The evening world., 1893-11-21
IAN AMERICAN DUCHESS

lhtIt "ho pOlliNNhibB NASNSthhbhs $50
morous in the announcement last night
on the programme of the Lyceum The
atre. where IAN American Duchess" was
produced, that the play was written ex-
pressly for the Lyceum by Clyde Fitch.
This announcement showed us n young
American playwright ~endeavoring TO fit
Americas best stock company with n
very English play, full OF very English
characters, very English ideas and very
English everything else. Yet the an
nouncement was evidently made In all
seriousness. J., wasn't considered funny.
TIE word american" appeared in the
title, and MIR. Fitch made one OF two OF
his characters utter gallery speeches
about the noble people OF Tacoma. But
you instiLctively felt that Mr.. Fitch him
self loathed the noble people of Tacoma.
He is, like the English ~servant-girl, ex-
ceedingly fond Of a few dukes and lords
a penn'orth OF aristocratic mixtures, as
1t we're.
In A American Duchess there are
one duke. two lords, one baron, one
duchess. one dowager duchess. two ladies
of title. one marquis, one count and one
countess. Such plebeian articles as
"misters and missises'' are strangely
lacking. You feel that Mr.. Fitch has
no use for them, or for stories that
deal with them. He likes his Family
Herald and his Bow Bells" and his
~threepenny NOVELTIES, and his shilling
shockers. and the Cooks Annual He
must dote upon these. "His room,'' you
hear one OF these titled beauties say, "is
in the left wing. To get to It. you must
cross the picture gallery Isn't that
sweet? Left wings and picture gal
leries are the joys of Sarah Ann and
Mary Jone in England. Mr.. Clyde Fitch
omitted a blue room and a turret cham
Der, but the omission can still be set
right. There is yet time. You hear a
lot of talk about ancestors who fought
at the battle OF Aginccurt, and blue
blood. and all that sort OF thing.
How the Londoners would roar with
laughter at this very English play! 1t
IS really funny, for 1t shows such a won
derful study Of cheap English litera-
ture. Mr.. Fitch even has the usual
English idea OF making the American
girl vulgar and ostentatious. If he were
[ not an American, the character would
be considered unjust, but Mr.. Fitch
wrote his play expressly for the Ly-
l ceum. Theatre"
After all, however. 1t is not a play.
3 IAN American Duchess contains three
, acts of bright talk. Nearly all the talk is
5 bright, but 1t is apropos of nothing at
all. You wonder why all these people
. are on the stage troubling themselves
: 10 be bright, when there Is no occasion
: for it. Oscar Wilde. upon whose efforts
Z Mr.. Fitch evidently models his own
l work, certainly has a plot. There Is a
very strong scene in Lady Winder-
mere's Fam" there is a story to "A Wo-
: man of No Importance" In IAN Amer
lean Duchess there is nothing, but a
> ducal couple in financial distress. bor-
rowing money from a baron with social
ambition, who makes love to the duch-
t ess, and is finally kicked from the an
e ~cestral halls. That is all. There are
o little ir~relevancies by the score. in the
e shape of the everlasting juvenile comedy
j lovers and the perpetual American girl
f and her lord.
o Much humor Is attempted by freaks of
costume. The Lyceum patrons. dying to
n see Herbert Kelcey's legs-rather than
h his dramatic abilities-may behold then
promenading in armor and garnet tights
The same with Fritz Williams, who
n however, is not original, for his legs are
" closely copied from those of Mile
). Paquerette, at Roster & Balls. Their
the lngenue displays a magnificent head
d of hair, which her lovers arrange fol
her in sight of the audience. and Miss
Cayvan dons the costume of Mel
Ic Gwynne for the sake of looking quaint
1t Mr.. Fitch attaches great histrionic value
e to a woman who let's down her bach
lie hair. The heroine of April Weather
a does the same thing. Clyde, lear Clyde
v why don't you dramatize those sever
long-maned sisters, who stand In &
Fourteenth street shop-window? There,
richness for you-the creme de la crem,
of the hair de la hair.
,r The Lyceum Company did nobly. 1t Il
really a splendid organization, one o
which New York may feel proud. Mis-
~ Georgia Cayvan was refined and discree
N as the duchess, and Mrs. Whiffen wa
admirable as the dowaRer. Mr.. Kelce,
wore his clothes nicely. His dramati
m ambition has evidently gone forever
q although he seemed to be ~strugglin,
Ia with one some years ago. Clothes won
however. Clothes generally do win fl
to New York. Eugene Ormonde was CAPT
NJ tai as the socially ambitious baron, an,
OF Fritz williams as the male Paquerett
was most amusing. w. j. lie Moyn
and Miss Katherine Florence were ex
nd cellent. and Miss Bessie Tyrce exceed
N ingly common and irritating.
- Daniel Frohman-if only he were 81
E Daniel for Mr.. Fitch's sake!-staged tn
= play eXquisitely. Two lovlier scene
have rarely been seen In New York. 81
III T.. G. Unit, the scenic artist, and Lor
Fred Williams, the stage manager, di
themselves proud. IAN American Ouch
e. ess' will be wasted in New York. 1t
as successful appeal can only be to Sara.
Ann and Mary Jane of London.
SIS ALAN DALE.
A.