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

/
morous In the announcement last night
on the programme OF the Lyceun lhe-
atre, where An American Duchess was
produced. that the play was written ex-
pressly for the Lyceum by Clyde fltch'
This announcement Showed US a young
American playwright endeavoring to III
Americas best stock company with a
very English play, full OF very English
characters. very English IDEAS n very
English everything else. Yet the an
nouncement was evidently made In all
seriousness. il wasn't considered funny.
Tine word american" appeared In the
title, and Mr.. Fitch made one OF two OF
his characters utter gallery speeches
about the noble people OF Tacoma. But
you instii.ctively 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
It we're.
7 In IAN 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
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 Cook Annual" He
must dote upon these. Ills 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 pirtIrn pul-
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 he battle of Agtncourt, 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 os%tentatious. 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"
1853 S"NNN - 80 NV u pay
) IAN American Duchess contains three
l acts OF brigh talk. Nearly all the talk is
bright. but 1t is apropos of nothing at
all. You wonder why all these people
B are on the stage troubling themselves
10 be bright, when there is no occasion
for 1t. Oscar Wilde, upon whose efforts
e Mr.. Fitch evidently models his own
j work, certainly has a plot. There Is a
vary Gtronp SCana In s'Iahy Tipdar-
mere's Fam" there Is a story to "A Wo-
: man of No Importance" In IAN Amer
lean Duchess there is nothing, but a
e ducal couple in financial distress, Dor
rowing money from a baron with social
ambition, who makes love to the Ouch
ess. and is finally kicked from the an
e cestral halls. That Is all. There are
o little irrelevancies by the score. in the
shape OF the everlasting juvenile comedy
lovers and the perpetual American gtrl
and her lord.
% Much humor Is attempted by freaks OF
costume. The Lyceum patrons, dying &c
II see Herbert Kelcey's l~egs-rather thar
h his dramatic abilities-may behold then
lie p~romenading in armor and garnet tights
The same with Fritz Williams. who
however, is not original. for his legs ar,
closely copied from those of Mile
8. Paquerette, at Roster & Balls. TheI
'e the ingenue displays a magnificent heac
ID Of hair, which her lovers arrange fr
In her In sight Of the audience. and MIS-
Cayvan dons the costume of Mel
ic Gwynne for the sake of looking quaint
at Mr.. Fitch attaches great histrionic valu,
re to a woman who let's down her bacl
hair. The heroine of April Weather
a does the same thing. Clyde. dear Clyde
W why don't you dramatize those sever
long-maned sisters, who Btand In
Fourteenth street shop-window? There
4. richness for you-the creme de la crem
of tho bair 10 Ia boIr