Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-25
AT THE THEATERS.
HawOrfh in Paul kauvar-AnnIe PixIey-
And Other Plays and Players,

And Other Plays and Players.
sGpAu1 KAUvAR,"a a drama by Steel Mackaye,
was played at the Bijou Theater last
night Although the play has been upon the
| stage two years or more this is the first chance
! Pittsburg has had Of seeing it. The play was
| received by q great audience with unstinted
| applause. It is a notable addition TO the
| growing portfolio of plays by American
authors. The construction of "Paul Kauvar"
is deftly done; its plot is full of startling ap-
peals to the emotional side of the audience
and it is worked out very ingeniOusly, if not
| always within the bounds of probability. It
is rather complicated story If told in words but
illustrated by much action it seems clear
enough on the stage. The prevailing gloom of
the piece-it is dark, sad and savage from be-
ginning to end. almost without glimmer of
light or joy-is Mr.. Mackaye's only fault. and
perhaps no one who chose the French Revolu-
tion for foreground, mid-distance and back
ground, could avoid the infection Of that black
and bloody period But Mr.. Mackaye has built
play Of great force and intense interest
very high plane of art, too. Taking Paul
KauVar' as a whole. it is play Of which the
writer may justly be proud.
Mr.. Joseph Haworth, who took the title role
last night, is an actor of no small ability. He
is rich in natural resources. His voice is deep
and musical; it has been trained well-Mr.
the modern stage Then his face has an intel
leetuAl expression, his figure is erect and his
bearing full of dignity. With all of these
qualities and gifts he endows Paul Kduvdr.
We have, therefore, the patriotic young Re
publican and heroic figure. Mr.. Haworth acts
with all his heart-and we may say with all his
lungs Paul RauVdr as Mr.. Haworth shows
him to us is a loveable, honest man, who is
dreadfully unsuspicious of the men about him
-rascals all. The bravery. the tenderness
To US the finest piece of acting in the whole
play was done by HawOrth in the expression Of
KdUUd1's joy at the. thought OF seeing his wife
agaIn-an episode with which the third act
ends. Mr.. Haworth's work Is marred somewhat
by his declamatory tendency; he will declaim
all he says The days Of the Terror we know
produced men who loved TO spout high-sound-
ing sentiments between their bloody orgies. but
Paul KduDdr surely is not designed to illus
trate that carrion type. No man would pitch
all his conversation in a key and tone upon
which the rolling echoes must attend. The
whole company falls into the same error; some
are worse than others, but all declaim too
much.
Deane de Beaumont is a grander part than
Paul KGuUar-a great creation in fact. To
Miss Lizzie Rochelle it fell last night. She did
her best with it, and did well-so well that she
received great applause, But she merely
touched the border of the splendid possibilities
IN the character. Miss Rochelle is but novice
on the stage, and she cannot be expected to give
the mature vigor and trained art to the
actress as Miss Davenport, for instance, could
bring to it. The villain of the play, the Marquis
de VduJ-another well-drawD character--was
admirably done by MIR. G. G. Craig. Mr.. Van
denhof, as q duke of the old empire, was re-
markably powerful. Without many exceptions
the rest of the company are equal to their
tasks. Thus it will be seen that it is q great
play well acted,
The play is series of tableaux, in part aside
from the main story, picturing the awful scenes
around the shining guillotine. The rumbling
tumDrils, the hoarse cry of the Sans Culottes,
the "Marseillaise" and all the atmosphere of
Paris in the Reign of Terror. are truthtully
brought into the play. The effectiveness of
some of the tableaux was impaired last
night by blunders in the scene-shifting,
rifle volleys from the calcium.light In the gal
lery, and disorderly conduct in the audience.
The practice of allowing persons to wander up
and down the aisles during the progress of the |
play ought to be stopped at once.
The mob and other realistic parts of the &C |
ton exhibited unusual care and skill in the |
stage management