The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-06-28

Pinero wrote for their amateur society, which
was rejected By them, and aftsrward played
by the great English artists, Mr.. and Mrs.
Kendall, was called sThe Noneyspinner,
and given In this country by the Kendsls
during their tour last season. ssweet lavender
tells the story Of old barrister Of good family,
broken down by drink, with Ill gone save his
natural instincts ~ q gentleman, and the won
derful faithfuiness and affection he bears "his
boy Glenn" a. be calls the young lawyer VINO
shares his chambers, in trying FIRST to protect
the child of the housekesper of the Temple from
his boy until he fnds his love Ii honest, ana
then aiding him toward his marriage in spite OF
al difficulties. II Il the only play written De
plotting the great love and csmsrsderie when
can exist between an old and young man with
no ties of kindred in common. It IL also novel
lesson on inebriety. 1t Is q quiet comedy filed
with beautiful pathos, with Q refinement ana
delieacy Of expression rarely met with on or on
the stage "The Charity Ball. comes third In
order of production and IL the second work OF
Bsiasco and De Mile, who wrote "The Wife
II In modelled very much on the lines oil fhat
work, and impresses one as occurring In the
same neighborhood. II would be no surprise II
some Of the characters of the former play should
cali at any moment II shows the evil influence
the desire TO rule in the financial world may
have upon every other portion of mans lie
It is said that the idea Of this play was suggested
to the authors by Witnessing q performance OF
Bronson Towards "Henrietta," which Robson
and Crane made so popular. In that play the
weakness of q fashionable clergyman who perlis
his cloth by dabbling In stocks IL made
laughable impersonation- In "The Charity
Ball" the hero is q fashionable clergyman whose
nobleness OF character il constantly apparent,
and whose greatest effort Is to save an only
brother, crazed with the ambition to become
king of Wall Street, from committing
ug~ @ka @n &rf
"The IdIer'' is the fourth of the Lyeeum plays,
and was the one which ran nearly all OF the
season Just past st their New York theater.
1t Is also q picture of English life, but very
different from ''Sweet Lavender" It Is oy Z.
Haddon Chambers, the author Of Captain
Swift which was given here by the Palmer
company last season. II is a play OF great
strength, clear cut and sharp, and calls foFfn
the best endeayors OF the company. IL Is a.
stirring and dramatic a. "Csptain Swift and
"Jim the Penman," and suggests. the society
melodramatic force of those plays. The title
of the work comes from the character OF the
leading role, q wealthy man who Is "morauy
drifting" upon the discovery that the woman
he loved il married TO q man who il innocsntiy
accused of q crime, and whom The Idler can
save or destroy, according to his impulse
There are number of bright comedy roles that
lend relief to q strong story Mr.. Chambers 10
an English author who is pushing Mr.. Pinero
hard for prominence in their own country,
although their lines of writing are so different
Ii is said of him that no other English drarnat-
list so closely resembles the great French master
of strong dramatic writing, Victorien Sardou,
the author of Fedora" ''La Tosca" and "Theo-
dora" 1.-The Idler'' is the only play by an Eng
lish author which received its first production
on any stage in America, and then was given
its London hearing. Mr.. Chambers came
TO this country to stage his play for
Mr. Frohman at the Lyceum theater, and on his
return placed it at the st. James theater. Lon
don, where 1t is still running, having just passed
its l5Oth representation. On Friday evening
"The Charity Bali IL to receive its second per-
Torrance here, while 1.-THE Wife 10 announced
for its second time at the Saturday matinee,
and 1.-The Idler' for Saturday night One feature
in which the Lyceum Company differs from any
other organization which has appeared here is
the absence of boisterous work OF any nature.
The ladies and gentlemen come upon the stage
and talk and act naturally, as one would ex-
pect of ladies and gentlemen In ones own house.
This kind of work il more acceptable TO cul-
tured audiences than the exaggerated action
and vehement conversation which mars the
work of most companies Of the present day.
The average lady and gentleman does not rant
and storm, but is repressive more than express
sive. There Is an idea to the effect that action
must be doubly a. accumulated on the stage as it
would be in real life. but it il mistaken one.