New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-08-22
THE DRAMA.
EMPIRE THEATRE" LIBERTY HALL

A sign of approaching autumn Is TO De hoteu !"
the production of significant dramauc worh' az
some of the theatres The one calied i'''e'''
Hall" which was offered for the first time mere a'
the Empire Theatre last night, brings soihe''i''s
NJ the refreshment of a true autumn breeze on
marched fields after what has been enuureu i'''''
burlesque and comic opera and variety i-pe' ~
HaIl' is a restful, simple sympathetic play IL
makes little appeal to the taste for stirrihs nv.
dent none to the taste for noise, none 10 'he "e
sire for farce 1t makes its appeal to the hearl anu
to the kindly emotions 1t takes three acts 10 a.
velop a really dramatic Incident, anu II
has few striking situations. The story ua'
Il tells Is so familiar in all It's paris
that It Is easy to the end from the
beginning. The people OF the play are All w.
friends except the one who is an old enemy IL
Is perfectly evident what they VIII all 90 peiofe
they do It, Yet the play has much OF the most
essential of dramatic materials, character ana II
il also character in action. The woman or mgh
birth and low condition, whose noble spirit 10
trammelled by a conventonality or pTide' winch 1t
is n hard task unearn, is not new 10 the stage.
Neither is the simple-hearted and ciumsy-mahhereu
old poor man who tries TO return the crust Vi
bread once cast to him upon the waters Inc
eccentric rich man who had been abroad ana pre-
fers To come home TO scatter benefits under an
assumed name, is likewise a we-knowh hsuie'
Yet the author OF the play. r. c. CARTON mas 50
worked his clay the old models, ana mas so
skilfully and naturally grouped his figures tnat
the effect is always quite as pleasing as IL IL were
quite
Mr.. Cartons dialogue is always clever and felici-
TONS II is smooth and clean. 1t never offends the
ear or the judgment. He uses familiar means SO
os TO make them appear for the moment his own
happv Inventions The central figure OF his play
and altogether the most interesting Is Blanche
Chworth a woman in whom migrated prlde OF
station contends for mastery against Unborn gentle
ness and sympathy Ii Is unnecessary to say that
the womanly qualities win. An old bookseller VINO
finds the 10y OF his life in effort to befriend
the children of his former benefactor is also per-
son who must attract and hold the interest, while
a pair of young lovers are mildly agreeable and
unobtrusive.
As the central woman figure Of the play was Its
most pleasing one so Miss Viola Allen. who played
the character, was most worthy of attention IN the
company The impersonaton does not III her quite
like the proverbial old glove but she Is more IMAM
ADEQUATE for It, II is not her best part but II Is
a good part She plays it with a sweetness ana
fresh womanliness which are in everything that
she does and these the essentials of the char
acter 1t is not necessary to regret that
Miss Allen finds no opportunity for the frolic
that is I'm her nature Miss Agnes Miller
merits almost If not quite. as much commentator.
IL is good thing to stand and watt gracefully
as Miss Miller knows how 10 do. She plays small
part with the dellcacy and refinement of a larger
one. But then. decacy and refinement are not
qualities to be assumed and laid aside; IL one has
them commonly uses them at all times. The
Old bookseller. as played by W. ii. Crompton, was
a most charming impersonation. finished and well
rounded displaying thoroughness OF conception and
method Miss May Robson. whose name somehow
always gets down toward the bottom of the pro-
gramme added another the list of cleyerly
played servants.