Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-10-10
HEART OF MARYLAND
The New Play Presented at the Grand Last
Night.
A Successful Drama, With Beautiful
Stage Settings, Well Per-
formed.


which had its first production on any stage
at the Grand last night, after two postpone
ments, is destined to be a notable success,
and its debut was marked with every DEM
onstration of favor by an immense audience
that completely filled the house. There was
not hitch of any kind in the performance
itself, and although occupying about three
hours and a half, the audience was held in
perfect attention and sympathy for the en-
tire period.
In 1.-The Heart of Maryland" Mr. Belasco
deals with no new problems. nor does he at
tempt any startling complications. The
members of Maryland household are torn
by the civil war into conflicting sympathies.
Maryland Calvert (Mrs. Leslie Carter), of
Col. Alan Kendrick of the nirth United
States cavalry (Mr. Maurice Barrymore,
and Is estrangad from him when, at the out
break of the war, he adheres to the Union.
AT the opening of the play the "Lilacs'' is
used as headquarters of the confederate
forces advancing toward Washington
through Maryland, under the command of
Gen. Hugh Kendrick (Mr Frank Mordant),
rather OF Maryland's lover. One regiment of
his force Is commanded by Col. Fulton
Thorpe CMr. John E. kellerd), a former Off
Ger of the United States army. who, pre-
vious to the war. was driven from its ranks
by Alan Hendricks exposure of his dis
honorable methods. He Is now loyal to the
south, but is ostensibly in the employ of
the northern army as spy. A batch of
exchange federal prisoners reaches the
"L1iacs" on the march to the Union lines,
and among them is Alan Kendrick, who
thus meets Maryland She pleads with him
to abandon his fight against the south.
The plot thenceforth is worked out with
strong strokes. Young Kendrick refusing
to accede to her plea, saves the garrison at
Gainesville, and then returns to 1.-The
Lilacs" to see his sweetheart. where he is
captured and condemned by his father to
the death of spy. The father is killed in
battle, and Col. Thorpe, Alan's enemy, is
placed In position to save him. Maryland
appeals sr to him for aid and is repulsed.
There Is a dramatic. scene between Ken
drick, Thorpe and Maryland in a church,
after which the prisoner escapes. This is
really the climax of the play, and the final
act Is but a clearing up of the odds and
ends of the complications, at the conclusion
OF which the lovers are happily reunited.
MRS. Leslie Carter has never had so ex-
e seller, vehicle for her powers as an emo
tional actress as in 1.-The Heart of Mary
land She makes out of ordinary ma
terials striking character. Her personal
ity dominates the entire production. Even
Maurice Barrymore as the somewhat con-
ventional military hero is relegated to a
comparatively secondary position. Mrs.
Carriers powers are peculiar. She has been
unfortunate in the past, it may be, in not
finding just the opportunity that her friends
Rave claimed she should have before final
Judgment was passed upon her qualities.
While at times last evening she worked
perhaps bit too hard. there was not
really false note in her Interpretation of the
character Of Maryland. a woman of strong
feeling, torn between her love and her de-
votion to the cause, in which she conscien-
tiously believed That she surrendered to
velopment. Mr.. Barrymore was Just as
easy and graceful and strong as ever, and
shows that he has not deteriorated in the
past few years from the emirence among
actors that was most marked when he pro-
duced his famous impersona ton of Capt.
Swift. Mr.. John Kellerd was an ideal vii
lain, and his work at times was extremely
artistic. Mr.. Frank Mordaunt, as Gen.
kendrick, had difficult role, and one to
which he gave a strong distinct value.
Miss Helen Tracy enacted the role of dig
nit1ed southern matron in way that show
ed careful study. Miss Georgia Busby and
Miss Angela Macaull did we'll in the juven-
lie feminine parts. Others in the caste were
Mr.. Odell Williams, who as the comically
brutal provost sergeant was exceedingly
clever, and his comedy work was we'll bal
anced by that of Mr.. John w. Jennings as
the aged sexton. strong part was assign
ed to Mr.. Henry Weaver. jr.,as Tom Boone,
a rejected lover of Maryland, and he did his
work well.
In the pruning process that is inevitable,
Mr.. Belasco may have to make a complete
of the last three scenes, in
order to save the play from being subject
cut. AS it is, the last act is too tame in
comparison with its predecessors. The
scenery is beyond description. Mr.. Belasco
has in 1.-The Heart of Maryland a play
that, after slight revision,' will surely net
MIN both revenue and new reputation.
Magic, Mesmerism and Music.-Prof. Mar
kos at Odd Fellows Hall, 7th street be-
tween D and streets northwest, is enter
tainiEg nightly good crowds OF people by
his feats In legerdemain, mesmerism and
hypn otism. musical trio, the Williams
family, assists the professor in his per-
fcrmance and give musical act of high
order. They play on nearly every instru-
nent, and some of their music is excellent.
of program introducing some new and in
teresting novelties. Popular prices will
prevail.
Lafayette Square Theater.-Miss Ada
Rehan will occupy the boards at the Lafay-
cite Square Theater next week. Few artists
who come to the national capital are SO
popular as Miss Rehan. Added
to the stellar attraction, the house will be
in a much more complete state, the smaller
details being finished by that time, and the
whole will begin to take on the handsome
appearance that its projectors intended it
should. Miss Rehan has a strong company,
consisting of Augustin Days New York
aggregation, and will present the following
Love-" Tuesday, "school for Scandal"
Wednesday, Twelfth Night" Thursday,
LAS You Like IT, Friday night and Satur-
day matinee, Midsummer Nights Dream"
National Theater.-'The Founding will
he the attraction at the National Theater
next week. 1t is a three-act farce, and
packed Hoyt's Theater in New York for
nearly 200 nights last season. OF course,
the principal feature Of the show is Miss
Cissy Fitzgerald. 1t is said that she
dances even better and makes more friends
in 1.-The Founding than she did in the
"Ga.ety Girl" The farce was written by
the author of Jane and Is said to be an
Improvement on that popular comedy. A
curtain raiser, 1.-The Man Upstairs" one
act farce, will be given.
Aliens Grand Opera House.-Those who
remember with feelings of pleasure the en-
gagement of 1882" in this city recently,
will be happy to know that it will again
be seen at Aliens Grand Opera House
next week. There will be few changes,
but as whole the production will be about
the same. Marie Dressler will take the
part of Queen Elizabeth in the place of
Richard Harlow, but Walter Jones will re-
main the same king of tramps and king of
Spain that he was in the former presen-
tation.
Academy of Music.--Some plays never
grow old and never fail to please. One of
these is I'm Old kentucky which has
played to crowded houses in this city for
two seasons past. 1t will be the attraction
at the Academy next week. and will in
clude all it's original features, the pcka-
ninny band, the race scene the perilous
leap, the burning stable and heroic rescue.
hos ovr1v cd md 10