The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-02-09
OF the Latest in Drama
NEW STYLE OF HERO

"a new style of hero says Hillary Bell,
has come into fashion on the stage. Ex-
cept in rare instances, the fine fellow OF
long ago has disappeared. That excellent
chap was full of love, courage and enthus
iasm; honest to a degree; averse to sub
tletries; surcharged with romantic senu-
ment; beautiful to behold and still more
beautiful in principle; virtuous beyond all
things; animated by the loftiest notions
and bubbling over with pathos; generally
in homespun, but always ready TO jump
over precipices, fired from lannon's
mouth or buzz-sawed in defense of the
lady he loved, enduring prodgious physi-
cal suffering and mental anguish in be-
half of honor and the heroine, and going
through more adventures by sea and land
than ever best Othello, in order TO carry
his sweetheart to the altar before supper
time. The new hero as he is drawn IN
The Countess Valeska,' The Conquer
ors' and other modish lays is composite
character and much more reasonable. he
has no such virtues as were triumphantly
declared by his predecessor, but is inclln-
ed to peccadilIoes. Paul Potter makes
him an out and out william in the first two
acts Of The Conquerors' and reforms him
in the third Rudolph Strait makes him
wouId-be assassin in Countess Valeska-
In Secret Service .he is a spy. In The
Little Minister he is next door to fool
In "A Marriage of Convenience he IS a
confessed roue. In The Princess or the
Butterfly he is a bloodless old bachelor
without emotion, not to be tempted over
a precipce for the finest woman that ever
wore shoe leather. A decided change has
come over the heroine, too. This formerly
innocent creature no longer dresses in the
habiliments of woe, calls upon heaven TO
give her strength, nor is absorbed IN her
child In the old times, too, she, too, USED
to be thrown over cliffs, rescued from ex-
press trains and bathed in the tank drama
Nowadays she is dressed like daily hint
from Paris, and her liveliness is likewise.
Formerly the heroine's strong point was
virtue, but at present she gets along well
enough without that excellence. Thus
the Lady of Quality not only had an affair
with the villain, but afterward killed him
and the audience thought nothing of ii.
Yyonne, in Paul Potter's new play, is not
quite sure of it, but rather thinks that she
has been undone by Eric, and the spec
tators show no diminution in esteem for
her on this account. In John Drew's new
comedy the heroine coolly announces that
to vary the monotony of married life
she intends TO take a lover. In Tess of
the D'Urbervilles' the heroine lives IN
concubinage In The Countess Valeska'
the heroine boldly offers to take the hero
into her bedroom, and is ready to sacrifice
her good name in order to save his life.
There was a time when Camille was con
sidered an affront to decorun, and honest
folk were uncomfortable during Ophelia's
mad song. But the stage at present has
no squeamishness, and it declares mat
tiers beside which Marguerite Gauthier Is
a pastoral. No wonder Charmion takes
off her clothes. No wonder Mr.. Doris has
opened a Moulin Rouge. These are the
times that try mems bushes"