Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-10-27
THE AMERICAN PLAY.
. alabama and "Capiain Carter
Are Representative Productions
ATTRACTIONS ron THIS WEEK.
ser. Smith Russ III TO Appear In
Three New Rolcs-Oisby Ben 're
vent. tho New opera. "Nancy I'ee,'
m Thursday Night.

p.,mer. for the production of two OF the
hest American plays that are ex'ah.
~A,abana" and Colonel Carter. Inc
to-,uer. by Augustus Thomas. was pre-
..pted nj Palmer's Theatre. In the spring
Of 1891; the latter, by +. hopkinson
Smith. In the spring OF lssz. Mr'
,rho,nas,s comedy OF Alabama" came az
q time when many anxious persons nad
noon seeking for the American DRAMA
a was found to be American. In SUBJECT
as well as In origin: It caught the popu-
Gar fancy. and II prospered. In thoso
circumstances 1t was not only an achieve
,,nen.. bu, an suspicious intimation.
Mr.. Thomas not only wrote soou
MAY. but set good exampie-ihu'oa.
tho the field and the direction IN wnic"
a should be explored. and showing ho"
other and stronger American pays Lay
no derived from It. He was oo'h
c,over dramatis. and pioneer
There are many fine aual''es !"
hama" It's story is acted 'ns'e"" "
being related. Its persons are
q. ,raivisuaIized. II is suffused with TO-
,nanee If i,nparts a high ideal OF cha'-
,o,sr and conduct 1t is unobtrusNes
humorous. ard unaffec,edly palmetto
aoas NOT nreacb. Its style is clear anu
c,iso II is not literary. But, perhaps
che finest OF It's qualities Is that Oh u'a
matte suggestiveness. For the purpose ~
"a dramatic author human h'e IL !"
,,;owod ne n river that, for the most part
oor,s underrround--only at intervals
breaking forth into the light. Every
character has a background. Every CON-
a,t,on Of indlylduaiism and OF circum-
.,.rca is consequent on lorg line OF
aptecedent facts. the STORY Vi mi al,
narsons all implicated in one wep' VIII
49,, silently IN the dark for long time,
AN suddenly. "a crisis is reached anu
eric declares itself in action Inc era
.o,,ic instinct percoiyes the points vi
contrast, the moment or uphea'ai' ot
snTto, NJ action-and a true dramatis'
con show, human beings and human NE
as Fate shows them. HIS taieht Is nov
,hat of a novelist, which must take note
nj every detail. 1t selects. Inc PEREZ
riav may be likened TO the new moon
c,ear and brilliant crescent, with the
res, ~ the orb dark. but perfectly ue-
Cnod In its arms Your gaze Is rlNeted
hv tho superb sicle of light, but, at the
same time, you comprehend the "hoie
planet.
1,he South Is the more picturesque part
n, the republic. The old social oruer AT
the South was far more romantic pieto
rial. and interesting than any Social
order at the North, either Is now or
ever has been. Mr.. Thomas chose Wisely
fn choosing a southern plantation TOT
The scene OF his play. Much is depend
ent ON climate. 1t affects character and
manners, as we'll as atmosphere ana TO-
liaee The investiture OF "AiamaDa
was delicious You could see the large
stars hanging in the deep. dark SKY ana
st,Il streamers ofrthe gray moss, ana the
great fans OF the palm; and you could
almost smell the scent OF magnolia on
the faint evening breeze. The people
soothed and charmed by languor which
was full of repose. The purpose was TO
set the easy. indolent, drifting tempeIa-
ture OF the South in sharp contrast with
The alert and expeditions energy OF north
ern enterprise. The social complexities,
individual alterations, and changes ana
sorrows resultant upon the civil war
were wisely chosen as a background for
The picture. The haze OF time has set
tied over that lamentabie period IN
American history. and 1t now grows more
and more interesting, and ean be con-
templated without rancor ard without
wrath. This play treats IL wisely-indi-
eating, without either partisan motive
or aggressive morality. the community OF
interest that binds all sections OF the
republic into one nation.
The story OF Colonel Carter" by r.
Hopkinson Smith, published in 1891, pos
sesses the charm of sweetness. eccentri-
CITY. and humor blended in natural
character-a charm kindred with that
which long has hallowed. and will al
ways ballow. such characters as Par
son Adams. Uncle Toby, Sir Roger de
Coverley, and Colonel Newcome. To
know such a person as Colonel Carter
would be to possess the privilege of as
eociations at once cheering and humor-
GUS There are persons who never
see objects precisely as they are. There
Is an order OF vision. TO which every fact
becomes TRANSPORTED by fancy. Colonel
Carter is not an adventurer. yet he I'M
dertakes to live n practical life in the
land Of dreams. or. which Is the same
thing, a dream-life In land of fact
and he succeeds in doing that, because,
being a charming eccentricity, he Is also
true. The insiLcere man who should
pursue Colonel Carriers course would
speedily come 10 ruin.
II Is the fortunate prerogative OF good
ness TO command the respect both Of
good and evil. Human nature is suffi-
GENTLY defective. but II has gentleness
for that which Is gentle. and II has affec-
zion for that which Is simple. noble.
affectionate. and kind. Those are cpl
thets that would naturally be used to
describe Colonel Carter. and that Ii the
personality which was adroitly and effec-
lively made 10 animate the play.
Sir Walter Scott, who anticipated much
modern rejection. has noticed the temp
tation that besets every seeker for no.
velty to become extravagant IN order
that he may avoid being trite. That
temptation might well have assaled
equally the author of this pay and the
actors by whom il was represented. The
story OF dreamer whose dreams ac-
cldentaly come true might readily be
supposed 10 lack 2est and TO require
pungent emphasis yet neither in the
structure Of the piece nor In the perfor-
nance Of II was there any exa6geration.
Colonel Carter's cheerful poverty that
seemed the flower of opulence: his I'M
conscious bewitchment OF the astonished
and delighted tradesman who called for
payment; his feudal attitude toward the
negro Chad: his railway project, seeming
~ vision. but strongly turned 10 I'M
expected substance; his preposterous duel
his garden in Virginia: his amazing and
amusing southern friends; his chivalrous
spirit toward bis patient and admirable
sister-all those unostentatiors elements
OF a graceful fiction were deity disposed
in the acted play. and intertwined with
new ingredients OF story.