The evening world., 1894-03-09
hERTS REALLY TRUMPS.
|gdVard FaleS towards Artificial
Comedy Proves to Be Bright, En-
tertaininS and Witty.
THE POOR WILL GET THE RECEIPTS.
A Large and Brilliant Audience Enjoys the
Play, Which Was Given at tie
Berkeley Lyceum,


En- inrs,nv IToiItitc ..... John Frederick Cook
Linthicum Holdtitr, his son: , .Glirs a Iaan aU
C",rrrr, pr,ss HIS mai......... .GeOrgc ". Hdnllf
MabciIa Wellworth. ward and niece to SIR
nj" 1Ttirbuke.. Miss George shipper
p,rE Miss Carolyn Kenyon
The cries of which the brilliant audi
ence gathered together at the berkeley
Iyceum relieved itself last hight, when
the curtain fell on the third act oil
.lIearts Are Trumps," were not asper-
sions on the valor of the gallant capt.
NiIful Auducity. the hero of the play
which had for the first time been pre-
scented under the auspices Of those ac-
compllshed amateurs, TIE Strollers.
They we're Il tribute to the merit of
the author Mr.. Edward Tales Coward,
and to the skin with which, like all his
comrades in the cast, he had interpreted
his work.
1t was for the benefit Of two deserving
charities that Hearts are Trumps" was
played last night-The World Bread
Tind and the Herald Clothing Fund.
Thanks to the Strollers and 10 the
patrons of both SEXES. who had taken
such Il keen and lively interest in the
production of the piece, many Il poor
creature will be saved from cold and
hunger.
The plot of Mr.. Coward's Original ar
tlncial comedy is slight of texture, but
ingenious and amusing. If we bear in
mind its "artiiiciality" we can admit
that capt. Audacity, the dashing owner
of a fortune and an unparalleled amount
of the quality his name describes, has
fallen desperately in love with Miss
Mabelln Wellworth, the yard of Sir
Cunningly Cute, after one chance meet
ing IL the park (or Mt the opcra), even
were that young lady far less pretty
and engaging than she really is. BY Il
slight stretch Of imagination, too, we
can conceive that Miss Wellworth, the
heircss to $4,000, has been fired with a
responsive flame for her audacious ad-
mirer.
But for a certain clause In the late
Sir. WellwCrth's will the course Of true
love might run smooth and the Captain
would not need to force himself into
the home of his innamOratl under the
cloak of an alleged acquaintance with
linthiCum Holdtite "a loutish sutton of
the heiress who Is visiting Sir CunninSly
with his father, nor would he be driven
TO the familiar comedy eXpedient of Il
secret marriage.
The but" however, makes all the
difference In the world.
BY the provisions of that will, In the
event of his wards marrying before
thirty without his consent, Sir Gun
Tingly Cute-a scheming Old ~curmudgeon
is to inherit her fortune.
His game is therefore to encourage the
gallant Captain, to incite Mabe!la to re-
turn his hot affection. and by then refus-
ing to allow their union drive them to
an elopement.
Al happens as Sir Cunningly has
wished.
The Captain proposes. Mahella says
yes. Her guardian says no. The elope-
ment is. planned. But 1T is delayed by Il
trick of the artful Linthicum Holdtite.
who induces his rustic sweetheart. to
throw herself into the arms of his rival
at Il convenient moment-it occurs at
the close of act two-and claim him as
Happily for Audacity. his mistress is
not duped by the stratagem. In the
third act she runs off with him and the
lovers are welded. Liinthicum is bowled
over and Sir Cunningly %cXults. But his
Elee does not last long. for, on the return
OF Capt. and Mrs. Audacity, ten minutes
an artificial comedy, he learns that the
law does not recognize the validity of
that clause in old Wellworth's will; and
fair Mabella, but his hope of a%ppropri-
ating her fortune.
.H T ; were NHs f 2 few weak 4be spots S%so, in
ment, for example, would have been
more satisfactory, no doubt, If the au-
thor had enlightened us more thor
fE eais to as th to d lse RG'nf of of la Sir W cnn1
losue. again. nigh t with advantage
Rhys o iiHs j.. lnlEh msde a 2 pce-i GGsrSiq and
You bet" which were neither suited to
an "artifciai'' comedy nor consistent
with the ways of English life.
But these faults were not much no.
ticcd by the audience, and. II they had
been. would In any case have been out
weighed by the general brightness, light
ness and humor which distinguished the
play.
The part of Capt. Audacity was played
with considerable spirit by the author,
rl - l@ t,lr ~r,A -
have created" the character; Mr.. Giles
A. Taintor, gave proper relief to the
humor Of the rural hobbledehoy, Linthi-
linn lin. Mr. nro'u JOIN T Frede alF; oe cox al and i'S Mr.
Walker Marcus bennett rendered valu,
able aid as a comic sergeant. Squire
1i2lltite and Sir Cunningly.
markably, handsome in her eighteenth
century dress, made an impulslve and
rayishing Mabella;
mIrably as Betty Artlchoke, the ingenu.
Gus country wench, and Miss Carolyn
Kenyon was an arch and engaging LITTLE
and his interpreters deserve the ap'
rlause which rewarded their efforts.
Hearts Are Trumps" Is a decidedly
slips, which did not lessen the enjoyment
of the audience, 1t was uncommonly
well acted last night. c. II. NJ.
The house was crowded. In Mrs. Will;
lam Seward Webb's box were Mr.. and
Mrs. James L.. Breese. Miss Sands AND
Mr.. and Mrs. John Henry Purdy. Mrs
BrOckholst Cutting, with a party oil
friends, occupied the box directly oppo'
site. The upper right hand one was
taken by Mrs. j. II. V. Arnold, with 9
humber of young people, and the other
box was devoted to the committee. There
were a humble of large theatre parties
IN the orchestra stalls. Mrs. Edmund l.
faylies matroniZed one including Miss
Adele Sloane. Mr.. Richard Woodwork
Hiss Bend, Miss May Rowland and Mr.
Herbert Robbins.
others present We're Miss Cameron
Mr.. duncan Cameron, Mr.. Hamilton
Cary, Mr.. stacy Clark, Mrs. Van Rens
rClacr C"ugeT, Mrs. William ID. Sloane
,Nr. and Mrs. Albert Stevens, Mr.. AM
Mrs, Carlcy Havcmryer, Mr.. Dick Potter
ar, and Mrs. Ned Potter, MIR. and Mrs
Howard Potter, Mr.. Theodore Freling
h;'sen, Mr.. Cornelius Vanderbilt. ir.
Miss Edith Bishop, MIR. Tom Sloane. il.
49, Emily sloane, Nh. aud Mrs. Franl
Is, Prndlcton, Miss Ia Montague. Mr.
Gordon t'nllowcs, Mr.. James Parker
!Ir T.. y. Tdilcr, Mrs. Joseph Hartman
~, Isaac Bronson, Miss bronson, Nh
Nathaniel {, Reynnl, Miss Van Hens
s,.H.", Miss WoOdworth, Miss Barnwoli
At, 2ud Mrs. II. lie Grand Cannon, NJ
cambridge Livingston, Mr., Dad Mrs
ItlHLa Dyer, jr., Mrs. Herman OUlrichs
ti,f. and Mrg, Whitney Warrap, Mrs
alexander Van Rensselaer,. Miss Post