Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-05
AT THE PLAY.

Alabama, q Poetic and I-Acted Play
The Gossoon's Merits Discussed-Twelve
Temptations, With Many Specialize
Forgiven Resurrected-AI the Plays In
Town.
There is more poetry in Alabama" than
dramatic power, and its influence is rather
soothing than stirring. alabama" four
act drama of American life by Augustus
Thomas, was played last night at the
Alvin Theater by one of A. M.
Palmer's companies. 1t is distinctly
native drama; the characters are to be found
in any Southern town or village. the Ian
human. AS for plot, it has a mere shadow
of one; it is rather mere collection or incl
dents, without any distinct motive. A
woman's right to her husbands name Is
engineer falls i'll love with TalledeYa
lassie: an elderly Southern colonel is
promiscuously gallant and chivalrous; the
grandfather of the lassie above mentioned
objects to her marrying the young Yankee
and that is alabama" with happy end
ing to it all thrown in.
The drawing of character lis. is much ash
at least three characters that are
closely studied from life, and whose person
There is Colonel Preston, an old planter
ruined by the war, and treasuring an aver
sion for Yankees almost as dearly as
he Tner does tssro his LITTLE Gene,
younger relic of the Confederacy; a typical
Southern gentleman, afraid OF nobody, yet
almost tender in his courtesy to his fellow
A third character, which is broadly
humorous and evidently study
from life, is Squire Tucker a Talledega Justice
of the Peace and large-bodied man, in
whose big heart filial affection and love for
a charming widow are always battling. His
greatest exertion ends at catching frogs,
and his philosophy is not capacious, but
calm.
The characters being far more salient than
the plot good actors are needed. This
Palmer company contains several good
actors, and no bad ones. 1t works together
tice. Burr McIntosh's Colonel MoberSey
is a very clever piece of acting, and the best
thing he has ever done His identity is lost
not always the accent, is always his. Per-
haps the warmth of the greeting hegot
from his many friends in the au-
Mf ssn'e McTnsosS ntteG him most eonsocudos sse os
fault was too rapid speech. Frank Bangs as
Colonel Preston, worked uneasily under the
yoke of the Southern accent. but of course
part, as we'll as its kindly humor
with veterans skill. Clement cambridge
has been known as a singer hitherto, but he
SuoWS COnSlQeTdDle aOll1Uy as III aCIOr III tno
part of Captain Davenport, and makes that
rather tame fellow natural and manly.
The women are comparatively in the back
ground of the play most of the time, but
Miss Jennie Eustace walks through few
trying episodes with quiet womanly dignity,
and Miss atlanta Moberley is warmly South
ern in appearance at all events. OF the
smaller parts Frederick Congers Ldthrop
Page, a very boyish Southern boy with
lots of spirit stood ont as an artfs-
tic bit of work. With nearly all the
company the attempt to simulate the
Southern style of speech and accent was
spasmodic and uncertain. Miss Eustace
talked like Southerner always; Burr Nc
produced the most singular results of all
it was not even negro minstrel dialect.
In the scenery the beauties of Talladega
were reproduced with extraordinary truth.
The scene of act III, showing Colonel Pres
toms garden, with the broken wall, dis
mounted cannon among the flowers and
vines, and the shadowy outlines of palms
and trees in the moonlight against
superbly purple blue sky all a-twinkle
with stars, is u poem in it
self. without the charming chapter
of the story it entrances. 1t may have come
from the handkerchief of some neighboring
fair; but when this moonlit view, with
the negroes singing on the plantation
beyond the trees, unfolded itself last
night, we declare that the odor
of magnolia blossoms seemed to
be waited across the footlights. The SUM-
rise over another side of Colonel Prestons
house in act ". was an delicious effect also.
In fact alabama" is well acted and splen-
didly staged. The audience was very large
ana rather economical in its applause.