The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-23
In ~MELODRAMA AND FARCE
ENZ1yLED "THB WHITE REAThER"
AND CHS LITTLE DOD1E.H

n VERY Active and Pictorial Play from Res
den Presented at the Acsdemy OF Music
AComic Gao from Paris at the Manhattan
a Circus Given In the Oiu-Timo Manner.
The spacious stage Of the Academy Of Music
vas fllod several times last night with actors
and scenery In tho first American perform
snco OF Tho White Heather and II was
= great display OF living pictures. The
play thus profusely illustrated was one
OF those English melodramatic outputs that
are made annually at the Drury Lane Theatre.
In general quality az q composition 1t was as
rood as the average of its class. II not q little
better. As q theatric achievement 1t was
an advance upon almost any Of its ~predeces-
BORE. Tho play proper had been written by
Cecil Taleigh and Henry Hamilton. authors Of
Tho Sporting Duchess" and similar pieces.
Their theme for tho present fiction was a hus-
band and fathers denial of his marriage In
order that he might not lose an inheritance,
though by the act ho dishonored his wife and
con. His course left them under social taboo,
and tho action during tho remainder of
che play related 10 their friends efforts 10
obtain the marriage certificate. The story, IL
published as a novel, would have needed yellow
covers and q cheap price. but might have had an
extensive sale under those favorable con-
ditiona because 1t would have appealed
strongly to readers Of bookn that cor.
NOSpohN " oohbotiohoA CiU Iiu ii CuRr~
ncters were clear types, but familiar, and their
traits and motives presented no novel study of
human nature. Some Of the things they did,
however, were new and strange, and upon that
material the London success had been built up.
That the DRAMA. or exhibition, will DO o popular
VIII DO what may be termed q bowling success.
MOREOVER, there Vas nothing IN the triumph
oven II 1t was neither delicate art nor subtle lit.
%srSture. 1t contained none Of the nastiness of
o,t Ih b Sporting sIrhiIy DUCHESS srs' v, and r wss quits ... HG .L,
. London Stock Exchange, with its member.
Sm9ying boat in the Thames lock. Of blsyclists
bids for applause. But tho greater achieve:
RPs TaSsS WesS an moI imitation ,. Sf +, the d. Duchess chez. Of
Queen victoria's Jubilee, and q representation
81 a wrecked yacht at the bottom Of the sea;
costumes and the dresses were extremely SNOWY.
,eeEers Of the missing marriage esFtiacate had
Wits Heather r. . va yacht that ' Ysy under " %a ter
of the coast OF Scotland. The villain and
They, mako their efforts simultaneously. each in
diving suit, and when they meet down there
Il sio the Of T tSs pr they 9 4Gbs G M!sh hn ~ III s0 ss DSssss;
from a floating boat through the water to tho
s psinssa I ssa1o was and ho of r., Est sha daS use oi OF filsnsiEly
sisndss .S 81 sasil.y y T Hsss sas q e 'sa q e. aSsy sra sssi
know at the time which was lett at the
s PHsIS %Ri SEo was Pit Ss to- to ts Sst saPlas CO Nth aii 1T he mo, IOs;
book IN his grip. The victor vas the hero. and
lain hi 'l had On inf i 4 q But |" as sap he "R Wss t only va a
Iubordipate hero, and there was another hero
f ae s fas . hsro,a9 Si to pu marry' IN he a eG ponsia be sp %eIa:
dramatic situation. and one which the play do
D' ne as on ms of lyr for 6 wPS5iGspHsf setse i1su wa, done
by one Of those large and able companies that
Charles Frohman is wont to form for the
Academy. II. contained Rose. corhlan In
q 5ovial eomeds, part; Amelia Bingham as the
Madeleine as . scheming one. Among the men
under suitable assignmsnts were Francis Car
woo, WOOD a sna hi ahsnsa Bennett Fl Z 6o'S TSsy a aaa others Hear;
did their work scceptably.
Paris farces usually como to New York after
an apparent disinfection, which. aiming to con-
oeal their real motives, leaves them in reality
entirely obvious. Audiences are not deceived
a. to what their genuine purrort is. Be-
meath the attempt to make them harmless
there remains the essence Of the original
play, which, in the school Of Bison. Feydeau.
and Care is not far to be sought. Tho success
full disguise of underlying motives has been
sometimes accomplished by ingenious ~adapters.
In the case of The Gay Parisians" and Never
again., W lhko luc t"o luOeb LuouOTu III
stances. tho necessary publication has
been accomplished without injury to tho
intrigue and tho spirit. Last night at
the Manhattan Theatre there was an
example of complete e~xpurRation. which had
robbed o French farce, not only Of Its Sug-
Eestiveness, but of every other reasonable mo-
tive. The play, called in English His Little
Dodge" was taken from a French work Of Fey
deau and Hennequin. The English form Of the
niara Nuaa nv Ipafin II MrTarfhy md In hia
matter. he had succeeded In depriving the play
scheme Of the dlrtatious husband and
iR;lod sssR5Sio 'Sf .S E1ts Ess a. y'F Sss q X. The
elements in the intrigue: With no knowledge
e. Ses iRs fGe that G no adabte 81 p pHn has I failed %ii more
completely within recent. years. The adapter
had left a mere skeleton Of the original drama.
wrights had been eliminated along with tho
Slements, not agreeable to English audiences.
nected, unexplained and ineffective. The farce
which, requires but q few actors. was poorly
blaine. They need not DO mentioned here. for
Intellectual as they were, they are certain TO en-;
That viii be short lived. indeed.
cal rlff sfes asl iss Ply & c sesse s a"%s 0 e sssv %ss as
an agreeable introduction to the play. lts words
were by George Day and Edward Jones. In 1t
George ". Arson proved himself an amusing
ShN ~ olhChiuus VIM Souia v tOoA
humor without exaRgeration or effort Louise
Hepner and Charles Drew wero other effective
factors In the little plays success.
Doris's Winter Circus had its first performance
last night at the amphithentre prepared for 1t
in Forty-second street, near Seventh avenue.
Besides the musical numbers there were fourteen
circus innings on its bill. and 1t was only max
Ing the succession Of the quickest that tho per-
formaDce was held within the usual length.
Ten OF the acts" employed one or more horses
each, and the others wero of acrobatics within
tho ring or OF gymnastics Immediately above the
tan-bark circle. One Of the most unusual Of the In
pings had a baboon as tho rider. the animal copy
Ing all the feats Of circus riders and doing them
fall, in trying to turn q somersault from the
back Of tho g%elloping horse, the baboon landed
outside tho ring, but no clambered back and
quickly did the trick successfully at the next
tTiai. There was nothing connecting him with
MIS- trainer during tho performance. not even o
cord, and a single word OF command was all
}hat was necessary TO control him. Nearly as
ynIereaflnU vyarn tha trtpka nf rntna h1raaa