, 1880-02-15

the most difficult Of all literary work. So, whe
last spring he received the order from Messr
Adrfch and Parsloe to write them q drams
Campbell left the cities and settled down in
small country place some fifteen miles fror
Philadelphia, and for nearly four months CAV
himself up to writing. The result Of his seclu
sion was the drama Of t+My Partner" now run
ming at Haverly's, and after nine years OF dra
matte drivel-for in comparison to 81 My Partner
his past work is 1rivcl-he has at last evolved
pluy upon which his reputation as writer ha
been established.
In our notice the other day Of MY Partner,
We particularly dWelt upon the skillful weaving
OF the two first acts, the continuity OF Incl
dent, the strength, aptncss, the fino com
dialog, and. "1ea1s remem6oriag D' Mr. Campbell NJ
methods, we doubted IT he had ever written tht
first part Of this play. At any rate we were in
. more .ski'lful playwright than hartley hae
touched it up. MI. Aldrich, however, assures u!
that tho two first acts are precisely as they LEFT
| Cnmpbeils hands. Scarcely a word has beer
changed. From the original manuscript, how
ever. several slight alterations have been made
in the last two acts. But they were made by the
author himself.
MY Partner" is q strong American drama,
one OF tho strongest eyer written. While it is
more truthful reflection Of the life both, CD
inalty. We Believe TINT the situntion at tie
|
! having quarreled with Ned. leaves him, aud re-
turns repentant to find the latter dead. The
modern drama does not afford a more effective
scene. and few writers could so delfcnteIy handle
! 1t us has the author. The charucterizatfOns are
| strong and numerous, but tho notable tracerics
a5e adnn those @ Of %3 Bh b,.1 Zoe sa5s IA gy
sfdh ScruUgs. The pictorial charm Of q piece is
something always at the command: of an
| much as possible for the play tn the way Of
| setting. There are three sets for the four acts
the lust two being in one. The first. act occurs
| Golden Gate Hotel, the second In the rough
cabin OF the partners: and the third in the
tn pAIn'o5s& & Of the Golden Gate Hotol Every get is
uou-particularly the parlor scenes-Which we
urY apt to see:. But the setting in the play Of
My Partner Is merely an adjunct, as it prop
erly should be: its success Is made By tie
dramatlst and by the actors.
Fey actors soald Play the part Of Jos sadsrs
character as assumed seems as If 1t were lifted
from the actual life as it is in the primitive set
Elements Of the Far West There is an air Of
dionce, and At once makes him favorit. He
and IN tho ss psthetc '4s ones 9A1Sse tenda
Sith him {1 In the third aos where IN
loud. But then VIC must remember that Joe
Saunders Is q strong man with strong feelings,
and unused to the restrints which more con
with Ned, where he tells him. with forced deter
mination mi, in bis tones that they must part,
I s innate @ nobfy q ef tho an t1s IS
conveyed by touches rs delIcate as those
givcnin similar incident in 1.-The .Danttes, =
And when Joe returns and delivers the repent
covers that Ned, in his absence, has boen mur-
he stretches out his hand for Ned to shake, and
the expression Of horror as be discovers the
Ono Of the bcst-drasn Ct charaeters a % il the play,
9f Afaj Brit., u local politician. Mr Frank
political swindlers who rcvel in, their own
tli dishonesty; Brit. vulsar and unbenra-
Bsrs 6s e b so is INVESTED tn DIV Nth hfs asdbs IS ne
good nature which charms the observer His
cgotistical illusions to himself in the midst OF bis
bis constituents are accompanied by merry
twinkle or a movement Of tho head, and the
satire Of tho role is ut once seen. In his lines
the American comic personations.~ s lis l situa-
tons are always good, because the actor makes
ths 'S n t; the third ret his scene With the tart
which be strokes bis chin, his smiles, suddenly
Of voice, his grotesque attitudes, and his sudden
and serious and tender contemplation Of the |
spinster when she hints Mt her "great ex- |
pectatlons, make the audience scream with
Miss Dorn Goldthwaite, In the role Of Mayu.
to taasnch as she receives
might easily be made repulsyc by less accom-
plished actress. Her cntreaty to Neti In the
cabin is Instinct with womany feeling, and 80 is
her acting IN the first great situation Of the
play, when Joe discovers that Ma,v and his
partner are lovers; but there is hurry and q
scenes Of the third act, which mars the entire entire
assumption. The facilitating but ll-meaning
Ned is tn thoroughly competent hands. Ar.
that Clara Morris WIS IN the habit Of visiting
hospitals In order to reproduce the agony OF the
modern drama with greater truth. Henry Crisp,
dead houses, for when Joe lifts the head
Of Ned. from the table we see face
realism. Miss Laura Thorpe plays the role Of
Grace slight character, with simple grace, and
Mr. Walter Leunox, Jr., US her lover, SAM gives
Haguc's villain Is creditable piece Of work
Scnggs Is the name Of this incarnation of hui
nility and murder,-a raticr eonlmon-p place vii
2f the author exceedingly we'll. Matile.o Bran
ION, the father, Of the two girls. is one Of the
L. B. Billings is an honest ones gentieaniy ,s a. 2 bit
IF acting, we'll conceived, and well executed.
l rhe chinaman hin is assumed BY Mr: G. 7. Parsloe,
Ia this line Of character. Anglo-Chinese
Enn requires to be dealt out very spnringly.
much Of it. There IS one character which we
lave not yet alluded to,-that OF the spfnster
lOuSckee per- PDSle, which Miss Josephine Lau- |
ems renders with tact and Judgment.
" Ny Partner, as whole, is not t.isappoint-
nent, but IN agreeable surprise to the nnalyxer |
qualification to the auditor, and q source Of
'rotit to whoever owns the copyright It pos
esses literary merit Of certain kind, Its seuti-
1cnt is wholesome its epf8rams are bright, and |
IS humor unforced. It's Situations show de-
ided dramatic originality, and are skiilfully ,
cached, and, although the ability displayed ia
he earlier nets may not be equally manifest in
he later ones, the piece must be pronounced /
lecided acquisition to American dramatic lit
,rnture.
EDWARD ASKEW SOTuERN.
Apropos Of E. A. Sothern, that excellent j
omedian and fncurable fnrceur, who during the
Ieek hos been playing at Hooiey's, we notice
nat his former home OF Cedar Villa, KcnsinR- {
on, London, and later the residence Of Mon
a1gneur Capel, the famous proselytizer, Is about
} be auctioned of. The news reached the I
omedian during the week, and ne have 1t upon I
1e authority OF Harry Wall that sothern has !
abled his desire to buy 1t in. An article in | !
econt issue of the London Daily Eels upon tho