Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-02-16
GOODWIN IN HIS NEW PLAY.
His Popularity Is Attested by an I'M
mense and Enthusiastic Audience.

In IAN American Citizen" Miss Made
line Lucette Ryley has enriched, not our
theatre only, but our literature. with a
beautiful love story Our literature
abounds in social and moral studies, into
which love enters as an important, and
even q determining factor; but there are
very few stories which exist for the sake
OF portraying and clarifying the emotion
I'm and for itself, as a thing of beauty and
Of terror. IAN American Citaizen" is
large, simple. lyrical love story, neither
philosophic nor analytic nor moral, but
celebrating. with the directness of bal
lad or folk tale, the potency of the divine
illusion. II is written with depth OF
feeling and a delicacy of style which the
author has not hitherto approached. It's
formula is that Of all great love stories
since the world began-two lovers and
an obstacle The Hellespont parted Hero
from Leander; a vendetta interposed be-
tween Romeo and Juliet; and marriage
de CONVEYANCE sunders Beatrice Carew
from Beresford Cruger.
There are phrases in the play that one
regrets. but they need not be discussed.
1t is much more essential and much
pleasanter duty to thank Miss Ryley for
a process Of strong emotion, wildly.
forcibly. and imaginatively set forth. The
new play affords Mr.. Goodwin an excep-
tional opportunity for the display OF his
brilliant and versatile talents. AS an
artist when il comes TO execution, he
leaves nothing to chance. The most
seemingly artless Of his proceedings Is
absolutely defined in advance. and never
is what needless observers call impulsiVe
and spontaneous. But his temperament
is free, fluent, opulent, and Infinitely
L. l. s.t,.t 10 xrrffl a
his sense of honor and his regard for the
happiness of the woman he loved were
in a noble vein Of imagination profound
in it's sincerity, affecting in its pathos, and
pictorial in its treatment.
Miss Maxine Elliott, as Beatrice Carew,
leaped at once into instant favor She
possesses in n marked degree the facul-
ties and attributes essential 10 great
success in acting. a sumptuous and sup
pie figure, a mobile countenance that can
strongly and unerringly express the feel
ings of the heart, and the workings OF
the mind eyes that can awe or thrill;
voice deep, clear, resonant, and flexible;
intellect 10 shape the purposes and con-
troll the means of mimetic art; magma
ton TO grasp the ideal of a character in
all its conditions of experience, and, back
of all. the genialsed nervous system to
impart to the whole artistic structure
the thrill OF spiritual vitality.
The other members of Mr.. Goodwyn's
company were excellent in the various
roles assigned TO them.
The play and the actors were received
with the greatest enthusiasm by one OF
the largest audiences ever seen in the
Academy. oven the orchestra reservation
was occupied with chairs, and there was
scarcely standing room in any part of the
house.
Messrs. Primrose & West. who, with
their big minstrel company, will be the
attraction at the Academy tonight are
certainly the leading exDonents of this
STYLE OF amusement. Their company this
season, consisting of a double company
of white and black artists, is said to be
bv far the best they have ever presented.