Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-04-14
PLAYS AND PLAYERS.
Gam. Reflections on IOsen's "GA0Sls
sud Coodalrs 1.-TWO Col0nelS
,.u,s TO M sung THIS WEEK
The Tyroic"n "ue'"
Wight, 20 lie roii"we" '"'
Two Evenings by "'""
~, the chimes of NORMANDY

,. q. ,bc aec Of sociology; It's CEN
go, achievement has been the i''0'''''. -
W, ,,cial laws. This predominant %
'.,,,-y the restless rapidly OF n'o QUIZ
y. ,bo omnlpresence Of maisFi"' az
..',,. ssllv accounts Tor the spe'''i 1." O..
''''1' ,-,sern literature. Literature 70
20 longer booldsh,' but praeu'"'' d
,.~,,orandlst. II IS full Of i'e' '''
a.spsrsive. analytic. erraue ''''' 90
taUty" -, t.,e,and's
-,af,,yi,g thinkers, NJ. Ffc'ei''"
U.,,,,,n and n you bat inierPo''.o .' 20
vor8 dramatic" before 'I'''"'''' ", ,be
ann no the modern ien1e''' s,gb
So. hay. last h'i down " - ,,.
-, t,r,n's play. Ghosts anu -,
I''''~ -, ~ opegcnerat.o" h''
o D.. ,ss throat all modern mann
eI''.. 80. know that these DC
i''''''.''' ...fs rsr bonny spriHs' Out
49,. ,~t.. n the play c.'''''y a. -
,-..,.I and written IS q"''' ~, -
'...,. Fl, Max Nof''1' N"''V
-., r.ss~ aal "P1radoAes' you
....-,ts-. u. are al "pegeneraies'
,-.r forms is degenerate and he
,...,r.r Eas.tu Swinburne
r...- S.- Peaion. Maeterlnck'
-. ,,..,er Bsrlcaire Victor Hugo
v,r Um,mn Tolstoi. Zola. Nerlaine'
,r...~.r. Tatcrt. DE Maupassant Nal
I....e f.-.- Pee. in fact. all the gods OF
-...-.... .Imre 10 one contemptuous
t.r.~.." psE.r.fa,cs.
4,...... .sI. lys,erieal. all holf-mad; our
,..- ..o1ed. nerves eaten into, and con
..,r.t ue delight in the brutal the
.....tr.Ioel. the morbid IN art Why.
.......5 Wait whitman was nothing but
r.-f.-fic tramp" whose sclf-COnsciOus-
,... MAS enormously developed. As for
1.r. ho isl tba perfect type Of the e 70
.r...f ln letters. Ia these latter days
f. rnlf. dr8matist. and standard
il.rer of anarchy is Henrik Ibsen. tie
ls succeeded 20 The double crown Of
Wagner and Victor Hugo. The stage has
l...ue h.s kingdom, on which modern
Ifot.ms. finding q voice through the
sr.lk.ug trumpet Of his personages. hurry
forward and declaim with a vehcmence
l14 a repetition OF the same ideas that
reveal 20 as their origin.
Ibscn Is before ALL thinks a skilful play
wright. bringing his incidents 10 a focus
nul Fastening the catastrophe which
events have prepared az though he would
restore the unities Of Aristotle In a dozen
sentences be can paint a situation. with
Uu its touches Of feeling. and lively pOr-
uaiture Of the persons concerned.
'fr. Richard GoodaH Is coming TO the
front very rapidly, ana l am glad Of IL.
for he Is a healthy, CHEEKY. manly dra-
fvaflaf IA vsrffgg qfFQrtxr aud with hoo rf.
he Is so fun OF life so enamored with the
mere Joy OF living. that he is a little too
boistericus at times. His animal spirits
carry him away. and he IS apt 10 KICK over
the traces But that Is a fault easily to
lie forgiven IN this bored and base and
jaundiced age, when for the most part
our authors write like miserable. little,
wizened old men. and pose as sixth Ave
nue. Noltsiresl These sickly and / regret
20 say 70 me personally sickening little
old-young gentlemen, have fallen foul Of
manly. boyish. natural young Richard
Goodall because he has written a pretty
little play called "The Two Colonels."
which does not dsdain sentiment. The
work Is a little crude I'm composition
and somewhat struggling In design, but
the boy who could write that play has his
heart IN the righ; place, and he Is not
ashamed 20 speak with his enemies at
the gate" These little old men" have
squir.ed at poor Richard GoodalI their
acrh and acid a,Id vonomOus juices,
they have babblc1 % him about "senti-
mcuf " and convention and the drama
al day before yesterday" and they viii
probably beg him 10 bring his play "up
10 date" 10 poison his heroine. TO as
phyXiafe HIS lover, and will urge him 10
put a pistol in the hands Of hts villain
and bespattcr tho drawing-room carpet
with his brains; hut good. honest Mr..
Goodal. do not listen 20 the voice of the
charmcrs. charm they never so wisely
You are on the right track Mr. Goodan
believe me; you are on the right track
The women are with YOU. and the women
are the real Influence OF the playhouse
The people are with you. and the people
Will never desert you n YOU delight them
Go on. young author. buoyed up by youth
and the best ~ youths assisiants-faith.
Write your honest touching 'ittle plays
Believe In homes y-belicve in loyalty 10
women. Take up your Browning and
read
God be thanked, the meanest Of his
creatures.
Boasts two soul-sides-one 20 face the
world with.
One 10 show woman when he loves
her.
You Will write n far better play than
1.-THE Two Colonies" by and by But
don't be disheartcned bv these dreadful
little old mannllSins. who would poison
your enthusiasm and reverence. You are
doing well. and viii DO better. Meanwhile
IN the words OF the old. dreadfully con-
Vcntional theatrical cry. bravo. Goodallw
II IS impossible to form any correct
opinion Of the number OF workmen and
employees Of one class or another. who
are nightly hard AZ work upon the stage
for a large theatre unless an evening be
spent behind the scenes. And In several
respects an evening so spent can he more
entertaining and instructive than If it
were spent In front Of tho footlights. The
stage. directly the curtain has finally
fallen upon an act becomes at once
scene OF hustle. and actively. suggesting
the comparison Of some huge ants nest
Confusion appears 10 reign supreme. but
Il soon becomes evident that a discipline
prevails. for every one Of the men and WOO
men rushing about is eng gc1 IN some
duty, and Is paying strict attention 10 his
or her own business. The army OF stage
carpenters are pulling down the scenery
or the last act and putting together the
scenery OF another and 10 the novice their
work Is worth watching. 1t 81 dangerous to
stand I'm their way. for they are so intent
on their work that they appear % be as
needless Of any obstacle or person IN
their path as a herd OF stampeding buff
faloes. Prima donna or chorus-girl. lead
inc tenor or super, manager or call-boy--
It's all the same they have 10 jump with
ahcrity before the rush OF the scene
shitters with the burdens and their occa-
si0Ial warning cry. 1t Is most interest |
Ing 90 watch the way In which a scene is |
pulled 90 pieces and each separate part |
carefully slowed away in the place al !
lotted for II, and 20 note the way in which |
The new scene grows bit by bit !
with rapidiiy which appears marvellous
when the labor 10 necessitates : fully app
Irec'aied. The men in their shirt-sleeves.
with the perspirauon pouring n their
faces. appear TO be engaged in fitting to-
reiher against time the pieces OF some
uFc puzzle Of the kind that children play
WITH. wherein maps and pictures have 10
'e made by correctly Joining sundry fan
tlly-shaped and oddly-colored b ocks
li wood, only here each separate Iiece
ih.i, td OF being a few inches square, Is
,' large that several men are required TO
handle H. The whole tnlng has been so
wen rehearsed. however that there Is no
hJch, and. as though by some magical |
influence, town, with It's streets, qusys.
ana msrket-placc has disappeared, and in |
US place Is moated castle with lung sons |
ana dfaWhridges. all complete or lady's |
'oIdoir' handsomely furnished. md with
4 lawn stretch no .usaN tou...,g. 81. A. |