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


morous in the announcement last night
on the programme Of the Lyceum The
atre. where AN American Duchess was
produced, that the play was written eN-
pressly for the Lyceum by Clyde Fitch.
This announcement showed us a youns
American playwright endeavoring to fit
Americas best stock company with a
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
criousness. J. wasn't considered funny.
Tne word "..ru e:.can" appeared in the
title, and Mr.. Fitch made one OF two Of
his characters utter gallery speeches
about the noble people OF Tacoma. Eut
you instiLctively felt that Mr.. Fitch him
self loathed the nobi" people OF Tacoma.
lie is, like the English s.rvant-girl, eX-
ceedngly fond OF a few dukes and lords
II penn orth OF arist0cratic mixtures. as
1t we're.
In AN 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
"mistrrS and missises'' are strangely
lacking. You feel that MIR. Fitch has
no Use FOR them, or for stories that
deal with them. He likes his Family
Herald" and his Bow Bells" and his +.
thIcep-nny nOv-!ett-s. and his shilling
shock"rs, and the "'oo!.'S Annual" He
must dota upon these. His room" you
hear one OF these titled beau,ies say. is
in the left wing. TO get u it you must
cross the picture gallery" Isn't that
sweet? Left wings AMI picture gal
l"ries are the joys Of Sarah Ann aud
Mary Jone in England. Mr clyde FITCH
omitted Il blue room and a turret cham
Der. but the omission can stil be get
right. There is yet time. You hear d
lot OF talk about alCrs tors who fought
at the battle Of Agncourt, 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 it shows such a won
derful study OF cheap English litera-
/ ture. Ar. Fitcn even has the usual
English idea OF making the American
girl vulgar and Ostentatious. II he were
no: an American. the character would
DE considered unjust, but Mr.. Fitch
wrote his play expressly for the Ly-
ceum. Theatre"
After all, however. 1t IL not play.
AN American Duchess contains three
acts OF bright talk. Nearly all the talk is
bright. but 1t is apropos OF nothing at
all. You wonder why all these people
are on the stage troubling themselves
to be bright, when there Is no occasion
for II. Oscar Wilde, upon whose efforts
Mr.. Fitch evidently models his own
work, certainly has a plot There is
very strong scene in Lady Winder-
mere's Fan" there is a story to "A Wo-
man of No Importance" In AN 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-
ess, and is finally kicked from the an
. cestral halls. That is all. There are
little irrelevancies by the score, in the
. shape Of the everlasting Juvenile comedy
lovers and the perpetual American girl
and her lord.
Much humor Is attempted by freaks OF
costume. The Lyceum patrons. dying to
, see Herbert Kelceys legs-rather than
his dramatic abilities-may behold them
e promenading in armor and garnet tights
t The same with Fritz Williams, who
: closely copied from those of Mile
Paquerette, at Roster & Balls. Then
e the ingenue displays magnificent head
OF hair, which her lovers arrange for
n her in sight of the audience. and Miss
Cayvan dons the costume OF Nell
c Gwynne for the sake of looking quaint
t Mr.. Fitch attaches great histrionic value
e TO a woman who lets down her back
kai- ha 90
A does the same thing. Clyde, dear Clyde,
= why don't you dramatize those seven
long -maned sisters. who stand in a
Fourteenth street shop-window? There $
. richness for you-the creme de la creme
Of the hair de la hair.
r The Lyceum Company did nobly. It Is
really splendid organization. one of
which New York may feel proud. Miss
. Georgia Cayvan was refined and discreet
n as the duchess. and Mrs. Whiffen was
admirable as the dowager. Mr. Kelcey
n wore his clothes nicely. His dramatic
n ambition has evidently gone forever,
a although he seemed to be struggling
. with one some years ago. Clothes won.
). however. Clothes generally do win in
n New York. Eugene Ormonde was CAPT
. tai as the socially ambitious baron, and
Il Fritz Williams as the male Paquerette
was most amusing. w ]. lie Moyne
>. and Miss katherine Florence were ex.
d cellent, and Miss Bessie Tyrce exceed
n ingly common and irritating
= Daniel Frohman-if only he were Sir
, Daniel for Mr.. Fitch's sake.-staged the
> play eXquisiteiy. Two lovlier scenes
have rarely been seen in New York. Sir
+. G. init, the scenic artist, and Lord
Fred Williams the stage manager, did
themselves proud. AN American Ouch
= ess'' will be wasted in New York. Its
IS successful appeal can only be to Sarah
% Ann and Mary Jane OF London.
g ALAN DALE.
le Enl1ARS AS They MRI1E