The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-02-13

cts ard see some sacond-rate perform
ance that disgusts them. and then they go
tissatsr for a year. And so they remain
AWAY for a long time. when. had they
bern pleased. they would delight to SO
often"
Mr.. Russell declines 10 discuss the the
atricai trust. IL has treated him well. he
says. and he sees no reason for joining In
a fight against il. He said, however. that
he believed in actor-managers-
Il should Ike 70 See the management OF
theatre affairs in the hands OF men who
revere art" he said, land who would elm
mate the spirit of speculation.
The past week in stageland has been
signalized By the production of two new
American plays by eminent American
actors. Singuiarly enough, the scene of
each is laid in American revolutionary
times. In New York. William H. Crane
has given fine production to Eugene w.
Presbey's play, "A Virginia Courtship."
Ii is described as a manifest imitation in
style OF the Eighteenth century English
comedies Like most OF the plays Mr.
Crane buys. IL was built especially for
him. the author being careful TO give him
good entrances" and exits ahd suitl-
Client variety of business lie is the
irascibls parent. the difiident lover, the
light-hearted spsndthrift, the bankrupt
with an appreciable touch Of pathos. the
jealous lover. and the befooled duelist
by turns. He wears handsome clothes,
and. though he is not always in the right.
he is always likabls. and carries the spec
tator's sympathy There are moments
when II he asked question few human
beings could refrain from asking, the
whole fabric Of the piece would crumble.
There are moments when, IL he looked
behind him. the curtain would have TO be
rung down, for the play would end. But
these things do not matter.
A more notable, because a more serious
production of better play by a better
actor, Is Clyde Fftch's Nathan Hale"
produced In Chicago by Nat Goodwin. Or
must we call him Nathaniel Goodwin. now
that he has gore into serious drama?
CLYDE Fitch who furnished Beau Brum-
NELL to Mansfield, April Weather" to
Sol Smith Russell. and His Grace de
Grammont' 10 Otis Skinner-seems likely
TO have fitted Goodwin out with just the
play TO prove the breadth Of his art.
Nathan Hale" while historical in theme,
does not stick to history very closely. The
main facts OF the American PATRIOTS mar
tyrdom are adhered to. but around them
Mr.. Fitch has woven pretty romance,
which gives play 10 the highest side OF
Goodwin's art. One critic says:
mir. Goodwin has created character
which is intensely human. as Wen as nom
estly heroic. His touch in the pathetic
scenes is very true. and yet lighting it up.
as so very often the case in a brave mans
nature. We find the Goodwin humor. Miss
Maxine Elliott has never done such good
work. Her girlish grace is so natural
and then her beauty Is set off all the
more completely by the exquisite sim
plcity OF her old-fashioned gowns"
Amy Leslie, who writes the best kind OF
things about theatrical people, In speak
ing OF Goodwin's last serious effort says.
i'm the Chicago News:
NAT Goodwin, whose Respondent career
has been followed by an uninterrupted Nj
agara Of laughter. last night at Hooley's
drifted seriously into a calm of untried
emotion. instantly righted the disturbed
needle Of his public compass and sailed
straight into triumph by an unbroken and
unexpected route.
simply as an example of dramatic ex-
preston. of clearly defined character de-