New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-01-22
THE DRAMA-MUSIC.
MIR. CRANE IN A NEW PLAY.

THE GONERNOR OF KENTUCKY"
Afr Cranes re-entrance accomplished last
night amid general rejoicing, at the Fifth Avenue
rhsatre. and a new play called THE Governor of
ventuckv" by Mr.. Franklin Fyles successfully
launched upon the tide of public favor. Mr. Crane
was in excellent FORM and his vigorous embodiment
If a shrewd, kindly, energetic. humorous Western
noitican was marked with the authority character
stc of a distinct ideal clearly and adequately
n-cssod The part is sympathetic. and the pubic
cain in Mr. Cranes Interpretation of ii is the pleas
nre of seeing a favorite actor in most agreeable
uoht The framework OF the pay Is exceedingly
fragile but there is pleasing ingenuity in OF
,be expedients devised by the author the con-
duci of his plot The mechanism of the forgery OF
the Governors sgnatu:e.--a crime .ha; appears TO
have been committed by the heroine's father where
a. Il only attempted by him, in an hour of
terrible temptation and of mental derange. and
,uaiv was accomplished by another hands, notably
felcitous 4 stroke of invention The of twin
maidens. confuse and perpleX an oversusceptihle
and rather tickle wooer, who. for time cannot
distinguish chariner from the other is likewise
clever fooling, and If not in artistic prn-
cp.e ('Three and the Deuce was written many
years ago.. Is certainly very funny. Such a device,
TO he belongs not to comedy. bu; 10 farceand
most OF this play farclcai
A comedy is understood to be a picture Of man
ners. slightly exaggerated and made sprghuy and
brilliant by equivoke and Wit No such manners
exist anywhere depicted in The Governor
OF Kentucky, nor is any phase Of society displayed
in it that should be deemed representative OF Ameri-
can life. The character of the politician. whether
viewed vrtuOus vicious, is crudely treated
as practically TO be efTaced. There never could be
quite such clumsy rascal Nh HiX nor quite
such fool Mr. Esbrooke; and the Governor is
a politician only in name. There IS no need, how
ever. 20 consider these things too curiousy. The
American play, = rule. IS not written sponiane-
ously by d dramatic master intent on rejecting
the manners of his time. and crystallizng actual
men and women Of America into ideal images, FOR
the exemplary delight of the age: ii is made TO
fit actor. and II is intended "for Cowes and
market" Mr.. Crane has been well fitted by the
adroit write. as '"rhe Governor of Kentucky.
He repeis knave in act first; he is. by a most
clumsy device. placed in a trying position in act
second; he resolves to sacrifice himself in act thiro
and takes the necessary steps 10 that emu; ana ne
is INDICATED and made happy in act fourth. MIR.
Crane has been widely extolled for his personAtion
the Governor. 1t is much the same personality.
ed In it-for the Governor is unG0nsclo9Sy ID toVe
with the girl whom he maniuily ana maghani-
mousiy protects from naTm ana srf, t 9mI a ,nS
tenderness he can indicate the growth OIL aiiec'ioh
Many little traits of ccccntrcity infused into
the embodiment to give it zest. and the comedians
of He drocry you deserve to be kissed
says the heroine. by all the girls in Chrsiendom
in ChristendOm?" the Governor But why
exclude the heathen?' The play might. perhaps, be
for , iSmG FIRST Wo sr o. The RECEPTION
accorded TO il was exceedingly cordial. Mr. Burr
Mcintosh as epsodica distiller Of moonshine
whiskey. had great applause MI. b9ag, as a
modern Henry Clay. was much admired Ihese, anu
others in the piece have no essential relation
0 but are Shakespeare says, like fringe TO "a
petticoat" Miss Annie . Nein.-ingenuous, gentle
and sweet.-gave a winning portrayal OF blooming
erihood Mr. Edwin Arden presented the ,e meo-
dramatic rascal in a mood OF transparent NilanE-
which seems to have been intended. but when is
quite contrary to nature Mr.. Joseph WheeloGk, vi
was apt easy ana happy as an ardent but bewdered
su,tor and Mr.. LOrimer Stoddard and MISS Maria
Abbott contributed traits of character ahd moments
of nrth to a frolicsome episode. here and there, as
The drama proceeded. Dramatic literature mas not
gained ANYTHING by this production but its clever
ness as theatrical eNpedient VIII be reGoghizeu
unon all sides. Mr.. Crane has made another per,
sonal success. He seemed less anxious than usua
10 make points and more willing 10 allow the char-
acter 10 take OF itself