Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-02-23
THE DRAMA,
"HAzEL kIRKE" AT THE OPERA HOUSE
A Fine Performance Varied by y COmlcal
Accident.

More than year ago small audience III
Fulton opera house witnessed the rendi-
tiOn of play entitled "An Iron Will.
just completed by Mr.. Steele Mackaye. and
designed for presentation at the latter's
Madison Square theatre in Brooklyn.
At that time in 4 somewhat extended an
alysis of the work published in these col
umns, in which its general character was
warmly praised and its many excellences
pointed out, attention was directed to some
features susceptible Of Improvement. and
the prophecy was indulged in that with 4
few emendations the piece would be certain
to achieve success and lon. run. Shortly
thereafter the play had its initial represen-
tation at the Madison Square theatre. the
title having been changed to . Hazel
kirke,' after the name of the principal
character. the victim Of her fathers iron
will. The piece has held the boards OF
the Madison Square continuously ever
since (being the longest run on record in
this country, increasing nightly in public
favor, and its fame extending over large
area of the United States. Many of it's
scenes and sayings have become the sub
jects Of paragraphs in the great news
papers, its leading characters are as famil-
lar friends to BrOOklynites and New York
ers. and from the outset it has gone OF
cOnquerinG and to conquer until, as OBJ
served, it has attained the proud distinc-
tiOn of having enjoyed the greatest num-
Der of consecutive representations in the
history of American drama.
Last night there was large and bril-
liant audience at the opera house attracted
thitEer by the remarkable celebrity that
Mr.. Mackaye's work has Won. Those
present who saw IAN Iron WIZ at the
same place 4 year and a quarter ago were
not slow in perceiving that the changes
wrought in the piece since that rcpresen.
tation have not been confined to it's name
To be sure, the story has not been altered
i'll any material feature, as it did not need
to be, for it is one altogether interesting,
coherent and mclOdramatic. There is
still the miller's daughter falling in
love with good-looking young
| chap whom she had nursed through a lon"
sickness, notwithstanding her unreason,
| able old parent purpOsed marrying her to Il
friend of his own. old enough to bc the
girls father; the old mans terrible wrath
| on learning that his plans are upset by
this unfortunate circumstance, and the
long train of narrowing incidents, illumin
| ated with occasional CLEANS of humor,
| that succeed his casting forth his
daughter with curses on his lips, still con,
stitute it's prominent features, and it is ri!
| substantially the same as upon the prcvi-
GUS representation of tho play, but III
numberlcSs minor details the effects Of Iju-
dicious and intelligent editing are visible.
Scenes have been Strengthened out, i'm
proved. rough places smoothed down. in.
congruities destroyed, the dialogue in
many instances frightened, and in all re-
spects the work as seen last night dis
played none of the flaws and imperfec
tions that marked it's rendition fifteen
months ago.
Miss Etfic EIlslcr plays the title role
very effectively. The character is ont
that calls for high order Of capabilities,
and Miss Ellsler's acting last night
showed her not to be lacking in the re-
quisites that 4 proper rendition of the part
demands. She belongs to the cmotiona!
school of art, and her appeals TO the
feelings of her audience were not in vain.
as was manifest from the moist eyes and
liberal Use of llanllkerciliefs notable i'll
some of the more pathetic phases of tho
piece. There is expression in hel
voice, gesture and action, that goes right
to the sympathies of the average spectator.
Mr.. &. W. Couldock is Il fine actor, and his
impersonation of the role OF the stern old
miller Dunstan Kirke, the iron OF whose
| will is ut last melted in the fire of fathers
love, was artistic and effective. Mr.. W.
Fcrguson's Pttacns Green was ali" excel
lent piece of work, and his quaint humol
constituted grateful relief to the extreme
tension upon the feelings of the auditor
| durin. the greater portion of the play.
| Pttacus is ali original genius, and the char
acter does not suffer in the hands Of st
clever comedian as Mr.. Ferguson. People
who on the former presentation 0f tho
piece saw Mr.. Whiifen in the same role
! which he is now playing at
! the Madison Square, whilst regret
| ting that gentleman absence, were Ell
| tirely satisfied with his substitute. ilr
Gustavus Levick, as Lori Trarers, proved
himself an accomplished actor, and as
| AarOn Rodney, the old party to whom the
miller had betrothed his daughter, Mr..
Henry Averling was quite acceptable.
The other members of the company
maintained the standard Of a very evenly
balanced cast, and the presentation of the
piece suffered in no. material respect save
in an unfortunate accident ut the terminl
ton of the second act. In the scene wherein
Lady 1rorers. an invalid mother, weak
and exhausted, throws herself upon sofa
in Il faintins state, the treacherous hind legs
Of that article of furniture became lOosened,
and the sofa fitting over, left my
lady in All altogether embar-
RAISING position, struggling to maintain
her equilibrium and resting finally on the
sofas edge. The ludicrous effect may be
imagined, and the roar of laughter will.
which the incident was greeted by the gal
lery communicated to the entire audience,
and nccessitated the elimination of an eff
fective portion of the scene, which is one
Of the most powerful in the play. How
the actors Oh the stage maintained thci I
gravity Of demeanor in the face of the
merriment occasiOned by the mishap was
one of the marvels of the evening. It is
but fair to the company to state that they
were in no manner responsible for the ri
diculous affair, the flithless furniture hav-
ing been supplied by the opera house man.
agemcnt. The stage settings here, by the
way, have been in a shabby and tiiIapi-
dated condition for some time. Manager
Yccker might properly employ the present
as a favorable opportunity to rcjuvenate
them. Some decent furniture on the
opera house stage would be good for sore
eyes.
Petitions Presented at Harrisburg.
In the Senate at Harrisburg last week
Mr.. Mylin presented a petition of the pas
tor and members Of the First Methodist
Episcopal church of Lancaster city, pray
ing for the passage Of the law adopted
by the state temperance convention of
1879.
Which was referred to the committee on
vice and immortality.
Mr.. Mylin presented = petition of the
pastor and members of the First Methodist