New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-19
THE DRAMA.
CUMBERLAND 81"

-. s little danger that the new play which
,rsssnted at the Fourteenth Street Theatre
W" tight will not please the audiences which
~ customed to that house No implication is
"aaa that II could please no other audiences
u .. melodramatc in type. and therefore 1t Is
- "a the usually expressed taste of the fire.
~ s,.rs OF the theatre but the stirring incidents
..s which II abounds are defty introduced and
sa,sa and they have an effect tina, is far beyond
60, NJ tho noisy claptrap which is often EN-
'a" ".a 70 blind and deafen an audience 10 the
p...rce OF dramatic action and incident II one
20. 70 search for structural fault in the play.
.'s.sa II would he soonest found In the over
,a,,e OF the scenes with prodigaty of Incl
.'., which scarcely left the spectator time TO
uas~,and one before his attention demanded
sor another
4. rather curious that in the exhaustive search
a., always goes on for theatrical material, 40
s.,a use has ever been made OF subject of such
"sy,ous possibilities the feud Of the Kentucky
.,r,a,neers Corsica has been resorted 10 for its
..dstta but the more vitality interesting subject,
,..suse nearer home has been neglected. Posi-
y, Il was because 1t was easier 10 guess about
r.,,,ca than 20 know about Kentucky. The oms
a., hitherto Is fortunate however. for the author
= cumberland 81" Franklin Fyles for II let
Vim an open red IN which to reap extensive
Aramatic crop. whlch ne couiu oier 10 MS pdoHc
.,ssh and untr.ed.
with the prodigality which has already been
..r,,oned Mr.. Fyles added war 20 his feud. by
,v Of supplying incident. finding this. perhaps.
So, .o,,est obstacle with which he could success
,,v oppose the too headlong mpetuosity Of his
.oracters when ne had once set them against
o,h.r In the characteristic struggle Of their
rn.rv For the war Is really made 10 check.
.,ber than 10 promote the ferceness o. the enc
r.. though they fighting on different sides in
.,s nubllc as we'll "a In the private quarrel War
:, least has laws and the feud has
/, company Of exceptional ability Is engaged in
,,erpre,ing Mr.. Fyles's play. W. j. Ferguson. in
mart that was almost always superfuous to the
,,;on made himself attractive and charming
through his mastery of comic methods and his
dsrshtful accomplishment actor. The force
=, the vendetta lived within Benner Ainslev. who
"a. ,n,person ted bv c. G. Craig in a manner that
made him seem almost possible to Northerners.
-bo DO not readily understand such a man. Edgar
= davenport Lionel barrymore and John f. Kel-
.-d were forceful young fellows. frst as West
po,p, cadets and then as Army officers.
u,ss Florence Rockwell was the daughter OF the
,,ountaineer loved by his enemy and she bore the
.,, with much grace and sweetness and. for 80
youne an actress, not without evidences Of ex-
r.r,snce Miss Amelia Summerville was not seen
- much as the audience would have liked. Her
mart was slender in opportunities for one who was
"A ready and able 10 improve them. But, IN spite
~ that. she at leas. made a commendable show OF
youth and beauty compared with her daughter
The play was staged with great care and with
most excellent effect The picture OF burning
forest and bridge was presented with uncommon
rsalness and those spectators VINO expect a meio-
drama TO have a startling mechanical contrivance
Of some kind at the end of the last act but one
Wy IN 20 Northumberland 81" was this