The evening world., 1890-04-29
THE BLUE OFFICER"

80
The theatrical silly season has set in and
tho usual dramatic experiments may be e1.
pected before the dissolution. Playwrights
who have nursed little COY hopes become
vcnauresomo about this time Of year. and
actors who have a tiny store Of money saved
up are willing to place il in jeopardy by pro-
ducing plays III which they can imporsonate
the roles that would be denied them by un.
compromising managers.
"Tho Blue Onicer." a play by AIRY
Ecilaw" that would never have seen the
light Of a theatre At another timc Of year.
was presented at the Madison Square
Theatre last night. lndustriouS paragraphs
had been circulated to the effect that the
drama-or whatever 1t may bc--had been
"interdicted " in Paris. The Parlsians are
pretty good judges Of dramatic perform
ances, 81 that IL il hardly surprising that
such twaddle as The Blue Officer" should
not have been permitted. No need to look
Mt its politics; its dramatics, or the lack OF
them, will explain its defeat.
The scenes OF The Blue Officer - arc laid
in liussia-land Of political mystery, where
the playwright can happily make his every
day Smith a Smithski and his ordinary Jones
a Joneskof. just as the melodrama cvolver
loves to place his characters on the wicked
Natclifie's Highway OF London. 40 does the
would.be political writer fly to Russia for
his mystery. Now. II THE Blue Officer
told a story that would Justify our trip to
the land OF the Smithskis and the Joneskofs
| should not complain. But IL doesn't. II
all hinges on p device that IL AZ old au the
hills and not nearly ~ refreshing as those
wind-blown SUBMITS.
The eIpedient OF the villains attempting
to ruin the heroine BY placing stolen prop
erty in her desk is really Noah-csQue in its
age. 1t has been doue to death. usually by
means Of jewelry. which Is an article the
theft Of which In most striking to the aver
age mind. AIRY EcilAw, - however. scornH
j~ewelry. He has substituted political docu.
ments, aud in order that these documents
may have tho proper air OF mystery circn-
latinR around them, he has placed his scenes
in Russia, the Blue Onicer" being q Dig
nitAry OF the Third Section.
The story is simple enough II You have pa
thence to ferret it ont. II deals with n vii
lainous Countess Delcroff, who wants to be
avenged upon the Countess Jsssy, who il
supposed 20 be very beautiful. The Countess
is married. but the Prince d'Oblansky. who
isn't her husband. loves her. The villainous
Mrs. Delcroff wants Mr.. d'Oblansky for her
niece Nadia. who wears a dress like those Of
the fencipg-girls ~ the EdGn Musee. and
wears 1t morning, noon and night Mrs.
Delcrof steals state documents and puts
them in Mrs. Jsssy'n desk.
Mr.. and Mrs. Jassy are arrested. and Mr..
d'0blansky ofticintes az Judge and tries
them. There il a great deal Of agony and
swooninR fer Mrs. Jassy: many heroics for
D'0blansky rage. Mrs. Jassy, who has
been deied by Dame Delcrof. might have
explained all In a few words by describing
the interview. but AIRY Eciiaw wanted
his three full acts. Everything il cleared
up by the confession OF the Eden Musee
you ng woman. who knew what her aunt
had lone.
hate counts and countesses. and lords
and ladies'. and princes ana princesses in
plays. Vulgar people in England banker
for these titled folks, and AZ they cant have
them are sAtified to rec them In q play Just
~ those same people will secretly yeArn for
stra ices and accept as . mild substi-
tute h~oky-poky. There IA no reason why
Americans should be treated to plays deal
Ing with these artificial people while their
own human nature is waiting to be studied.
Most OF the characters in Tho Blue
Officer are untrue 10 nature. The dialogue
~ far from bright, the best speech being
that uttered by Mrs. Delcroh when she il
fooled" Says she to Nadia: II am un-
fortunate now, | will not curse you for fear
that l should bring you luck" Henry Lee
as D'Oblansky was a stick with mannerisms.
At certain times he was less starchy than ut
others. Clarence Handysidc AS Mr. Jassy
was vigorous aud dramatic. but unpublished.
Mr.. HandyaIde abounds in crude edges.
though he has considerable theatrical force.
Miss Selma Fetter nv the heroine was
freiGhted with II constitutional doughiness.
which in the third act she almost overcame.
Miss Fetter !" pulls ugly faces" too persist
emily when she anguishes. Miss MadiSxa
was very feeble AZ the Princess. Her
dresses were gorgeous aud IL she had been
called upon to appear in /" n thinking part
she would have made Il hit. Miss L.ytton
was large and a tritic unnecessary a. Nadia.
Miss Rose EtyinGe did well IN the Countess
Delcrof. II part that Mrs, Agnes Booth
would have played much better. The
Blue Oficer " was horribly stage managed.
The ballroom hcene WAS II farce.
ALAN DALI.