The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-18
NOTES ON TWO NEW PLAYS,
MERITS IN 1.-THE HIGHWATMAN"
I'M ga WARD OF FRANCE"
Runny Mes In the Comic Opera-A Housins
Scene In tho Historic DRAMA -sesora'

scene IN tho HhtntottO bFhuA Il
Fresh ,ThinEs on the vaudeville stage
The distinctly comic characters Of Tho hien'
wayman' are moro than onc.half tho fui cast
leaving in the list OF romantic folk Capt. ScoH'o,
though he is q typical Irish hero. quick anu
cutting with witty ~rotorts. Chief OF the run
makers Ia Constable FoTy CUTLER, VINO Is
broad caricaturc OF a detective and q Deauio'
the analytical processes Of the one ana mo III
tense self-esteem, pomposity, and co"aruioo
Of the other coming in for extravaganza mus.
His communings with himself are audible anu
with his asides are the most laughable mes t
the play. He has q trick, too, OF descrlpihs
his own small doings, and the gestures th"'
accompany them. in the language OF q yellow
covered novel. always taking intense sa'is-
faction in this self praise. Six satellites sur
round him, and to them he is continually
voicing his own praises, or advising them 10
suspect and watch innocent persons. lhese
chaps are in rags and tattcrs for the hrst act,
later are in gypsy costume, and at the emu
of the opera rory CUTLER mourns that tho real
culprit is detected before the constables nave
exhausted their supply Of disguises. Jerome
Sykes makes of this pompous ignoramus a very
amusing parsonage. Perhaps his most laugh
able line is his description ofspalpably raise
whiskcrs worn by a secondary comic character.
with an dir of u deep sage, he says IF ever
= poN iAhiAAi bANAtAo
Other comic folk arc Harry Macdonough and
Nollie BragEins, who arc respectively 'ostler
and barmaid, and are cockneys in speech.
She is an intense admirer OF tho ieroes OF penny
drcadfuls; and sho agrees to marry Inc osi hEf
one of three to don scarlet mask and. cloak ana
to Join the real Cart. Scarlet in awaiting the ar,
rival of the next coach. Two OF the imitators
rome together and their meeting ia witnessed
by the 'o3tlcr. whose head sticks out from the
trunk Of u hollow tree, wherein no is wrestling
with n npst OF bees and shaking Win rear.
Later each of the three counterfeit outlaws Is
captured the genuine one escaping n a TO pose r 1a as
Of the sort who wave shillelnhs and spread
smith is to be commended for avoiding topical
songs and slang. but ho has chung to one moss
bald but for a few impossible tufts of hair and
bunny poll, and visagc. His lines; however,
about from ono leg TO the other, rubbing his
hands, and wngging his head almost off, Just
as his forerunncrs have done time and again.
In the fourth act Of "a Ward Of France tho
three national elements Of tho play are more
conspicuous than in any other part of the drama.
The French and tho Spanish flags arc seen on
the stage, and, while it is not visible, the sug'
gestion of tho banner of the United States is
quite as forcible. This comes not so much in
the speech Of Pillars rs in the music of fife and
drum board In the distance when Gov. Clai-
\ DpIh IS lIoDlol hlNl u y u
yankee Doodle which arouses the same en-
thusiasm in the audience at Wallack'5 that it
might DO expected to create in assemblaGcs
more easily affected than those of Broadway
by what Is merely an appeal to patriotic scntl-
mont. although the episode is introduced arts
tically. The scene shows q fete in the palace OF
Cor. Calico. the Spanish representative. On
one side of tho stage is his house, and the light
streams through the open doors into the court
-.-- - Ala 1N,,nn N nd IN
tho n~pertures Of the wrought iron fence. In
the background Is a church. and high up its
stceple burns a red light. A sentry is placed
there to give the alarm when Jean Lnftte's
troops seem likely to gain the GscendRncy in
the struggle for tho city. To satisfy himself
that all is safe, Pillars gives his watcher the
signal to ring the quarter earlier that he
may be sure that the man Is Watching. The
chime rings rs his handkerchief waves. and
the effect of tho incident, so unexpected ana
novel, helps the atmosphere of por.cnt and i'm
minence which fills tho act.
But 1t is in the clash OF the characters that
the interest is really centred. Here their, va
rious dcstinies are almost worked out to their
natural ends. Tho Spanish Governor is to re,
tire, and he expects to be succeeded by the
French emissary OF Bonapartc. But in reality
tae t RFoT nnited Or st n1ess'"H The mas innocent Sssn a s%irl hai
by the action of IiUnrs been rescued from
Znbct and taken to tho Governors palace,
The American troopers surrounding him make
possible the rescue of the girl; although he does
NOT know that she is, his daughter. In the
her birth has come to New orleans, and it il
only from him II, that tINar% learns Gnss who hn M M
cover that than lean ,Latittc and his mother
l enter in'order to claim the girl, The hope OF IN
: force h%~sS Of his political power. which he thinks i
!, to commence on the next day: But the troop
1 Of the United states haze in the meantime lear IN
lars has. explained the purchase. So i is IN
power OF the Initet states rcprescn,ed IN ne
: ingIy and umconsciously protected .Noyne
D the heroine. y made it possible for Ind her her to ii. Sj
. just in time TO keep her from the hands Of La
s fttc. who had come to love her. and would hay
b bef" for Po th e i@f,n Sn"%s of IL tho nI United CD states al "E"iii il
y tho tableau that ends the act the representa-
L tivcs of France and Spain arc on the side o
LuhftC. But he Is the prisoner or the lnltei
= States troops when the act come! to an end.
The scene in the room Of /Gbct Introduce
can soldiers. To, the prophecies has gone ~
lars because she has intimatcd that she nigh
. give him about his dnuCh .cr: IN
S girl in reality is In the house. The follower
of Lofttr are determined That she shall not rs
Gap psr and nnIc Za'1 Tn Sxh sstw Them !" nar to a KsST 1Hf isT TiI
q their task. until Iiliars, seeing that there !
J. an 2 am Smb Hsa, iSia f for him him, calls G resm III tn nf i his Tis iha Z
the play comes when New Orleans is in rcalit
/ owned by our country.
/ Roster & Balls has n squad of acrobats VIII
are entirely successful exhibitors, yet who ar
t singularly lacking in grace. They are the d
Rocks. three men and n woman, the boy VIII
u first appeared with them having been retire
II soon afterward. The men wear ill-atting blac
IL suits that look as II they had been rolled in III
dust of scores of stages, their derby hats are
4 the l]ow.crowned variety that the vaudevil
~ Joker describes as fried egg lids" and the
Ia features are pronounced!y Teutonic. Tho hi
gcst of the lot is about as wide as he Is long an
as graceful rs tho men of much the same iigul
who perch atop brewers wagons. but he know
his business. Because Of his weight he is Il
n under man, and his strength is prOdigious.
ono of his feats he and n companion clasp hand
in the smaller man springs upward and in n m
er ment is heels in air supported at arms lcngt
{, The big man next lies down upon his back, Il
at tho while balancing his mate above him. tht
of r!sos TO his feet ngain. and lastly, crooks M
a. straightcns his own arms several times to prov
ly that no has strength left, The woman's muse
= / IAniallln IAn Eln All -anA-