New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-13
FOR NONFYr-MR. CRANE.
Days company.

In the Star Theatre last night Nr. Crane began a
engagement which doubt VIII last iohe anu ~ul
nrosper as long as it lasts, By producing ne" pay
entitled For Money This piece has been wrttSA
for him by Mr. c. NJ. Greene and Mr. Augustus Iho""s.
and in its elements OF situation character ana lahguagv
n is entirely harmonious with his ascertaned powers
ord ,ttributes as a comedian. Hc was welcomed oy an
audience that completely filled the theatre ana ms
cordial admirers spplauded him to the echo "nio" vi.
,pplaud again. The Com I. vas scarcely less a""urea
than the Comedian and the production OF inc oe am
the ne entrance Of the OTHER are therefore rscori s
rs facts OF suspicious promise.
The story OF the play has already beeh TON III u's
,urna, The merit of tie play. however, consists noe
so much IN its story as the dramatic manner IN WHICH
IFS story is told Tho authors oi tins piece We"
fortunate in their plan, but they nave ooeh su" nv
fecitols in their OF 1t. No troublesome preVoho'
s made OF typiying and vindlcatng Inc ioea VI .n'
American Drama. 40 emphasis Is laid upon hs
nortraiture Of manners specifically American Inc
design was 70 create humorous character ana 10 as
or A. I'm situations that should result from tie natu@1
oneraton OF its eccentric propensltes. me spectator
l.. M longer annOyed-as he was IN ioo"iiS ao ING
sonatorr-uith the question whether vulgar anu hA'
cad Is or is not, faithful repycSeiLau'c vi ''e
statesmen The picture is that OF an entirely possible
GOOD fellow whose ways comca and whose conouc'
ia eccentric No words are wasted and the movements
=, ,ncessopt THAT the work Is devoid OF intellectual
character might be inferred from Its slang ute anu
might also be Inferred from the fact that Mr. ''c mas
nrotuceo -for whatever else that comedian may "e'
he f. not distinctively intellectual Nopooy e'ci
thought for instance OF writing his name WIFI t"o =,
Joseph Jefferson and John s. Clarke. bul' a'tious"
:. For Money! is not Of fine fibre and not OF ms"
o.,er 4, is skilfully made, brisk and sp1shtiy Ia
character accented all along its course WIN co'ci
incident and sharp effect, and aoundahIN supp"0~
tho elemental motives OF mlrth 1t Is teieiore "o'
come addition to the stock Of innocent pleasures anu
IL will endure until repetition shall have madc IL uio
There are things in dramatic literature 'ha' euuuo
longer but those things possess dlaI'es VI .
Of which the dramatic tailor takes no account. S"heao
4, % p,,,sh the American and who remembers Coionel
sellers, But let us not morazeD lnvenuon la"
little or no part In this play Ihe PURPOSE u N~
ON oocertr,c humorist TO involve himself In apparent
financial trouble in order 10 test the sincerJ VI ""
friends has been used in many works Oh holo"' az"
II does not recur as a novelty. There Is pouo" u
,ou.ncv indeed in tho expedIent Of making TINS eA-
detrimental wag the Prospero Of teiules' '"". Nv
cannot uuell. The fundamental thought OF "e ~
however is an old thought. a sthI vi .i -.
comic peculiartes the spring OK the "noo MAJ.
and very creditable 1t is to the clever au',o,' -
thew have studied rare and delightful orghA ~
deeply and TO such good practical purpose Inc 'o'
OF their piece is the humorous aspect on "'a'
.ri.,Lc character and the body OF II Is tissue "
Iudicrous Incidents saturated with comic perpieA'!'
In the personality Of Winfield fHrdep, uui''! -
crystalrzed all the laughable chasic~'ls"'S 'A Wv
dear old heroes Of the Morton farce lie oon'n'~Nu
yacht club-and he is afraid to go 10 sea- u ,..
mands a regiment-and he is afraid to lead in'o
action He loves a wldow-and he fears that she -
wsbful to marry him merely for his money. no i"~es
his daughter and would promote her happness-ou' ne
suspects that her sutton is mercennry ana 'ereioo
not ,r,st him lie has a bold outside. but inwardly ne
ouakes. lie is 5asher aid TOBIAS Sh"'"u' Oh
Welin ston de Boots rolled and yet no diners
from all of them lie revek the shows OF life ana
in the epoynent Of its animal ple;isures-out nc .
comicay timid and he shoulders at RISK lie -
nimble expeditions, loquacioSs ana lloruha"iy '~'
ard he can make more buzz shan sawmh That .
the man-and there Is Mr.. Crane TO make him real and
probable and comiea; aud no other actor OF the us
could do this 80 certainly and - we'll
In the dilemma that WINFIELD Farragut "urney
causes by unwlttingly promoting an nnconqueraois
strike OF The laborers IN his factory. Mr. Crane was '
descrlbaby drol. aud there and asswhere he sent MS
hearers into spasms Of laughter. Nobody can DENY 70
MIR Crane the possession Of the faulty OK humor ara
his humor is Of richer and rser dus'y sH an ,"a -
burton ard Blake and owens and p'T Dan setneL.
lie rolls it out with greater soe . ~ Ms
accents with more gItmae and cMi.or nioH nc
OF sturiicr body than most OF our CONT Piases, h
s s.vsis S'a ae animal enjoyment Of dSe h
lack aq occasional touch Of sentiment AZ Ie climax
moment Welded 10 tile sudden blast III decision he
Showed also the element OF moral foro-lust as hs
used to low . , IN qG aIs Needles csehcr Mr.
Crane manifested himself hu%orsi ND he I gained ed
the useful and .prshy little play that he launched 80
we'll Ills single performance would have carriS hs
peCs but es Is AL comment upon n;
euAiliar performance seems not essential iOr ,o
reader ut the moment Tie constitution oi thc CON-
many will be shown by the cast:
Or Newton Stow......................,. Jaans Ne,n
Norman stewart ,dcI ~ f,a asse5
Mr. Redern. Bell George peEers