The herald., 1897-11-25
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"Tennessee's Pardncr" the author has
made successful endeavor to preserve
the idyllic quality which first made the
western stories of Bret Harte so much
admired.
The play has for it's leading characters
high-toned gambler and his side part
ner, u reformed adventures, and her
scoundrclly brother, and finally the
mountain pink" who is the white
flower Of innocence transplanted to the
arid soil and feverous atmosphere of
Nevada mining camp. The characters
who fill out the picture are of the kind
typical of their surroundings and are
rough, uncouth, lawless and uninviting,
but yet with a sympathetic readiness to
assist a distressed damsel and an un-
pleasant alacrity at shooting on slight
provocation.
The side partner Of the high-toned
gambler marries the adventures with a
trusting confidence in her past which is
not warranted by the facts. He after
wards becomes suspicious of his asso-
ciate and unjustly accuses him. The
plot, If it can be dignified by that name,
is further complicated by the brother of
the adventures having a design of be-
coming suddenly rich at his brother-in-
laws expense, and the effectual way in
which he is prevented from accomplish
ing his purpose furnishes some of the
most interesting scenes in the play.
AS for the little heroine, Tennessee,
the mountain pink aforesaid she just
drifts into the piece and has sad scene
when she hears that her father is dead,
and she has scene where she appears
dressed in boys clothes, and a love
|scene in all of which she is pretty and
effective The strongest scenes are those
between the two principal men and be-
tween the side partner and his repentant
wife. The piece is not strong in it's plot,
and the third act, with it's interior and
exterior views exposed at once, is a
clumsy piece of stagecraft But, after
all, the interest does not depend upon
the action so much as it does upon the
very clever way in which the various
types of character above mentioned are
drawn by the author and portrayed by
the leading members of the company.
While the play purports on it's face to
give representation of life in the min
ing regions of Nevada, and the sub
ordinate characters give literal inter
perform them well, yet the aim has evil
IDENTIFY been to give a romantic atmos-
phere to the people and to the events
in which they participate. The high
toned gambler. and the little mountain
pink talk in the elevated diction of
Claude Melnotte and his Pauline; the
side partner and his wife express SEN
timents that would do honor to a lofty
theme, and they carry out their parts
from beginning to end, on the same
plane of exaltation, their sentences being
delivered with rhythmic cadence and in
Elections of deep and passionate feeling
in all appropriate places.
Such method Of interpretation
where the fluently expressed emotions
that might be felt, but which would
never find voice in real life from the
mouths of uneducated peopIe--is widely
separated from the homely literalness
and sordid attention to detail that char
acterize such q piece, for example, as
"Shore Acres" 1t may be granted that
neither Tennessee nor any of her asso-
ciates could, in real life, find words to
express the feelings which are so tell
ingly enunciated on the stage, but if
this is an objection then the same objec-
ton may be urged to all plays in which
the characters indulge in blank verse
as vehicle for the communication of
their ideas. Much of the dialogue in
'Tennessee's Pardner" is rhythmical
prose and is capitally delivered, not a
point being lost nor an infection neg
lected.
Admitting that this method of treat
ment may be allowed in depicting the
scenes and incidents occurring in such
developments of modern life, it follows
that "Tennessee's Pardner" is a capi-
tai play of it's class and remarkably
well acted. Nor must it be forgotten
that the minor characters are conceived
and acted in spirit Of literalness that
would delight that eminent apostle of
realism, James A. Herne. This treat
ment Is modelled on that to be observed
In the old plays of serious import; the in
PRODUCTION of the lighter element in its
reality serving by contrast to heighten
the effect of the leading theme Of the
play.
The players are all people of ability
in their respective roles, while the lead
ing characters assumed by James M
Brophy, Oliver III. Barr and Esther Will
liams, are so well portrayed that it is
quite evident that the actors are Of very
superior merit to that usually found in
the presentation Of plays of this class.
Jane Corcoran makes delicate, inter-
csting Tennessee, the low comedy char
acters are capitally sustained, and the
singing of the male quartet (the only
speciality introduced) was excellent and
was many times redemanded.
The piece will run the remainder of
the week with a matinee today and an
other on Saturday 1t is well worth
seeing by those who like the romantic.