The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1889-09-15
WANTED---A WAR DRAMA!
Bronson Towards Shenandoah
Does Not Begin to Fill the
Bill---Dramatic Notes.

Bronson Towards Shenandoah" q
play which violates nearly all the rules
that ought to govern dramatic work,
to make great noise in the Star Theatre
last Monday evening. Whenever the
noise exceeded q certain volume, Mr..
Howard came out and bowed. This was
natual. beca use he probably recognized
q great many of those in front of him, or
would have done so had he been nearer
TO them. A majority of them are usually
present on such occasions, and can be de
pended upon with both their hands and
feet.
But however much this sort of
first night, and Shenandoah
itself may make the judicious
grieve, it will not do to condemn the lat
ter altogether nor to deny that it possesses
the elements of success. The dialogue
has many good lines, and is characterized
by a certain finish which we associate
with Mr.. Howard. There are well ar
ranged scenes, both humorous and pa
thetic-none of the novel, but rather of
that sort upon which the experience of
playwrights has stamped a guarantee.
There are love affairs-too many of them,
in fact-and Husbands unjust suspicion,
which is one OF the, principal faults of
the play The strictly.military portion of
the drama was effectively handled; and cul-
minated in the ride of General Sheridan
in front of his troops, checking their re-
treat In this version it appears that he
stole the famous black horse from young
lady whose sympathies were strongly
with the Southern cause until she yielded
to the general enthusiasm resulting from
Sheridans ride.
The weakness of the play is in its story
There is nothing in it which would not
occur to any one who reflected ten min
utes upon the dramatic possibilities of
the war period. The Northern girl and
the Southern lover, the Southern girl and
the Northern lover, appear, but not in
such way as to do more than suggest
real sentiment of the times. The heroic cpl
sodes are not new, and the most tragic Of
them is lugged into play already crowd
ed The villain, too, is of no use, except
as cause of the suspicion episode, which
could profitably be dispensed with In
short, as play, Shenandoah" is bad.
1t displays no originality, and, in fact.
nothing higher than certain adaptable
ity to the tastes Of not very critical audi
diences.
Who viii write the war dramaP "Shen-
andoah" will not do, and "Held by the
Enemy" though much better, falls far
short. Critics say that the war drama
cannot be written by this generation, and
as Mr. Howard is one of our best play
wrights, perhaps the critics are right. If
Shenandoah" touches his ideal in asingle
line or situation he is certainly not the
man for the work.
Tommy Russell as Little Lord Fauntle-
roy will greet his admirers at the Acad-
envy of Music tomorrow night. Tommy
has been having good time this summer
and as he is getting big boy now' he
has been allowed to have rife He adj
mitted to reporter, the other day, that
he had shot away half a dozen Of car
tridges and had killed only one bird.
Tommy will have to curb this wild desire
to tell the truth If he expects to star sue
cessfully when he grows up, or he will
lose a lot of advertising. He is to be sup
ported by very strong company this
week, and Mrs. Burnett's pretty play will
receive an adequate representation.
At Jacobs HobOken Theatre n. s. Wood
viii present his new. play, ''Out in the
Streets" Most OF the action in this
made q hit in the Third Avenue Theatre
in that city. Mr.. Wood plays the role of
a bank clerk, suspected unjustly, but
ultimately establishing his innocence.
The scenes display Wall street and Baxter
street, ). beautiful Fifth avenue mansion
and the dreary hospital ward of the
Tombs, the Fulton Market and the
Long Island cocks, and cou
pie of California SETS The
cast Is very strong and includes Mr..
George Morton as Sydney Heaton, aud
Mr., jerome Stansill as Dick Watkins, the
outlaw. Miss Ida Lewis Is the refined
New York heiress, and Miss Nellie Pierce
Is her foil ~ Kate Pritchard. a woman OF
the world Little Ogarita Is charm!ngly
naturalfs Little Blind Florence, while a