The morning times., 1896-03-31
lEHDA An ADDED LAUREL
SOthern Wins New HauOrs in
the Romantic Play.
ADA REHAN In A NEW PART
''riie Countess Zucki' Seen Here for
the First Tinie-.A woman of
War" and His Absent Son" Two
Fresh Bills, While Stoddard He
gins His Lectures.

Last night brought splendid reward for
patience. Though II long time in coming
for Washingtoa's delectaiion and Wash
ington's approval, r. Fl. SOthern is finally
here with the much seen, much discussed
ana much admired Prisoner or ZCnda.''
Appreciation of the actor and his COM
pany was already with us In the memory
of other productions and as the fame of
his latest success had long been on every
ones tongue he was In a way served with
ready-madc triumph. Every one went
TO the New National, TInater Hast evening
with the idea that they were TO see some
thing absorhiDgly Interesting. Sumptuously
beautiful ana artisticaily performed. There
was no disappointment. Criticism Is, 10
be sure, 4 matter OF opinion, anu eacn
mans taste, like ms watch, is ike no
other mans, yet there was last night
probably more unanimity OF taste tlIan
timepieceS.
The aramatiZation of Anthony Hopes
novel has beeu cleverIy done. Though IN
book form it presented elements or action,
sentiment, color and ingenuity OF plot
that Commended IL to the reconStrucung
pen OF a pla wright, yet there were
obstacles OF iniproDaoiiity, sketcny acceS-
sOries. quick transitions III point OF time
snd place that had TO be overcome Ed
wara Rose has built out the depreSSiOTs,
unified the locality, centralized the Incl
dents ana given pausiolhty 10 the story
with skill.
Incrc Is no necessity of repeating story
wnIcn Il as Iaminar as " Robinson Crusoe'
or ''Triby.' The book IL adhered 10 III
the main. There Is an original prologue,
merely suggested by line or TWO III the
opt-mng Cuapier. 1t acrs tne IncldeGt ot the
Tivalry httwcen the hel Eiptbefg anst the
Back Eipgh,rg - years before tnc main
story II is tne best act III the piay y. III
Eact ana introduces a FeniaFKaoie uuei
Zenda and introduces thc ehareCters aud
preseAts the lncldent OF EH0oiph hasSea-
uyil consentng 10 act III tie lii4ct OF the
klng. Act tWO Is a gorgeous picture OF
tie interior or the paiaCS at StreSlau
on thetiay or the corona uton. Tine fIieclIYc-
ness Of tHe brilliant scene can scarcely bc
described. TIE third act carries the Story
along i'll the castle OF 1arIenheini, sug-
gested by the quotation The King can 90
no wrong
Finally IN the last act Is shown the prison
OF Zenua and there transplres oil that
Anthony Hope describes - NIYloly ieaping
up 10 the victorious oenouement.
II you die not catch the spirit OF tine play
ii must have gone hard, iOr The Prisoner
OF Zynda'' * d GI1eTenU sort OF kiCj-giOved
gentleman TrDm those vino have amGled
the boafas m the society plays. Society
III Zenda was, at the petiou OF this story,
tremendously active. There was 10 luie
| 10 discuss, otily to do and love in doing.
To onc who catches the temperament OF the
drama 1t Is everything de>lTab able-brllll1nt
detail, tragic ia incident, humorous in
episode, tender III love, FIrIle Ia Joucn,
YIYacIous ~ movement, artistic in entirety
ana manifestlY rnpiObable. yet with
! barely enOusn Oh Possibility To gave Il
piausIi.j;ity. In us,t!Ty . ii tIGS stOr y
There are al the elementary passions OF
| love, hate, lcar, .eaioESy, 81 the heroic
| virtues or Caring, hrdErTY ana s;gCTlfiCc,
| al the faIniilaF people. The loYtIy princess,
| tisr wiched Uuke, Tie sacIIfit it-iHg HetO wIthd
| tender heart and strong arm Tor vaiiant
deeds, the cTaTty purifiers who pot in the
tdTk knights ana iaulte, There. are promises,
| durls, rcsCu,-s. death dud virtGOuS triumph.
ihe star IiIs cone nothing better than iiis
| triple role OF ancestor, LCnucmih oi leisure
! ana king OF mysterious kuSlanl1. In
| evolving his versatility Mr. Sutncrn has
| FeaHZeu usually only on enc Te>chrte, his
uucqualeu capacity iOT tt tuNtf ipNc-fta hlfE.
! Thai seems 90 hitye lcru pac ann ana end
oI ali the u, lIiCT pli - wtiC rNPioit7i tiis
| genial young artist.
| IuC!s.Cntatfy ht has it cn eruil, nan or
| the WoTig, - country swain Win u fortune
| thrust UEUn him. sOiuiCr, a tdTitstcr, u
| draDIutiZed dramati-J aud hair dozen
| other pCupIc, hut CUiy Incidentally and to
| show Iust now lclSurclY, or rustic, or
| should make ovc. As sheridan 1t was
| discovered he was rlCtuiesq M pOWuer
! ana silk and fought an uncommon good
! ducl. Now in hisIatcst success MI; Sothern
! is discovered III all his possibilities Us
| picturesque, heroic, lighting, ardent lover
| so long have the nucsp%imembeTs OF MIR.
| SOthen's company been associated with
! nIm tnaU JEey 2fc cutie as fdmlidr ds
| is he. Rowland BGCkStone rs the fiery
| Sapl made up IN imitation OF BisIna rex anu
| buried his INDIVIDUALITY as cf1ccuYely is
usual IN the peTsomtllty or the character
| ass umed. Arthur Lawrence gave strong
| performance OF Black Michael Howard
| could was handsome as fritZ Y en- Iaricn-
| helm. Morton SeGton and Daniel Jarrett
| were respectively the familiar HeutZau and
| Detcharsi, and sam Sothern pla yed bertraIn
| Bertrand, IA character Intcrroiated by TIE
| dramatiSt. Grace Kimball was pretty and
| sweet as the Princess flav1a ami Marie ID.
i Shot wa smeIo odrama tic aud ellureSsed
| as the adventurous Antonette de Mauban.
| In the long ca ast there were many other
| characters pla yed by such IavoTltes as Kate
| PattisOn-Selton and {. l.. FlOctOn and
other competent players
| The scenery was elaborate eandpiCturesque,
the costumes were very hanusome and
| followed the Imperial German pattern M
| the Rusitanian court scene.
Miss Ada Rehan and her companion play
| ers under the direction of Mr. i ugusf IN
| Daly Ia st night produced one uf the successes
| OF the recent season at Days Thcater,
| The Countess Gucki, Il play from the-Ger.
| man original of Franz Won SChonthan. The
| play was dedicated To Miss kehan and the
| English Of 1t has been made by Mr. Daily
| Many prominent people. among them Pres
| ident Cleveland and party, Secretary and
| Mrs. Carlisle and Mir. Reed and party, were
| at the Lafayette Square Opera House
| Many others were there who are seldom seen
| at the theater; indeed, rarely, except fUI
the coming of the DAILY company ana Mis-:
| Rehan in their delightful repertoire.
There is nothing so ike the Daily roper.
| toire as the Daily clientele. Both have at
| mosphere, each is so distinctly correct and
well bred, the play is usually Inoffensivcly
| discreet and attractlVely artistic and the
| audience which finds potency in the tails
| manic Daly-Rehan trademark Is alway;
| apDFeCiatiyely en- rapport. There is an ali
| oI assurance and an atmosphere of security
in tltpSS mr.
which are not delicate. opinion which !;
| not correct, appreciation which Is rot cul
tivated. Through many transitions of
| popular taste, Which is always vacilatine
and apt to be sensational. if not vulgar
III the face Of concession on the part OF mama
gers who worship at the high altar OF art
| only for the sake Of the revenue and desert il
| when the revenue ceases. Mr.. AuE,llStiI
| Daily has held himself devoted TO high ane
right standard. Thus, while he usually
| finds himself out of touch with popular taste
he is always not only in touch with but
generally the standard Of, correct taste
MIR Daily has artistic integrity and there
are a sufficient number OF men and womef
who recognize it To establish limth mentor
OF a very exclusive clientele.
The Countess Gucki'' is Il spirited dainty
trifie. 1t is threaded by feeble plot
scarcely more or less than a little game ol
wits betISeen handsome young ri Ike, one
Won Neuhoff, and a fascinating widow
who retains her Charms and facility il
manipulating them, one Countess Trachan
known to a familiar few as the Counties:
Gucki. There is a pair OF childish lover:
and a pair of comic old people and &
Russian general to complete the little group
The comedy is artless as the trail OF al
ivy, but as exquisite in the artistic detail
of every part and artful as Il whole WheI
it is ali over you have no idea OF what has
happened except THAT you have been amused
have seen a number of people of interest
ing character and everything has been very
pleasant. To thS canons of dramatic con
struction and production the play has {
rather poor account OF itself TO give bu
l Iirrl,E .il,tht I.Ar