The evening times., 1898-11-01
AT THE TKEATERS.
CoIumbia-.The Carpetbngger."

Coiumbin-"The Carpetbngger."
Bob Wilejts. n Stevens
Major Henderson Reynolds James A. Num-
Guy Lummcrs. .oiney J. q min
Roy tairOcrn. ...-.-.......-...---.J JAMES MahleN
Jim .........................R Ralph ThcmaS
john Reynolds .Gerafd Anderson
Mrs. fairburn. He'eh tcrl@'te
Lucy LnfoEd. oEd..........-..-..-....- Eleanor Nero
Mrs. Reynolds. Auhriy Pow II
Shoemaker. stick to thy last" is an
excellent sdaGe, and while there may be
some doubt az to whether a strict adj
herence TO the rule would not make that
last also his first, ii may generally be
| cited to advantage, in cases where men
| of ability have left their callings 10 at
| tempt uncertainties in new ones. Opie
| Read Is an especially clever novelist. as
has often been demonstrated. but his
"Juckiins proved his lack of ability as
! Il playwright and. while Frank Pixley's
gifts might promise something in that di-
rection. neither has accomplished much
of which 10 be proud in the vehicle which
! Tim Murphy-who may now insist upon
| being called Mr.. Timothy Murphy-pre-
| sented last night before a large audience
al the Columbia. True. the piece is con-
sideraoIy above mediocrity and has a
number of very bright things In it. but
| these are divided between so many sour
! ces that very little credit can go 10 any
save one of them. or The Carpetbag-
| gers merits the extreme wit may be
! laid 10 the door of Mr.. PiXley: the one
or Two fine bits Of pathos 10 Mr.. Read.
| and the bulk of the virtues that make
the effort entertaining and enjoyable to
! the capacity of the star.
| The CaTpetba gger is evidently one OF
| those comedies which have confessedly
Deen made 10 order. Its authors took
/ pretty accurate measure of the man
! whom they were TO fit.-and then proceed
! ed 10 build around their product the in
! cidents and issues necessary 10 manufac-
! turing a plot from part. This was prob
| ably not 50 easy thing as might be i'm
| asined: for the story and other interests
! of the work were afterward allowed 10
| lag perceptiby. that the principal char
, acterization might develop and broaden.
according TO previously-defined ideas
! When 1t became necessary for thar crea-
ture OF the brain to do sonnet hing dishon-
est as a starter a questionable bill OF
| indefinite meaning. was introduced and
! when il was discovered that some excu.e
must be given for converting him TO the
STdSht ana narrow way, pointed out in
Sunday schools and copy-books he was
| made 10 fail in love with a presuma blv
good woman. with a penchant for giving
advice and asking favors Either of
! these occurrences might have made a
very passable plot, but in the present in
| stance they were treated only as objects
! with which TO divert the imaginary be-
ing VINO affords the merit of the niece
INTO new channels. Thus ii has seeming
~ not mattered to Messrs Read and
I FlNiey that their bill and their woman
are altogether ineNplicable to audiences:
| that they have brought no heart interest
to bear in their play. and thai, having =
dearth of foundation, they must have also
! dearth of incidents
/ Ihere are. as has been said many com
mehdabie things about The Carpetbag-
ger. The title role does call forth
! any amount of sympathy-so much i,
iact. that one finds himself feeling keen
~ Tor the fortunes and m;sfortunes of its
| embodiment, Melville Crance Though
abrupt and lily built the cIimaxes are
notably good, and two or three bits in the
| play-chief among them the elopement
| scene of the third act and the battle be-
| tween the governor and his former alIy
| in the last-will be remembered for their
| rich humor and strong effect Above all
| the dialogue of the comedy is bright to
| striking degree and some of the utter
| ances of Melville Crance of a positively
| Sheridsnic wit. The Carpetbagger'' is
really an entertaining and pleasing play
1T might have been a great one
Mr. Murphy has in the principal part
one that fully equals that Of Maverick
Brander and surpasses anything he has
| attempted since. He does it In much the
| the same way that he did the late-la-
mented gentleman from Texas. but never
| theieSs makes his characteristics sub
! serVlent 10 those of the man he impar-
| sonates. His manner of reading the lines
allotted him and his full realization of
| opportunities mark the portrayal as one
! of unusual excellence
| The members of the supporting cast
| are generally mediocre though one or
two of them would require charity to be
| so lightly dismissed. Helen Corlette. who
| assumes the role of one beloved by Gov
ernor Crance, is best in her quiet pas
| sages, being inclined TO gaspiness in her
attempts at emotionalism and having no
| comedy in her lines. Ogden Stevens looks
! the villain and acts il sometimes; James
! a. Nunn does all that it required of him,
and Olney ]. Griffin does some things
| that are not. James Man1ey and Dorothy
| Sherrod portray lovers of an apparent
age when dolls and Jacks-in-the- are
more appropriate Mr. Manley, however.
| is really capable actor. The jump from
a noisy cowboy in "A Texas Steer" to a
! subdued youngster whose only riotous
! intent is TO fight Indians is a long one,
| and he makes it we'll The worst thirg
about Ralph Thomas is his makeup,
which may also be said of Eleanor Mer-
ron. whose dresses remind one of the hor-
rible things seen in bad dreams. Gerard
| Anderson and Aubrey Powell are good
Frank Daniels comes to the Columbia
next week with his two delightful o err
attic successes, THE Wizard of the Nile
and 1.-The Idols Eye
| Lafayette-s.A Brace of Partridgcs.-