The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-01-06
AFFAIRS OF THE THEATRE.
.v .DVENTURE OF SH " US
'n,npJyS SNOWY ~ a NEW PLAY.

.sh,mu, O'Brieb,' a. tho broadway Theatre
60, ,,cht. before the usual exhibits OF an
,..h melodrama were In evidence. The stage
t,d been filed with peasantry, brandishing
.h1Ielahs against u company OF relocated
"',I.h so,dicrs who cam to search a cot
,..o for a patriot r-sbel, on whose head a
..ico had been set. The elbow had shown him
VI a,a brave broth OF a boy. A saucy colleen
.,d started in a Irritation with an Impressions
A.. rnsl,.h officer. village priest had invited
49,. ,,tl.hloncrs to take n potheen with him. A
'%LriLinr in,ormor had begun his detestnble
wors.
n,ber familiar conditions OF an Irish play had
. c.iahlished preparatory to a theatrical
ulr.iratinn OF that talo which lie Fanu told In
80 hat have long bcch the Joy and pride
~ the amateur elocutionist OF the con-
1snr.tion aud escape of Shamus o'Brien.
h,ro Of the Ballyhanuis Hills in
,ns Thenccrorward, the drama went along on
.onally conventional lines. The author. George
II ,Iessop, had felt no necessity to experi-
,r,,, with novelty. He had devoted his first
ac, TO tho pursuit and capture of the
,.b.l. the second TO prison scenes connected
Win his court. martial and q grievous parting
Wei, by mis- relatives. and tho fourth to his
..r.pe from the hangman through the aid OF
an. nrlest and his own boldness. In accordance
with the old story. Although there was hardly
anew word or motion In the piece, 1t was not a
had work, and 1t served its purpose very we'll.
Tn, purpose which Mr.. Jessop's writings
..,yod was that VI an Irish drama set to music
by c. Vilicrs stanford. an English COM
uo,er and instructor. lie has contributed u very
l.-se quantity Of music to "Shamus O'Brien."
ahot "n''" ..,..,",,a .na ~. 49,. ~
"h"" - .... ... m
No " t.
Al" . 80. ,..ir u.ni,as,sn.
anu -. ..nn..s |. -, ~,
tnouE"N w "onsdsnt Judgment as To- IN,
success or failure of the play here could
be based on inc neuav,or OF nst
m.rnssIIv .sssmblage. and disposed TO applaud
everything that It saw or heard. The manner
~ the production deserved admirsti9n N many
rsspeSss the eompSny iust,aed their Impor.
tation.
Joseph oMara. who PLAYED the intormer;
gave "" SAM his songs 40 .pre,siyeiy' and
imbued il al with such grim humor that even
the gallery failed 70 PISS him. ana the parquet
appaG s n,sniiinan inn.rsonated tho harm
n . big. manly way. and commanded
considerable favor; hsginaid honerts Was
The tenor britlsn omcer; Al u; Iunn'ng-
eonrato vile OF the nero. ana Carr shaw.
the Soprano colleen, and these Tour were
Ordinarly agreeable singers. There was a
lack Of feminine comeliness TO complain
, III We S., SSmS snd c sSsIs,p,hT o of oa,r 9ie 81 u Pei.
ne-s, the chorus women being remarkably III
favored. shsmns OBrien" may DC set down
neither rise TO brilliant success nor iall TO any
talns IKE duH iaHute.
Iohn Hare's case and polish are as apparen, In
The Hobby Horse" the Plnero play, as in the
,,h., ass,ormoro.. r.. h.s 49, h.,. II.
oiher performances he mas E''eh here' He
shows no especial breadth of method nor 10 he
a., ,,,nr who oouId ever mak, tho force NJ nj.
."e..,a - .um.. 80. .on..I.ans
personality or temperament more conspicuous
than Ms technique, which Is seemingly perfect,
,Nt y - - -
h!asharei IN inc hoooy horse : not large
aud in the second act he appears only a few mo-
me"'s' ~ 40 :. neH'o "
drama TINS Is true not"l'hs'ahulhg the iact
nan, Of .c,ors 10 mi, country and m. per.
...e, "rs. ryohh~ H.. a. ,,.-a,.LI.
"",as.s soa ,.a"sd Cn,r,.. ca. ~ ,Sa ra,s
r NJ =. dIs,.,u,.hl, ,oosev pIavin0 ON tho rsak.
80 - rm.aa a.. 49,. ,u awsa,,..
ness OF spencer Je'"Bh ior the 'uri' emoou'es
completely one of the figures supposedly n part
of English sporting life. lie gave JUNCTION and
naturaineSs enough 70 make IL dominant IN the
play. As MS ooseoulous assoSiate, .hI. Fehsls
"r,rsp,ndi ~ yyn1aIfnr s1s ama VII Nv ayRss
cnntrssteu III nntaiiinE euect win tue poiite
ahosphore oL inc pieee; quar- from Mt
Hare. the ilhgie person VINO amuses ths audi
-
mere; she onacts the VIE OF an last Ehi
Lnnaoh cIeIgJ man, prying, pealiterous, anu
hlghly sanctIlnohlous h'ss aushh looks as
hs. anD.,ano. inJ,cn, 81.
makes manifest with nnfailinu humor. il
: an easy part TO play. strongly marked.
,WViusn'I,' Auu. p y. lev m mnhen.s
Rusorblng figure In Inc action. but with all the
crvumstances in her favor Miss Vaughn makes
!, emec's MlLm = SeIkia,n'y nus snoWs ner own
London reputation which he %justifes by his
ease and Tepose. about the only qualities lie Ia
$500 "pon oa,nd iAr.,al youumnH
geicu aud snoothncss, and Frank fillmore
q. a Young curnte, met the trying, elements
,,oaa.nl "hs'a.e,ui Vn,S III :" NJ. .ms.
h.vears to less advantage than she did as
>ounk Mr.. Goifanth In "A Pair of Spectacles.''
a.ry"m oS't ~ ~ "a 49, Tusy uueuo
bio in rather a large theatre. there is little in
her periormance TO md fault with. Mona Dram.
80 ~ nas = sense"t mu.nJr WHEN inter.
.,ayvsra,inn ~, ,na,bod 1919 x h,nvnh, 20
lem En, H. -. anb NJ. u @
In a t"T -, srbaaa, 80, n,y
i'h"-inn.Iv -. nnTnIs in 49, 800
ths, f,n W., po.nts ~ sp.e,nvS. rh,-
les. .r,dica,a ,bass JH.o,. STbr.o ntarnpna
,r.nr, narrI 49,. r,i,s ~ anhnans
- ~ .vN,'"s -" "''.NNS-