The times., 1898-11-01
AT THE TREATERs.
colu M bin-.The d'adrib5etbngxer n i

Major Henderson Reynolds -..rF lanes a. Num-
Guy Lummers.. - -oiney j. & INN
Roy Fsirburn ............s+,sH y. lanes Manley
Jim. Ralph rooma'
Mrs, Fairburn. z: u. Helen Corlette
Lucy Liniord. ........-...Is, IL Eleanor Mer.oa
Mrs; Reynolds nosohs sbovro how y
Nellie Crance. .DootiH oHetioi
Perhaps never before 'iff the history of
local theatricais has a new play come
from the hands of its bhcolic critics with
so many hattering notices and promising
reviews as did Opie Read and Frank Pix
ley's initial effort, THE Carpetbagger,"
when It was presented by Tim Murphy
last night at the Columbia Theater.a Ger
tainly never has a Washington audience
been more glad of these reports and more
anxious to substaHtiates them than was
that assembled for the occasion. And
equally positive is it that no organization
ever worked harder for success than did
the star and his comPsnc
The results attained We're all that might
have been required-and little more. The
Carpetbagger'' Is neither great comedy
nor an exceedingly good one, but il offers
in the title role rare opportunities for
a display of those Of Mr.. Murphy's tai
ents which have only seemingly been
limited In versatility that they might be
more powerful when confined to their
proper field. Melville Crance, the North
ern governor of u Southern State, is a
far better part than the vehicle in which
it is included is a play. For while the
Joint work of the two young authors
aforementioned Is bright in the extreme,
and delightful In its rich humor of lines
and action there is i'll il a notable mar
rowness of scope. a carelessness of defini-
ton and a lack of heart interest that
would prove fatal were 1t not for the
domination of the products saving vir-
tues.
THE Carpetbagger' Is character made
lovable through suggestion and inference
that does not reach the other roles in
the piece He has been sent from lll-
nois to watch over the interests of Mis-
sissippi without having been given time
to discover anything more of his new
charge than that there Is money 10 be
made there, and that Il sharp man may
get it. From this opinion he is finally
driven by a combination of circumstances
that have nothing more to do with the
work than to assist in the formation of
a very intangible plot There are few
letters read in the first act that threaten
the executive with all sorts of deaths
and thereby suggest that he is not popu-
lar in his rule and then he decides to
accept a neat sum for signing a decid-
edly indefinite bill. At last he falls in
love with a still more inexplicable We
man. refuses to fleece the State any
longer and is beaten at the polls without
there being any more reason for his
defeat than there is in anything else the
play offers. And when the house gets
up to go out it remembers just two
things-a laughablen elopement with
whip poor-wii call fors a ba ckground and
the delightful characterization given by
Mr. Murphy Even rrhe many witty lines
of the comedy do not survive longer than
minute after their .utoerance>
Altogether The G,arpetbagger seems
to be merely an elevated and rather un-
promising version o6r'A 'Bexas Steer" In
the one Melville Crarce Is redeemed from
dishonesty by an affair of the heart and
in the other Maverick Br3nder is brought
out of the density of his ignorance by
the power of his intellect With both the
process has more to do with the presenta-
tion than has the plot. Charles Hoyt's ef-
fort evolved any nuTpberFof laughable oc-
currences, while that of Nessrs. Read and
Pixley begin by laying on atmosphere
with heavy strokes, only to end with but
the semblance OF an unwOrked story to
assist the Imagination of the audience.
Did the presentation open with its last
act and the intelligence that is withheld
until then. with the development and in
terest that only starts at that time. The
Carpetbagger' would be better Offering.
At present 1t is merely an incident in
stead of a series of Incidents with the
love of man for a woman. whose chief
merit seems to be in her ability to ask
favors. the only comprehensive eXpla-
nation for phases Of character that had
evidently been determined upon before
the piece was constructed
| There is one thing in the play tnat
! brings ii well up to the average of such
entertainments and makes 1t at once en-
joyable and interesting-Mr. Murphy's
wonderful portrayal of Gov. Crancc,
With trifie OF the Texan legislator in
his work, Mr.. Murphy gives his auditors
as clearly defined and impressive an i'm
personation any seen here in recent
years He makes the lines he delivers
worth double their wit, saves the unbuilt
climaXes from falling fiat and forces into
reality a part that from most men
would seem the height of artfice. IN
the language of the Snowman, Tim Muir
ply is alone worth the price of adnIis-
sion"
Too bad that he has not better sup
port, Ogden Stevens, who Is the villain
of the production. is strange compro-
mise between simple nature and rank
meIodramatics. His work is good, how
ever. and impresses as being such. James
A Num- has little to do and does il,
while Olney ]. Griffin acts without COM
prehension, and Ralph Thomas plays a
negro with a complexion like that given
a man burning alcohol and salt, in a
very mediocre manner. James Manley
and Dorothy Sherrod are clever, if alb
surdiy juvenile lovers; Eleanor Merron is
poor imitation of an adventures. while
Gerard Anderson and Aubrey Powell fur
nish brief sketches of merit. Helen Cor
lette is fair heroine. Two matinees.