The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-08-27
THE STORY OF "AKIsTocKAcY.'

The Pl OF which Bronson Howard Con-
structed for His Latest Success
Bronson Towards latest play, ssAris-
tocracy, will receive its initial presenta-
ton here at the Seattle theater Thursday
evening. This comedy has had five
months run Palmer's theater in New
York last season. This production is
under the direction of Messrs Al Hayman
and Charles Frohman. and nothing has
been spared in the way of scenery, cos
tunes and representative cast of players
to make it the most conspicuous event of
the present dramatic year This is the
first play from Bronson Towards pen
since Shenandoah. In ''Aristocracy"
Mr.. Howard has departed somewhat from
the methods he employed in THE Hen
rietta," Young Mrs. Winthrop" ard
Shenandoah He does not in this latest
play present things in expected ways. He
demonstrates his belief that an aristoeratic
society really exists in New York city, and
his examples in the play denoted by
himself as American Aristocrats"
are family of mingled Puritan
and Knickerbocker blood, and quite
unexceptiopable in culture and conduct.
They are afather, mother. SON and daugh-
ter, each . personihcation of good breed
ing and high-mindedness. In contrast
with the four American aristocrats, Mr..
Howard has created for his comedy four
specimens of Old World aristocracy-
principally ignoble-an Austrian prince,
French duke. an English marquis and
an English earl A third quartette of
characters purporting to be typical, are
newly rich Californians, consisting of a
seventy millionaire, his young wife, his
daughter and his son. Having thus pre-
pared his set of illustrative individuals,
Mr.. Howard plots play for the exhibit
ton Of their characteristics. The enor-
mously rich Californian, seeing that all his
power of money was not sufficient to place
his family among the New York aristocrats
by direct process, resolves to get them
there by first buying recognition with the
foreign aristocracy. This scheme proves
practicable in the end, but not before
enough happens to provide matter for
very interesting and patriotic play. Mr..
Howard's positive and emphatic view of
the subject is that the foreign aristocracy
is morally rotten through and through;
that our high-bred exclusives are contrast
ingly decent, and that even our folks of
rapid millionarism are Just as likely as not
w VIC % 6ooA 90 ticy WIZ uIS uofn IlGii.
Ethical considerations have not led Mr..
Howard astray from the main purpose of
making a play that would engross and
entertain intellectual people. The Cali
fornian's seemingly simple plan of hiring
bankrupt English peers London house,
with the peer himself included, and thus
get his family introduced into what he
calls mot the best, but the highest" En-
glish society. goes smoothly on until his
daughter is presented to the queens
drawing room; but by this time the girl,
through grief and pique at the false news
of her American lovers marriage, be-
comes the wife of the despicable Austrian
prince. The Austrian titled scoundrel
cares nothing for his bride, but sets his
heart upon her young step-mother, and
the scene in the play in which he makes
an assault of love upon the woman, her
resort to her husband for protection, a
spirited encounter between the husband
and the wife has been pronounced the
most absorbing halfhour of intensely
dramatic writing and acting that has ever
been seen in any American play. The
cast is notably strong one, including
such popular and skillful artists as Messrs.
Maurice Barrymore. Frederick Bond, Will
lam Faversham. S. Miller Kent. Neil
Warner, Bruce McRea, John III. Browne,
J. c. Blackstone. II. W. Montgomery. the
Misses Blanche Walsh, Mary Hampton.
Helen Tracy and Maude White.