The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-11-09
in THE PLAY HOUSES.
A Bicycle Play.

The stage mas nuu nearly all klHuS VI
realistic dramas but until Eddie Bald, the
famous bicycle rider, went behind the
footlights it lacked the real thing in the
way of bicycle play. 1t has it now ana
quite a clever play ii is, too. Those who
saw "A Twig of Laurel at the byceuln
last night did not expect to witness
wonderful display of histrionic ability on
the part of Mr.. Bald and they We're
agreeably surprised when they saw
quiet, earnest young man who modeStly
realizes that he is not a great actor even
If he is a good bicycle rider. His support
was good and the performance a. whole
was very interesting. 'fhe plot of the
play is as follows:
Jack Meredith. Mr. Bald, an orphan, left
In the care of his uncle and aunt Coun-
tryfolk among the Berkshire hills, is
brought up in the belief that he is rich
by Inheritance; and he is careless, eX-
travagant Yale student. In the first act
he becomes engaged to Laura Leonard,
daughter of Mr.. Leonard, a bicycle manu-
| facturer, with the provision. howeNe"
that he make a man of himself and win
| laurels As reminder she gives him Il
| twig of laurel.
But Jack suddenly finds that he is "a
| pauper, and his pride drives him to lea e
| home and Join the army of the uncm-
| ployed in New York. Then the villain,
who is Mr.. Leonard's partner and in love
with Laura, gets in his work. and there
are all sorts of complications working
| against Jack. BY arriving on the stage in
| time to prevent the villain from slander-
| ing him any further Jack wins Mr.. Leon
| ards confidence. The bicycle manufac-
| turer is in deep distress because his part
ners Vaccinations have made it impos-
| sible for him to get crack rider to ride
| the Leonard wheel at race meets and
| demonstrate it's superiority. Jack, of
| course steps in to fill the breach, wins the
| race, together with a paltry 5000 purse,
| pays off the mort gage on the old home
stead, defes the villain and is finally
crowned with laurel wreath by Laura
as the curtain goes down.
| The scenery, which is painted by Hui1st
| is good. The first scene is laid at tho
| Graylock Inn, in the Berkshire hills: the
| first scene in the second act is Il winter
| scene in New York, the second an inte-
| rior; the third act opens at the training
| quarters at Berkeley oval and closes with
| the bicycle race: and the last act tht
| same scenery as the first The bicycle
race is one of the great features. The
racers cross the stage. by a special con
trivance, in the time it would take then
to go a quarter of Il mile on Il track Ir
the rear is panorama, which revolve'
| in the oppSite direction from which the
riders are going.
The part of Frank Devere, Yale '9S, wa,
acceptably taken by j. Lester WallaCll
a grandson OF the noted Wallack, and w
+. Garfield was Webb Weaver the vii
lain Nat f. Jones portrays the part q
n countryman, Silas Graylock, and Miss
Lansing Rowan played Laura very well
The ingenue part was well taken by Mis-
Edith Fassett.
Election returns were announced be
tween the acts and after the performance
Land of the Midnight Sun.
That thrilling drama, "The Land o
the Midnight Sun" was presented at tn
Academy of Music last night by the Elro,
Stock company. After the dramatic per
formance three members of the cOmpan,
entertained with vaudeville and between
each act patches of election news Wer
read from the stage.
This afternoon the company will pre-
cent "Canclle" and tonight THE Polio