Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-06
GEOFFERY MIDDLETON.

Admirably Acted by the Pitou Com.
pany-Miss seligman's Artistic Triumph
A Great Cast.
"Geoffrey Middleton, Gentleman" new
and original three act comedy drama by
Miss Martha Morton, author of "The
Merchant" PLAYED here earlier in the sea.
son, was substituted for "a Modern Match
at the Duquesne Theater last night. The
Pitou Stock Company profted by the
change, for Miss Morton's play is a fal
worthier vehicle than ga Modern. Match, u
and gives nearly every member of this
brilliant organization fair chance for the
display of talent. The impression made by
the final act, and indeed, by the final
situation of the play is so potent
and inspiring that ones judgement
of the play as whole is apt to too favor
able perhaps, but it is probably correct in
the main to say that ''Geoffrey Middleton,
Gentleman" is the best American work of
the year, and among the best of the last ten
years. 1t is a great Improvement upon
Miss Morton's "The Merchant" in plot, In
character and in dialogue, for the first is
new and of great human interest, there are
at least three or four characters that stand
out and will live, and the dialogue is all
bright, at times epigrammatic, and for the
most part natural
The story very briefly is this: Courtney
Middleton, high-born Southern gentleman,
has embezzled money held by him in trust,
and to, avoid the disgrace which
discovery of his malfeasance must bring,
through third party-a lawyer and rela-
tive-he regotiates marriage between his
son and the daughter of millionaire Cali
fnrniaO Sr,rupO from, tba nennlp The son
Geofrey Middleton, objects at first, but to
save his father consents. They are mar
ried, the heiress, Margaret Merritt, being
really in love with Godfrey, and unaware
that he is marrying her for money. In act
III. in the millionaire's home the newly
married couple are discovered, and the
jarring of money-bags with blue blood is
made plain. The rich father-in-law
finally loses all patience with Geofiey
and bluntly tells Margaret the fact,
hitherto concealed, that he had bought
her an aristocratic husband. This
drives lHdrodrt to repudiation of the
man she believes to have married her for her
money.
That is the climax of the play, and
it is deeply affecting. But the unwinding
of the tangle is better still. 1t is effected
by the confession of the elder Middleton of
his guilt, of how his son to save the family
name consented to marry money, to the
abused wife. She displays great magnanim-
itv and husband and wife are reunited. The
happiest touch of all is the way Miss Morton
has contrived this closing scene The wife
loves her husband, but is still uncertain
whether he loves her or her money, and so,
to test him, she proposes that he shall give
up his intention to seek fortune abroad and
return with her to her fathers home anl
live on his money. Godfrey replies that
his wife must come to him penniless, be de-
pendent upon him for everything. That is
Mdrqaret'S triumph of course, and it is an
exquisite departure from the conventional
and vet subtly true to nature. The charac-
ter of Margaret is finely drawn, and as type
of American womanhood a wholesome ad-
dition to what the stage has produced in
this way. The aristocratic husband is not
so good; he is at times a frightful snob, and
somehow the character is unsympathetic.
Though an exaggeration the plebeian mill
ionaire is a breezy, interesting creature, with
good deal of humanity about him. The
other characters are not very original, save
the curiously contrary dirorcee who plays
the good angel in a smartly cynical way.
In the acting of the play there were few
shortcomings. The central figure is by
grace of the author, and, still more by Miss
Seligman's refined and supreme art, the
woman who is sacrificed in bargain of
Match" Miss Seligman's ability to present
the shameful side OF weak, heartless
woman's nature was proven; last night she
gave with even more power and nice intel
ligence far pleasanter view of pure and
noble womanhood. 1t was really remark
able triumph for an actress whose
star has but lately risen above
the horizon. The intensity of
her acting in the scene with her husband
where she renounced him, and again at the
still more pathetic point of separation,
was what We might have expected from
Agnes Booth or Ada Dyas. The expression
of the deepest emotion without a cry or a
violent gesture, but simply vet completely
through play of feature, is the highest art,
and Miss Seligman displayed it several
this no doubt for they called her twice
before the curtain at the end of act IL
Mr. Wheatcroft played the husband with
deep earnestness and polish; but his emo
tion had something of artifciality in
it. Perhaps the authors draught of the
character accounts in part for this
Some of his lines are terribly priggish and
stilled. For example what husband begin
ming serious and passionate discourse with
his wife would say as Godfrey does in act II:
''0ur life is like ship at sea without
rudderp'
Mr.. Thompson played the coarse-grained
millionaire with rare humor, and not less
effective was he in pathetic bit here and
there. If one may suggest anything to
such a master of makeup as Mr. Thompson,
would it not be good idea if he clipped
that very long beard little. Miss Jane
Stuart once more as pretty strong minded
girl was freshly and delightfully."- funny,
and more than that brought tears to a
good many eyes in the last act. Of course
Mr.. Leslie makes love to her, or allows her
to make love to him, and OF course his stiff
awkwardness is laughable. Miss Adelaide
was exceedingly clever as the
diOorcee, and made all her very bright lines
tell. The rest of the company filled in
every bit of the picture with success. The
play was well staged. 1t was received with
frequent applause. Such play, so well
acted, is a positive agent for good. With
out being didactic, it teaches grand lesson.