The evening world., 1894-08-28
THE VICTORIA CROSS"

A star Is most Unsuitable person. He
wants all the fat of the play. number
of nice men and women playing fddles
OF less importance than his own, and
tailor making playwright, who has tape.
scissors and the reputation OF hitting
well. In the Bowery, the insistent star
rescues heroines from tanks, discounts
the villain at a critical moment. and
dampens the hair OF me-child with
tears. On upper Broadway, where tanks
are not allowed. the hero covets telling
situations, sympathetic episodes and
few Climaxes OF service to himself.
f. Fl. Sothern has been fitted with a
large suit of upper Broadway heroism
by Paul NJ. Potter in IAN original play
OF East India life," called THE Victoria
Cross" which was produced for the first
time at the Lyceum Theatre last night.
BY means OF this play he tries to
Chamber up the flexible rope OF sympa-
thy into the somewhat apathetic hearts
OF a polite audience. There was no
tank, Of course: no ladder OF life. no
burning building. Mr.. Sothern, however.
Is called upon to dance Sir Roger de
Coverly with a broken arm. for the sake
Of his lady love. and then faint from
sheer, excruciating anguish: to idiot
ically permit himself to father the cow
ardice Of another, and a most uninter-
esting young person. for no earthly rea-
son but to make the audience love him.
and finally to treat the villain kindly
and set everything right. 1t is a nice.
clean, insipid and conspicuous role for a
pleasant young actor of limited scope.
1.-THE Victoria Cross" is sort of
chowder made up Of other plays. and
rendered seemingly novel by an Indian
atmosphere, In which a vizier OF the
Nawab OF Rampore is villain-in- chief.
and dandywallahs. kitmutzars and ayahs
form the background. The play sug-
gests Lord Chumley." THE Girl l
Left Behind Me- "Lettarblair" and
Diplomacy" These are curried, as II
were, and served hot, and they are not
at all unpleasant to the taste. They
are four good plays. and they can stand
being pressed for "reminiscences.
The story OF THE Victoria Cross"
which is at times almost lost sight Of
in a mass-or a jungle. to be Indian
Of trivial incidents that recall Belasco,
deals with the advent of a new padre"
to Sir Allan Strathallans bungalow.
There are pretty girls, swell women
and end -of-century youths In this bun
galow. Ralph, the padre, fallsin love
with the prettiest of the girls. and as
he has already won the Victoria cross,
she looks upon him as a hero. He takes
pretty good care that she shall; so does
Mr.. Potter. There Is an uprising of
natives, on account OF Sir Allan's horse
racing man-horses being looked upon
as sacred In midland the bungalow Is
hesieged. The villainous Ahmedoollah
and skittish young widow steal a
paper from a convenient cabinet in
order to learn Sir Allan's route when
he goes on his travels. and then hold
him up. Fortunately Ralph is on hand.
He discovers the villain, foils the ad-
ventures a la Countess Zicka, wins
the heroine and helps to set down the
uprising
The Victoria cross has very little to dc
with the case. 1t is plucked from
Ralph's manly bosom by an irate pepper
when that young man stands in the cen
tire of the stage, and allows himself tC
be saddled with Gerald's misdemeanors
And very Justly, too. Ralph Is a poseur
and a tinsel hero. and he doesn't deserv,
his badge, though ne gets 1t back later
Stage heroes are an awful nuisance
clamorng, as they do. for the earth
Several playwrights have discussed tn
ACCESSIBILITY of doing away with the vii
lain. Give me the villain any day. He
either human or inhunan. and tn
hero is nothing but a stage picture.
Mr. Sothern, who is now a most pleas
' ing young actor, played his part a
though he liked it. 1t neither bagged a
the knees nor wrinkled at the shoulders
1t fitted, Miss Grace Kimball. though
trile boisterous, was an agreeable hero
inc, and Arthur II. Lawrence made IA
excellent and artistic villain. Mrs. Pa
tison-Scltcn was picturesque villair
! css. and &. +. Flockton a consideration
. pepper Mr.. Sternroyd brought to h
{ part sort OF downtown vchcmence ths
was unnecessary.
ii The Victoria Cross" was eXqusitel
d staged, the pictures being worthy
: any that have been in the Lyceum Tt
ladies' Of the bungalow all wore the mo-
u gorgeous Of gowns, and changed the
&c perpetually. They were as peacockesql
l. in this bungalow as though they hs
t been In Park lane or Fifth avenu
i Stlll, the women in play must dres
IS don know? and the amateur a
81 tress, who insisted upon wearing a Will
satin gown, cut low, when she climb
,e the Rocky Mountains, knew her bu:
~ ness, ALAN DALE.