The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-28
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Sol smith Russell.

Sol Smith RusselPs art has simple and
abiding charm that has won for him a place
OF honor in the hearts Of all classes OF stage
lovers. The Russell hero is not hard to
describe. He Is an idealized character from
the common walks Of life. His main virtues
are noble sense OF honor and fearlessness
jim doing right. He Is charitable as the Good
Samaritan. blind to the faults and designs
OF others, and forgiving to the verge Of ag-
gravation. Such man in real life should
be provided with constant guardian. He
is green as county pumpkin and sure to
be swindled out of his years earnings every
time he comes to the city. He has all the
peaceful character of Quaker with none of
the Quaker's shrewdness. One cannot i'm
agine a Sol Smith Russell hero fighting a
duel on account of a woman or going to law
for damages against the man who has
cheated him in a horse trade. He Is mega
tive sort OF citizen, with no bad habits, no
temper. no physical beauty, no passion, no
style and nothing to win the appreciation of
his fellow-men. considered according to the
standard of modern society, excepting his
innocence and goodness Of heart He ought
to be the ideal of strong-minded, wealthy
and spirited maidens. for he is an ex-
act opposite. Such a hero is one of
the easiest drawn in fiction, for he
excites profound pity, and once pittied IL
Is easy enough for the novelist or the play
right to manufacture some lucky incident
that Will eventually reward the hero i'm pro-
portion to his great heart. but out of all pro-
environment. On the stage he is a great
character to triumph by luck, and the cur
tain falls on melodramatic scene of baffled
villainy. In real life he is more likely to
end his days In the poorhouse.
The double bill given at the Grand last
night by Mr. RusselPs fairly excellent COM
nroSaQfo6 m a of,, Of Due
sell. One was the old familiar. homely hero
In a new play called AN Everyday Man."
M its gentle comedy Strong w eao ueblg mt
season, but lacking the virile qualities of
some OF Mr.. Russelps older and better
known plays.
In the first act he is the everyday man.
methodical. painfully so, attentive to bust
ness. regular as clockwork, adoring his
herr. who showers upon her plain matter-of
fact husband all the love OF her girlish
heart. But the wife's family are not recon-
portunity of commiserating with her on
having a husband who Is too good Her
father arrives and adds his sympathy to
that or the rest. The young wife realizes
her John never had past and she begs her
husband to go away. TO see the world, to do
a milksop. In the second act. which is laid
In luxurious New York apartments the ev-
,eryday man is shown in a new light. He
and the pair successfully mislead the wife's
family into thinking the once exemnIarv
young man IS sowing his wild oats at ire
mendous rate. y halt is called by the reIa-
tives. who feel that the game is going too
far. But IL is OF no avail. The father-in-
the third act the prodlgal returns. II trans
pires that he has been merely shamming.
but the lesson proves good one. and the
relatives are content After rescuing his
wife's brother from exposure and disgrace
after settling matters straight at the bank
where he Is cashier and his father-in-law
joy the society of his wife. unmoiested by
her relatives.
The play is beautifully staged. the comedy
play Is domestic and funny. and the whole
was received with frequent demonstrations
or pleasure by an audience that nearly
filled the Grand.
The curtain raiser was an unexpected
treat from an artistic standpoint, and
shows Mr. Russell In one-act play that is
little more than monologue. There Is
only one other character. a negro servant.
In which that excellent actor George
Woodward. does not do himself Justice.
Mr.. Russell appears as old Mr. Valentine.
an almost palsied gentleman bachelor. who
walks erect with difficulty. 1t Is Christmas
eve. and for his own secret pleasure he
gives mimic dinner to a half dozen old
sweethearts or his youth. The table IL set
ana flowers are at the plates OF each i'm
aginary guest While reading over the
cards that are to be placed at the different
plates the whlte-haired old bachelor falls
into reverie and repeats the story OF his |
love anair with eech. In exquisite panto-
mime he receives mis- make-believe guests |
He pours the wine and drinks to them all. |
The childish pleasure OF the old lover. GAL |
liant and polite as a gentleman at a queens |
reception. Is touchingly portrayed. Sudden
ly ne wanders In his speech and falls dead |
with heart disease. In this short curtain
raiser Sol Smith Russell does the best bit |
OF acting one can recall ever having seen |
him do. Were IL not quite so brief and |
lacking In characters Mr.. Valentines |
take rank with Felix Morris's "Old Musi- |
clan"
Last nights bill VIII be repeated fo-mor- 1