Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-02-11
THE DRAMA.
BARLEY Campbell's "Fate" " at the Opera
House.

BARLEY Campbell's "Fate " at the Operz
The name of BARLEY Campbell has re,
Gently sprung into prominence and favor
with the patrons of popular entertainments
by reason Of the flattering success achieved
by the latest production of his facile pen,
my Partner" a dramatic work of gen.
uine merit, and one that is steadily gaining
in popular appreciation. The reputation
earned by this play has induced
the revival of some of Mr.. Camp
bells earlier works for the purpose of test
lug their strength with the amusement
going public and at one time within re-
cent period no less than five of his plays
held the boards at as many leading metro
politan theatres in different parts of the
country. Brushed up and with the i'm
perfections and amateurisms that
usually distinguish early work removed
plays have succeeded in gaining fair hold
on the popular estimation, and by reason
of the good work he has accomplished, no
less for the profession than for the general
public, Mr.. Campbell is entitled to a high
place on the roster of popular favor, and
has come to be regarded among the most
valuable of our modern dramatists.
His comedy drama Of "Fate," written
before he had attained to his present emil
nent station, was produced at Fulton opera
house last evening by the Almayne comedy
company, and the small audience may be
,%< ;lrf foI 70 flo I,ol fhof tho nI1V
and the company were both unknown in
the community save for a few press
notices that tloated on ahead of them
in their eastwardly progress, their last
engagement Of any length being in
Pittsburgh. The performance was, taken
throughout, good one. While
the story is trite, and turns in
the wcll-worn theme OF young wife
driven to jealousy and estranSement
from her easy-going husband by the lat
tcr's careless and indifferent temperament
and the malign intervention of a woman
who has betrayed her own husband, the
author has by an ingenious Intervening
of striking incidents, and the occasional
introduction of an effective climax, in
vested the piece with an interest that,
beginning with the dramatic scene on
which the curtain falls at the conclusion
of the first act, is sustained and
enhanced through the rapidly succeeding
events that lead up to happy reunion and
put the schemes of the wicked one to
flight. Through it all there runs vein
of pathos that plays upon the sympathics
and emotions, while there is just enough
of the humorous to relieve the tension
upon the feelings of the spectator rs he
allows his interest to become absorbed i'll
the doings of the men and women in the
mimic world before him. The dialogue
is good and the situations for the most
part do not partake of the unnaturalncss
which distinguish many so-callcd g society
dramas. -
The leading female part of Helen Far"-
dug was sustained by Miss Nard Almayne,
young lady unknown to fame in these
parts, but who hone the less evinced the
possession of good hstrionic ability. There
is a subtle delicacy about her interpreta-
ton of the role that invests it with a posi-
y
well in the situations calling for play upon
the passions and rises to the occasion
in manner that eXcites the
admiration of the spectator, she is equally
effective in the more subdued scenes, and
her assumption Of the conversational tone
of voice and unimpassioned manner is cap
ital. Miss Almayne certainly made ta-
vorable impression. In the main the sup
port was good, Miss Florence Langton, in
the not very attractive role of Juno Temple,
bearing off a fair portion of the hOnors
Mr.. Nelson Decker, whose name is famil-
lar to amusement patrons, as Frank Fara-
day, Mr.. Seldcn Irwin, as Darid Ruulding,
and indeed the entire cast gave highly sat
isfactory renditions Of their several parts.