The evening times., 1899-02-07
AT THE THEATRES.
Lafayette-"The Last Chnpter.n

Despite the sarcastic remarks that are
continually being made by professional
critics regarding so-called pretty plays"
there comes a time when the most blase
grows weary of sex-against-sex themes,
suggestive lines and shop worn strength
and turns instinctiyely to clear, entertain
ing, pleasing little love stories such as is
The Last Chapter" the Broadhurst effort
presented yestereveuing at the Lafayette
Square Opera House. The freshness and
charm of a conventional plot such as is
related by the author OF The Speculator"
and What Happened to Jones' is more
than likely to appeal TO everyone and the
very man who would be inclined to laugh
at the tale were it told him cannot help
/! feeling its verify and Quaintness.
The Last Chapter has for it's theme
the affection between 4 mother and her son
and the bond between a father and his
daughter with the stronger passion exist
ing between the youth and the girl. While
this simple and straightforward motive
is embarrassed and often DETECTED by the
constant introduction of side issues and the
rising Importance of new episodes there is
no trouble involved in following it, but
only sympathy with the clean-cut charac-
ters drawn and admiration at the method
exhibited in sustaining interest The come
dy in the piece is plentiful and delightful
the lines bright and charming and the To-
Gale positively novel. Then the atmos-
phere is we'll maintained and the produc-
tion keyed to so fine a point of nature
that the frequence of music and light cues
with the presence of one or two stilted
episodes has a displeasing effect that
would not exist were the remainder of the
work not so creditable. One is positively
put out at a couple of unnecessary lines
that follow pleasing bits of pantomime at
the end of the second and fourth acts.
Altogether The Last Chapter is not so
much a play as an entertainment-the
sort of entertainment one would like TO
see in little theatre and done by people
whom one knew as well as the average
amusement lover knows those whom Mr.
Broadhurst has employed. It's simplicity.
its fidelity to nature, its healthfuness and
heartiness make the effort one that will
attract all classes of men and women.
The company engaged is an admirable
one. Edgar L. Davenport has taken to
such unpleasant mannerisms as lifting
his brows and putting his hands in his
pockets, but he is in general the same stu
dious fellow to whom Washington was in
troduced in Diplomacy" Those who did
not know him well We're startled last night
TO notice the resemblance between himself
and William Ingersoll Grace Filkins the
Celia Pryse of 1.-The Royal Box" does
some splendid work in an opposite part,
with Mr.. Davenport and Edwin Holt
making the strong climax to the third act
really moving. Mr.. Holt, by the way, pre-
sents rather an odd picture of a villain,
while Clement ST. Martin and Gertrude
Witty fail utterly to mark the tenor of
the production, and succeed only in SEEM
ing stilted and unnatural in smaller roles.
Three suggested love stories that are
left to end in the auditors imagination
are we'll acted by a clever seXtette of
people. Harrison Armstrong, long one of
Stuart Robson's right hand men, joins
with Clara Emory, Washington girl, in
furnishing couple of very charming por-
trayals. Theirs is a romance in two
scenes-both similar to one in The Hoo
sier Doctor"-and both bring out their i'm
presentations clearly and distinctly. Less
pronounced are the issues between F. New
ton-Linde and Laura Case and between