artist with whom the bank
er's daughter, now wife and mother, had
had an affair of the heart that had been
broken off in a moment of petty anger,
only to be unavailingly mourned by both
subsequently. The fond husband, unaware
of this episode in his young wife's girl
hood, invites the artist to spend 4 few days
with him in his Partisan home. Here the
lover and sweetheart of years before meet
face to face. ShN tells him the cause of
her action in casting him aside for another,
and in a moment of passion he, fOrgetful
Of his own manhood, the honor of his
friend and his friends wife, pours forth
story of his unabated love he is re-
pulsed with the declaration of the aroused
woman that she is wife. This scene is
witnessed by the malign spirit of the play,
Frenchman, who had been ''cut
OUT by the man whose decla-
ration and repulse he now wit
nesses. A quarrel is brought about,
tho lie passed, slap in the face, chal-
lenge, duel, and the artist and some
time lover is killed. BY this episode the in
dulgent husband learns, through his
wife's own declaration her feeling
toward himself, and with reproachs
for himself only he leaves his wife and
child. He is absent in foreign cline for
two years, during which time the wife
awakens to the actual state of her heart
day by day she learns to love him more
the depth and ardor of his unselfish devo-
tion, his nobility and magnanimity of
heart and mind, these impress themselves
upon her senses until her affection amounts
to positive alteration and longing for his
return. Through the letters of their
little daughter the latter consummation is
brought about, the reunion of husband
and wife effected, and their mutual love
sealed for all eternity.
AS will be seen there is nothing new in
the plot, the unfolding of which is accom-
panied, however, with a wealth of incident
and detail that are most attractive; though
perhaps it is not paying the COM
pany too high a compliment to de-
clare that the great popularity of
the play rests upon the ample shoulders of
the exceptionally strong cast. Miss Marie
Wainwright filled the part of Lillian West
brook, the bankers daughter, and her in
terpretation of the title role stamped her as
an actress of a high order of talent in the
scenes calling for play on the passions,
as in the latter portion of the fourth act,
in which she discloses the real state of her
heart to her husband, her delineation arose
to the plane of positive histrionic genius
she has a sweet, sympathetic voice, that
greatly aids her Interpretation. Mrs. Wal
cot, in the role of Florence st.
Vincent Broom, maid, wife and
widow, the silly butterfly of society,
who married decripit old imbecile for his
money and has not the slightest hesitation
in letting everybody know it, was capital
foil to the character of Lillian this lady's
varied abilities as an actress are so we'll
known to our people that her acting
last evening needs no greater COM
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