The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-11
NEW PLAYS IN CONTRAST.
DRAMA WITH DIGNIrF AND FARCE
WITH NOTHING BUT FUN.

"H s --
suiin Hiarlswo Enncts n Historical Heroine In
"The Countess vnIcska.n n Nnpoieonio
Piece from the German-.'A Hired GIRL
Julia MarIowe produced at the Knickcrbocker
Theatre last night a drama newly trans
lated from tho German, and in 1t enact
cd q historical heroine. This parsonage
was the woman from whom tho play de-
rived it's title, Tho Countess valeska,"
and in her actual life. early in tho present cen.
tury, she figured rs an ardent Polish patriot at
the same time that Napoleon was pretending
to bofricnd her country in its efforts to
secure freedom. The fiction invented by
Rudolph Strait, tho author, was that sho was
in love with a young Prussian officer, one Of
the enemies Of her native land. and that her
heart was torn by tho struggle between her op.
posed motives of loyalty to her lover and
to her kindred. Tho play had been used
successfully in Berlin q year nRo, and
Miss Marlowe, porceiving that several of
its scenes were thcatrically strong. had her
self rearranged. in some respects, an English
version. Her judgment as to the acting value
Of the character of the distracted woman proved
sound. 1t was n part in which the emotional
abilities OF this adept and always graphic ac-
tress were displayed udvantageously. Tho part
Of the Prussian lover offered almoste equal adj
vantages, but the actor who essaycd 1t was not
ehp"DiO Va plohbitk W thhb 40 u0tIl-
mental to the general effect OF the piece.
Napoleon was shownb briefly and silently upon
his arrival at the woman's castle at night. be-
fore the battle of Friedland. and again upon his
departure In the morning for the engagement.
Between those times q conspiracy to assassinate
him was contrived and thwarted. 1t was
this affair that set the Prussian hero and
the Polish heroine against each other. He
was a disguised inmate Of the house. she having
saved his life from pursuing soldiers and de-
clared him to DO her steward. His identity was
suspected, and at length discovered. but by her
wits she saved him from tho impending
catastrophe. until she learned that he was bent
upon the destruction of Napoleon. Then the con-
flict between personal love and patriotic duty
ragged tiercely within her through the plays
strongest someone in which the man o'ermas-
tered her will until she heard some Polish troops
singing their %natianal hymn, whereupon her
reused patriotism triumphed, and, with q break
ing heart, she saved Napoleon by denouncing
her lover. Miss Marlowe's acting in that passage
was q rare combination of subtlety and power,
and 1t rose surely and steadily to a thrilling
climax. II her stage companion had been a
fitting one a great success for the piece might
the requisite actor, and he, no moro than in
dicated the possibilities which he could not
woman helped the Prussian to braveiy escape
the death which a ~court-martial had decreed,
put the future OF their passion was LETT TO con-
pl %Iss Ms1'e sf " Fs: sdR Saassss % Rsfss;k and her az.
measure r Il By its S' general raj nterest y
s sai a MEEK asf or 5Eo f Fl n Work present IS ofd EN- IN
sEd i n,ssttt between ;1ss;i its spells of S e6Gi,ems Nns.
ago Napo comic international complications.
The e1trayagantly. colored and grotesquely
impressive. The clashinR political interests
were not engrossinR. The use of warfare for an
toned to in our own military plays.
to Miss MnrloWe's acting and paid attsn-
too, except. whom the hero's hair took fire.
He was in an agony Of mind at that
Imminent peril Of person. He flung himself into
a chair, and threw back his head despairingly.
went into the flame, and the back OF his head
was ablaze in an instant. Miss Marlowe extin-
guished the fire with her hand. and the specta-
OF the many dramatic moments 1.-THE Hired
Girl" had at the Star last night the most intense
one was in the first act. An actor who was in
skirts throughout the farce suddenly appeared
with his outer skirt and bodice removed
bearing some lettuce on a plate, his
condition being due to his Interpretation
of an order to serve a salad undressed. Charles
Z. Blaney was the author of this. and was also
the director Of the volleying tinware and fire.
arms that contributed punctuation. He even
fell back upon such mechanical devices for fun
making as doors of double hinges. q finely
balanced folding bed, and q baby carriage
attached to q tricycle., and when all
such items had been used there were specialties
from nearly all Of tho score of persons con-
cerned. One o: these was an limitation of a
Chinnman ainpinp n snnu for n ham a n md u ich at
a Jew picnic" and was sufficiently pleasing
to lead 10 the imitator being called
upon to dance after he had spilled
sand upon the floor from every pocket
in his tattered garments. Another had a
young woman singing an air that the boys in
the gallery whistlSd: and a. they were all the
out the vocalist. Dancers Of all sorts, from tho
tartan-clad stopper of a Highland fling to the
befrilled four OF an acrobatic quadrille. were
ranging in sentiment from sorrow in reminis-
cence to jubilation In the present.
Between exercises for toes and voices the
comedians told Of riding, to the front OF battle.
E tSs rnGn tnr saIo oells ~ Two N me hon mp ana one IN IN
part another. mans hair SO that the part.
Ing would give him pain. The servan. girl
servant was a negro. and SO with two women
in long skirts and q dozen in short ones. the
campus. and the banquet hall Of Vassar Col.
lege were The scenes OF the three acts. and per
haps there has been a time when tho reason or
show could be understood. but it long
ago passed. Out-of-town repetitions have left
neither flower nor palm for the conservatory,
have made the doubie-hinged doors the remem.
bered spot in the campus. and the banquet room
might as well be in the East Sodus. Me-, vestry.
These points made little difference last night,
however. The only signs of displeasure were from
gods who couldn't see the show because their
fellows were SO many. Boys leaned over the
gallery railing at tho extreme sides until it
seemed as Il they must fall over, but thcy
yelled. whistled. and had n good time generally,
as did all the ptarons the house would hold in
It's other Departments.