Kansas City daily journal., 1896-12-18
MUSIC AND THE DRAMA.


1t Is an interesting fact that three of
the most popular comedians of the Amer
lean stage are this season Offering new
plays by women. Mr.. Crane is playing
Martha Morton's "A Fool of Fortune" Mr..
Russell is confining himself to the same
authors "A Bachelors Romance" and Mr.
Goodwin has found happy medium for
his particular style of comedy in Madeline
Lucette-Ryley's IAN American Citizen"
as seen at the Auditorium last night by a
large audience. Considering the general
disadvantage that women not of the the
atrical profession have in acquiring prac-
teal knowledge of the workings of the
stage, it is rather remarka BILE how numer-
ously and successfully they have taken up
the work of play writing during the past
half dozen years. Play writing, like act
ing holds out equal inducements to men
and women.
Mrs. Ryley has shown herself to be one
of the cleverest of women dramatists
Her christopher, Jr.'' was presented here
by John Drew and will be remembered as
a particularly bright and entertaining COM
edy. In AN American Citizen" she has
manifestly written for Mr.. Goodwin, and
the play has only one really strong part
with Il fairly good second character and II
number of minor roles that are well han
died, but never obtrusive. The comedy is
wei designed for Mr. Goodwin's purposes
The popular comedian appears as a Young
American who marries an English cousin
as a matter of convenience to both, the
former helping himself out of serious pc
cuniary difficulties and scandal and the
latter defeating the unreasonable condi-
tions of a fathers will by the match
each fully understanding the purposes of
the other in conseRting to the union and
both agreeing to live apart on the acquired
fortune. The first meeting and the mar
riaSe take place within an hour. and as
may be guessed the theme of the plav is n
courtShip after marriage. This courtship
is attended by some MISUNDERSTANDING
and some embarrassments and brings
about very amusing situations. The first
scene is laid in America. the second and
third at Nice and the fourth near London
! The leading characters are rather bright
and their progress is followed with in
terest. If there is nothing that denotes su-
perioritN. there is likewise much that is
original and nothing that is commonplace
II iS Il good play. Some of the situations
are ingenious. even If a few of them are in
consistent. When Beresford Cruger finds
himself accidentally assigned to his wifc's
apartments at the Hotel Grand Bretagne
the wife is greatly shocked. the husband
embarrassed and both shudder at the pos
sibiiity of a scandal. He remains. however
and almost every other woman of the play
calls upon him at pleasure without n sug-
gestion of the violations of propreties
The last act is the least worthy of the
four. and rs 1t would take so little to make
a spirited adjustment of the story at the
end of the third act, it seems n pity that a
conclusion was not brought about at that
point This is especially to he desired as
the play is a bit long.
Mrs. Ryley seemed to realize the neces-
sity of supplying Mr.. Goodwin with a
wordly-wise character. She has supplied
Beresford Cruger with flirtatious teuden-
cies and the opportunities to indulge them.
and has seen to it that he gets cocktails
and brandy-and-sodas when he wants
them and. following out the necessities of
such a course, she has evidently given
much careful thought to the diagnosis of
that manly indisposition known as "a
head" Mr.. Goodwin meets the diagnosis
with those realistic symptoms so well re-
membered from the first act of "A Gilded
Fool
Miss Maxine Elliott. the stunning beauty
who became Mr.. Goodwin's leading woman
just prior to the comedians departure for