The sun., 1893-10-31
LAST NIGHTS NEW PLAYS.
NLTURfEIsM, NIHILISM, AND MUstO
IN 7HREE STAGE PIECES

| IN 1HhEE STAGE PIECEa
james A. Berne's ashore Acres," N. y.
| W. Dana "Thr silver She'll" and Or-
| car Hnrnmerstein'. "Koh.LNoor"-Mr.
Herne and the Kendais in Fresh Roles.
There was the promised naturalism In
"Shore Acres" at the Fifth Avenue Theatre.
! last evening. and the uneXaggerated imitation
OF reality was admirable. But the merit OF
James A. Herne's new play did not lie in
| Photographic and Photographic reproduction
| OF commonplace things. The work was
artful. 1t was even tricky. The author had
manifestly sought to make his audiences be-
lieve that his characters and their doings had
been copied literally from everyday. hum
drum uneventfu life. He sustained this IL
lusion adroitly and ably. and with much less
OF departure from the usual methods OF play
wrights than he would have us believe. 1t
is true that he dismissed the as
semblage with nearly four minutes OF
pantomime by single character.
instead Of having several persons talk to
climax. An old man had. by Belf-abnegation.
wrought happiness out OF misery among
| those around him. 1t was late on Christ
mas eve. The other inmates OF the
farmhouse had gone to bed. and he. sit-
ting alone In an armchair. smiled as he
thought OF the morrow's happiness which he
had brought about. Then he locked the doors
for the night, looked out on the moonlit snow.
fixed the fire in the stove to last till morning.
examined the children's stockings that hung
full OF Christmas gifts and with q candle In
his hand. passed slowly out OF sight
up q stairway. All this speechless action
was graphic in its expression OF what the
man was thinking. Tho candlelight dimmed
gradually with his ascent OF the stairs. and
finally went out with him. the curtain falling
on n dark stage. That was delightfully."- novel
and natural. But Mr.. Herne had not let his
play depend for interest on any such
auietude OF matter. One OF the cpl
sodes was as rousingly noisy and
vivid rs anything often found In what
melodrama- Two brothers were In the oilroom
OF a lighthouse. fierce gale was raging.
The daughter Of one Of these len had eloped.
and was aboard a sailboat imperllled by the
storm. The beacon would go out soon II not
father snd wished wns to e
her lover: but her uncle Insisted on making
the BOAT boomed for hsln The terrific en-
in a change OF acene. the almest wrecked craft |
was shown at the moment that the lighthouse
ness in thst s reasm In short Mr. a Herne had
adhered. with the rractised skill OF an old
ha 5e te
only when it represents uncommon affairs
He had gone contrary to some on the uSagee
ect TT but sSs' Se had dn% not "sa desrs
naturaIness to lead, him Into inanity, Like
for his art and the best scenes OF his play
were finely natural in the same way that an
ture than the best Of photographs
shore Acres. illustrased futile attempt to
xha aF%
to the venture and NIT it's prom promoter tHa had % his
Way while the other saved the home home
humSr; the ehsrasters were Is. Maine Mai. r1sst!ss
ment mos. y the time: There were Pc
Fss' g 'sss': 'S% e.
sacPS But may be
down as an excellent work. and 4 Is rather
pTrobabbs tnst It yii be appreciated d here
cIined to take ia all is serioasness soberiy.
MI Hs59e s him Gafd e. taS PFns
adeauateiy Hs A Performed. The country house. e
a al IN
marked success artistically. : ''T,- :, -
The silver she'll which has furnished a.
]. W. Dam with name for his four-act drama
ls bomb purchased by a committee of Rus
sian Nihilists in Paris for rsgicidal purposes.
It appears but once during the whole course
Of the play. and Is such an unimportant factor
In the development. of the plot that one won-
ters why 1t should have been selected as a
There are two central figures in The Silver
Tai The, latter is piotter against the
Russian Government, and her house in
sow se 6 shg m'ins IS s,dSs
Iiscarded suitor Of NihiIlstie sendepc. .esssrsa s a
1ucing photograph Of her former husband |
md making the Englishman believe that she
prnce kdrdiog is a Russian official high
2 imperial favor who disgnises himself as
md 50 wins the confidence Of the group of CON
plrators and Is admitted to their councils On
Of the %setns bis S
leath BY means Of the silver she'll which has I
maker: q quaint and delightful rascal named
In In the final act Prince Karotoc discovers J
hat kgthsrins a sc ot Kgil f his own daughterin
nor fails to show % why !H''f; his heroine inc ]
hould sS i,.t take such pains to sonceal her !
he fce who he plays 1 the % r6le Of an MN inauator
. a room at the Russian EN- bassy. to rlaciar- 9
the o. Of b to
i DGs ssnt Sds PAX ana
SoSns SoS = es S his as
The role OF the heroine affords Mrs. Kendall =
mLle opportunity for emotional acting Of the i
ind so highly relished by her admirers. and.
he strong scenes. her performance I
'as. on the whole n satisfactory one. 4
ut she was overshadowed by her n
usband. whose impersonation OF Prince Rdr- Q
tot was strong and thoroughly interesting j
ortrayal OF crafty old man. skilled In the art r
deception and fearless in the discharge of o
is duty: Mr.. Kendaps makeup was a work y
art. strong portrayal OF the con spirator, il
a Dor. was given by Cecil Nj. York, and q =
b apitai character M bit by G. p Hnntley. as Herr q
i" The Silver Shell" contains several scenes a
strong dramatic interest. notably that In 2
s ,e third act In which the real Iran'tch ap- a
oses the Prince who has imperson ated him. y
is interesting too. but 1t has a fatal u
Is audience into his conndence. but seems to j
ave constructed his piece as II 1t were a novel j.
stead Of drama. He has forgotten. appar- Y
atty. that q playwright should keep his audit Z
-B better inform ed than the chara cters in hia N