The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-11-20
THE STAGE N MEM YORK.
ARTHUR CRISPIN BREEZILY CRTTI-
CIsEs "a COLONIAL GIRL
sothern Production Given = Thor
ough Examfnatf0n-(sood in Some
Respects and Had In Others
Viola Allen In .The Christian
Copyright. 1855

he has had nothing which
might be considered remarkable success
although Of course he has also not mad
failure In many years, pEooaoly because
the play which would so by the BOARD &C.
spite the advantages Of production ard ex-
cellent treatment 1t would receive az the
hands of Mr.. Sothern's magnificent COM
paay would be sorry thing Indeed.
Mr. Soihern concluded 20 go in for
something which for him would be nov
city, and he therefore produced "A Colonial
Girl" new play Of old New York" ac-
cording to the programme The authors
are Grace Livingston Furnfss and Aooy
Sage Richardson, the latter Of whom re-
member once wrote an excellent dramatic
version of Mark Twain's The Prince and
the Pauper' for Elsie Leslie, who was then
a prominent child star.
"A Colonial Girl is far from being a
bad play. but on the other hand IL Is just
as far from being good one. II Is
damned by the deadiiness of mediocrity.
Illogical in many respects and really stupid
III others, IL nevertheless contains enough
OF story to interest most of those patrons
OF the Lyceum who Go not care TO pry be-
meath the surface The end OF the play,
when the hero, after an exciting duel, Is
rescued BY the Liberty Boys is as glar
ing piece OF low grade melodrama as one
devoted TO the exploitation OF that form
OF dramatic entertainment. Then, too. the
piece is something of Waterloo for Row
land Blackstone, who in his time has played
many parts and played most OF them Well
and none of them lady But IN "A Colo
NAL Giri' he simply butchers the irascib,e
Colonel Carteret in a couple of scenes
which ought 10 be his best. In the one IN
particular where he learns OF the marriage
10 artificial
anateurish that ofe inyoluntarily takes
another look at the programme 10 deter
mine that 1t is really the usually reliable
Blackstone who has for so many years
been regarded as the Bauermester OF the
SotAern company.
The story of "A Colonial Girl is not
complicated. The action passes during the
period OF the Revolutionary war. The
town is swarming with British soldiers and
officers, some OF whom are apparently gem
tlemen. while others manifestly are not.
Godfrey Remsen. Tilted by his former
sweetheart while he is away in England in
disgrace. returns TO find her the wife Of an
English functionary old enough to be her
father. Remsen has meanwhile come into
fortune as they almost always do at the
Lyceum. Later the functionary In uues-
ton, Sir Henry Danyers. dies but be-
fore that interesting event can happen. In
fact few minutes after the beginning OF
the play. Godfrey. in fit of pique. marries
Mollie Heddin, a naive American girl.
The latter Is OF course considerably In
formed on the spot, while the others have
their backs conveniently turned, OF the true
condition OF afairs, and the curtain falls
upon her reproaching her husband for his
base deception Naturally thereafter.
while they do really speak as they pass
by they are not given TO lingering in each
a. 49,
necessary FOR the sake OF appearances.
Lady Danvers, by some right which does
not clearly appear. takes up her residence
in the home of her hated rival and bosses
everybody around just about as she pleases.
Finally. after the English officers have
tediously failed to apprehend a certain
dashing spy the villainess Lady Danvers
gets hold OF an discriminating letter from
one George Washington. who later became
a figure OF some prominence in the affairs
Of this country. This note she gets the
outraged young wife TO give to the colonel
who is pursuing her husband. The latter
is. OF course, the real spy. Thereafter he
IS a fugitive from his own house. from
which he contclves TO escape by means OF
a secret door leading TO a su5terranean
passage. IN which there is stili another
secret door The villain OF the play has
designs against the young wife. and Rem
sen, disappearing in the clothes of
newly arrived ana unknown British officer.
throws off his mask and challenges the
woud-oe despoiler 70 mortal combat. I'm
which he is necessarily victorious. He is
excused from his engagemen: to be hanged
a little later by the timely arrival OF the
Liberty Boys" who succeed In making
one Of the most ridiculous finishes ever
seen perhaps In a theater OF the canher
OF the Lyceum.
There bids fair TO be a very pretty row
over the ownership Of the English fights
10 the dramatic version OF THE Christian
Wilson Barrett claims 10 have received
permission from Hall Game at the time az
the publication of his novel 20 make a
drama tiza ton OF il for use In England
At that time II Is probah e that Mr. Game
had 10 idea that Viola Allen would become
a star and that she would want the play
in which she has subsequently, made such
q pronounced hit. But things have
changed since then. and II Is said that Mr..
Caine is now receiving royalties Of more
than M.0.o week from Miss Allen for the
dramatiZation OF The Christian" which he
made for her.
Barrett declares that he viii do his owr
dramatiZation OF the novel IN England. and
Mr.. Caine as emphaticaily declares that he
shall not. as the rights for Great Britain
have been sold ny him to Charles Frohrnan
Mr.. Game admits that while Mr. Barrett
wss in Australia. he had some correspon-
6ence with the actor with reference 70 a
play 20 be made and used by the latter.
but that the point ct which terms are
usually discussed ard contracts suggested
never was reached And thus the matter
stands.
Without going into The merits OF the cas-.
one cannot help thinking that !. would
have been graceful thing for Mr. Cain.
20 let Mr. Barrett have The Christian"
inssmuch as Is is the lastsr who has given
his works the only opportunities on fhs
stage that they have had up to the present
time. and what "a more. Re has used wnrss
Ike The Deernster'' for which there was
10 protection whatever. IN this country
a; least.
7 met Major William T Keogh ot the
mammoth reiodTa ua-sxpiol.ips firm o:
keogh & Davis a tne Third Avenue thea
ts- one Might during .he 81 fat-d expert
freHt a; f0at house q producing "C'yraro
=. y. ~ e~re f.