The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-09-28

tudes are familiar, has again essayed
the center Of the stage. He Is present.
ing a three-act play by Miss Coyne
Fletcher, entitled"The Bachelor Baby"
Upon the occasion of its initial produc-
tlon in Washington Monday night the
Post said:
The Bachelors BABY is frothy lit
tie comedy with an undercurrent of deeper
sentiment, one thoroughly strong dra.
matte situation, and u very ingenious. II
not altogether logical. climax. Briefly
told. the story Is this: Colonel Roder-ck
Darcy Mckee Rank.n) commands a
regiment at u solitary army post ON the
Pacific coast. Four years before the open,
Ing of the play he v,s,ts the east anu
wreck In which several persons are m
jured The wreckers place in his hands
u young girl who is badly injured and un-
conscious. He looks after her comfort.
and has the satisfaction of seeing her re-
cover sufficiently at the end OF four weeks
to be able to walk about on crutches.
The physicians declare she VIII be nope
he marries her. He sends her to Europe
to have the care of the best physicians,
and in her absence falls "A victim to the
wiles of another woman who proposes 10
make the best of her power. The adJu-
tant of the regiment Is Roderick DArcy
(S.dney Drew, his nephew. who is IN love
with the coloners ward. Geraldine (i.ss
Nance O.Ne:D. young girl who has just
the post designing and handsome wash
ington widow Mrs. Ponsonby Miss Anne
Leonardo. whose son ERNEST WalcotO Is
lieutenant in the regiment. Young Pon,
sonby, who Is scapegrace, has borrowed
5000 at San Francisco bank on mis-
mothers name. secured by property IN
New Jersey belonging to relative. the
bank discovers the fraud and notifies Mrs.
POnsonby that they have, out of consid-
Grafton for her name, extended payment
for thirty days. This furnishes a motive
in the play which prompts Mrs: Ponsonby
to conspire to secure Geraldine'S hand for
her son, knowing her to be an heiress.
The colonel however. refuses his consent.
and Mrs. Ponsonby Informs him that un.
less he withdraws his objections she VII
reveal to his invalid wife the story OF his
perfidy.
-:ll:-
About the same time Colonel Darcy
receives threatening letter from his
former inamorata demanding hush money.
The letter has remained unanswered four
weeks. owing to the coloners absence. He
make a confidant Of his nephew, Adjutant
Darcy, to whom he dscloses the fact
that while he did not or: ginally love his
wife he does so now with increased ardor.
and is in despair over the prospect OF his
lialson being disclosed to her. Here the
comedy sets in. A telegram, signed with
two initials. intended for Colonel D. D'Arcy.
is placed by mistake in his juniors hands.
announcing the coming OF baby by n
steamship from the east. Young Darcy
is IN COnlcdl despair, Dut Ilsihes Noii-
fldent of his brother officers. vow!ng that
he knows nothing Of the origin Of the mys-
terious baby. Mrs. Ponsonby resolves to
use the information to drive young
darcy out Of the field and leave Ger
aldne to her son. but Miss Breeze (Mrs,
Sidney Drew. a kind military MISS, dis
covers that the telegram s intended for
the colonel. 1t relieves young Darcy or a
serious predcament which might cost him
the hand of Geraldine. but It puts the
disgrace on his uncle. the colonel. The
Ponsonby brings matters to crisis by
arous:ng the wife's suspicious. and the
colonel is about TO disclose his guilt when
young Darcy, by hero!s act Of self
sacrifice, assumes the responsibility for
the baby, and at the same tine forfe.ts
Geraldine's hand. The rest Of the piece
mingled with a good deal Of humor. until
chance places in his hands the letter Of
the bank to Mrs. Ponsonby and she Is
made harmless. About this time the mys-
1t turns out that reference was had TO
Geraldine. who. instead of coming by
steamship, had come overland by rail.
without the knowledge of her friends IN
the east. And thus everything ends hap
ply
The play is presented by a strong COM
pany. Colonel Darcy was admirably por.
trayed by Mckee Rankin. The honors OF
the production, however, belong In the
first place to Mr.. and Mrs. Sidney Drew.
The latter's part Is that OF breezy west
ern girl, who ~ more at home in the bar
racks and on the prairies than In q parlor
"a girl, with a rich fund OF womanly sym
pathy and strong character force. Her
acting was admirable, being marked by q
vigorous and vivacious Interpretation OF
the comedy features of the role. Mr..
Drew's part Is one involving portrayal
of conflicting emotions. changing rapidly
from the gay to the grave, and from the
ludicrous to the intensely dramatic. 1t is
IL, h lob hoUran
versatility as an actor to present In such
striking contrast these exceedingly trying
lines Of diverging character.stics. II there
be weakness IN the play, It M Is rather dn. In the
which seems to be interpolated as so much
padding. without sufficient regard for the
stronger features Of the piece. The play
IS not without its conventional material,
ter at hand the novel with the conven-
tional 30 cleverly assim.lated In the
whole, and besides, the parts are SO well
taken and the stage management @ ey;denc-
lor's Baby must be pronounced success,
a credit to the modest author and to the
artistic abilities Of those who are called
upon to present it,"
.--:Il:-
Apropos Of the complaint that Sir
Henry Irving was not forced to pay a
tax on the scenic paraphernalia he
brings to this country, Eugene Field
writes: "When we consider what Irv-
ing has done for dramatic art In this
country, we think he should be accord
ed every privilege. 1t was he who gave
our public to know that the drama
could be mounted handsomely. Before
he came here our great actors had been
in the habit Of going about with two
or three shabby old stage sets. ridicu-
lously seedy costumes and absurdly In
efficient companies. 1t took just one
season of Henry Irving to change all
that. Then Edwin Booth and Lawrence
Barrett got together and gave prac-
tical recognition of the fact that the
public was no longer to be imposed
upon with shiftless performances. 9th
er managers followed suit; there was
an immediate elevation OF the standard
OF dramatic art. The fossils were rele-
gated to obscurity, and the wretched
old stage. scenery and costumes were
packed off to the kindling yards and
Junk shops. Henry Irving's first sea-
son In America marked an epoch for
which the public and the profession
should be heartily grateful"
-.O:-
Very pleasant words greet Nat Good
wins production Of Henry Guy Carle-
toms play, "A Gilded Fool" Vance
Thompson writes Of It: ''The role Of
Chauncey Short is one that fits this
actor uncommonly well. 1t furnishes a
logical background for many Of his per-
sonal pecuJlarities; 1t excuses his rather
coarse manner; 1t even lends itself to
the 'gagging' habit OF the variety stage.
which Mr.. Goodwin has not wholly
abandoned. There Is not dull mo-
ment when he Is on the stage. He es-
tabllshes a sort of CHEEKY familiarity
with his audience In the first act which
he maintains ur'oroken to the end. And
while his art Is not without an ele-
ment of clownishness, It Is real, sincere.
admirably human. Distinctly Ameri-
can, as we'll. Mr.. Goodwin has an alto
getN1er delightful intimacy with the
comedy of American life--life Of the
street corner and the hotel barroom,
comedy Of the thousand and one activi-