The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-02-23
DRAMAS LAST NIGHT.
.uruoyT AVID SPIRUUALLsM Nv
s.RDoU,s LATEST PLAY.

nr il Enrlsh at the Knickerbocker Theatre
p~L.h, I. has two themes, matrtmony and
.-slsm. and it Is bold In its treatment
p..h I. |. especially explicit in its exhibit
49,, r,,s's tishonor, and that element In the
- 4. n A., kind with the common French adul-
w. sctiou Of book and stage. A rich young
p O-a ma. A loving husband. but he IL absorbed
~a-n,,s, pu-su.ts, and does not pay TO her
nN-.,n,,on which she desires. An adventures
.Ls pIa,, Of the husband with her, and she
p@ sI, in A c.-nal way. while his motive Is to
w.. her ,hat a divorce will set her free,
S'-rnn,n h, will obtain her fortune by
H@wLrs her. But there Is q mutual friend OF
~ h,.hapd and wife. and through his kindly
A.La-.nre they are reunited. IL will be seen
NV, s,riou took no pains to get away from the
&C Of his own and many other French
Nus. ,l,v, in this reassemblinx Of a sedate
s..na,d. A Maynard wife, a misleading lover
~,. uorariug friend. Nor did he devise any
~~..,,,Ilv new action with which TO ennoble or
. ,his matrimonial theme. He was con-
~, "a distinguish the subject by an unmiti-
-,.sIv Indecent scene. In which the wife and her
sS-mou- ar, shown In his chambers. after they
nave remained there secretly together a day and
.,rb, S,me of the meanings OF this episode are
- nrinflDlp, " TUt pay 'OhAoAh'u hceAAhs
-, II. old story Of c~oniugal infdelity, In
,n,sd and told in the familiar French manner.
a.. ,ork of Snr!our would be no far departure
s,m much that he and others have done before.
"a .-ou which This public has happily turned
"a more wholesomc matter.
pm, ,h.re i another theme in "Spiritismc."
,,d Il was that which impressed last
,,,ht. audience 81 deeply. Other playvrishts
vii now wonder why they were afraid to put
rirtualtsin into u drama. and will regret
mai they left it TO the Frenchmnn to make
an ~ssectna, use " the subject on the stage:
4 INIT harfly any one u them could have handled
n with thai sar,tOu 4kil which was essential TO
s~,n, 4, failure. The husband il a believer and
s,prrrnenter in the phenomena OF conimuuicn-
don between he living amt the dead; IL Is MS
shS,rution In that matter which renders
Nm Negligent Of his wife. and leaves her
N the aIlurpnents Of u scoundrei. She
sars o~stcnsibly on u railway journey. out really
rpfs hy agreement ~ her lover house. Mean
While a tahle.tipping seancr is being held by-her
husband. The raps spell out the word
aOnen" and when the mma is obeyed
M opening a window the glare OF n nre
saan. The station supposed TO contain the wife
ID burnei. That ends the 1rst act. The men
TONED exhibition ot the wife and lover together
IN the second act. But this act contains much
morr than that. and is a marvel OF theatric
ingrniiiy. the purpOrt OF which is that
while Tho wife j. not only deemed dead but
thai shN cannon EtNFlAA ufE1tlA a ~
out also cun.essing her shame. This compIi;
cauua s mad. IN yield several engrOsstng and
thrilling situations. Then comes the dnal act.
with he temperance OF The rppentant wife be-
fore The moarn.ns husband. He believes she Is
an apDsFitidn. a reincarnation. or what our
, American Spiritullists call a matcrta!ized spirit
They converse with each other, he never doubling
that she is dead, and she not daring TO tell him
She Is alive until after she has confessed her sin
and obtained his forgiveness. Then she throws
herself into his arms and be keeps her on his
hrpuqf fill the curtain fAlla-
In S1iritismr We nave a work thoroughly
Characteristic u -,lrtou in respect Ot both fault
and merit. He pads out his ideas, as he Is accus-
iomei 10, with conversations about spirttualisn
which, although pertinent, Are tircsomely long.
But when he has killed in that way oil
the tim, that must be done away with,
COUNT for it, tuu. value. That the
valnc which he thus realized from his novel and
striking sChenic amounts TO success was lndi-
aiet b" last night, audience, There was a
prat lea. Of applause. and. what WAS more
positive evidence, the signs or Intense in
EcrrsJ were plain during The passages in
4 tcadet. we're set forth. The subject matter was
sr-pted by this critical drst-night assemblage,
and 80 there can be No doubt thar many succeed-
ing housofuls or other people will 10 the
nns. The piece is well presented. IL was
written tor sarah Bernhard. and - the
role Of tho wife is the only feminine one
Of any account. Virginia Harmed played IL here.
with what al tines seemed a faithful attempt 70
initiate Bernhar-it's voice and action. Miss
ItEIl-l , VcItuEliltuIt IL nHt anu llFfIAlat
50 was that OF Nelson wheatcroft az
the husband. especially in the denote
ment q The mans earnest credultty in srper-
natlralsn. J, H. Gilmour was the advisory
friend. and Maurice Barrymore the seductive
lover. Two tisputints for and against the
genIineness u he occultism were acted
bury. such rompetents as Olive Oliver,
Erz Williams, Margaret Robinson, and
blAnch burton had small Incidental parts, which
shows how much was done for the venture by
MAKING IN excellent tsasf- The anon VmOua Enn-
nh translation was direct, u~nhackneyed, and
1 library.
A holiday audience and a good melodrama
made the American Theatre a scene ot uproar-
DuS enthusiasm for three hours last night. The
Spectators we're in the mood 10 enjoy. and the
play gave them the opportunity. There was no
4 CESSATION OF the favor with which the au-
esree received the progress OF the play and
psrd Higgins, the author. had good reason TO
onk when he came before the curtain ana faced
N American Theatre gallery in particularly dine
nue. This unique New York institution
wa IN nne form last night. IL accompanied
ue play with its overwhelming expressions
u opinion, which were fortunately Of .
favorable character last night. When Mr.. Hig-
GINS friends were enthusiastically calling for q
speech the gallery took the cue and yelled hard
nra spooch.' Il was a great night for the
gallery, and Il was ahort "a great a night for the
aatAor aud his play. At Piney Ridge
Tue audience found ample excuse for its en-
luAiasm in the melodramatic merits OF the new
p"s s well as in It's lighter phases. There
"en situations ingeniously contriyed out OF
Nel'Torn material. and there was comedy that
semea considerably tresher and OF a
Isher grade. An octoroon puts her own
1~ INTO the place OF a white baby
,hstsoG 70 her care, and she protects
Me fraudulent white one by declaring thar the
N ve Is me negro. This situation IL the central
sS sx me piay, amt out Of it Mr.. Higgins has
TA.l some highly effective complications
~ - sene OF the play ia laid in Tennessee, and he
tnoaa,s varlety ny A contrast OF the life OF the
~oanuineers with the comfort OF the towns. He
hs[ats throughout the simple genuinencss OF
HIM a ~ Win me refinement ~ the people about
! Man" ~ ne used his material with no resem-
thss,snult aciha!ity or life. hut with undoubted
d,%.lra' tHect. AZ Piney Ridge is melo-
Of Ma, Jus about the generally accepted sense
"nt work NJ ia class,
usr;, peatiornan'e was u a kind to reveal what
rugged me play had. Burr Mcintosh was a
4 gnI ~ a'lthsiiherr with a mine and a heart OF
sene ~ a Nv lhl some opportunity in every
nohai;t" ane play 10 reveal his generosity and
n " character, He was well fitted
N ~ every particular. and he was called
n ~ IL 10 only what he IL able 10 do best
NrEaaa b'rIohhi -loresR was complete, Mrs,
ortnrns canaan NtS artistic and powerful as tho
,hst An, = part full ~ difficulties. in view OF
not oni" s'"nn gallery, She kept IL, however,
nanl ~, Fl!rt. hug impressed. Vivian Ber'
anornns humorous, II exaggerated, as an
lhetra 'plh-ter, and Georgia Waldrou, as
s-'aleN mountain uirl n,tad With gorca ~