The times., 1899-02-07
AT THE THEATRES.
Lnsn,ett.-"The Last Chap,.r.,


story, told with sincerity and without pre-
tence-this is George II. Broadhursts
Last Chapter" which was done almost
for the first time on any stage yester-even
ing at the Lafayette Square Opera House
And when one has said so much Of the
piece there remains but trifie that can be
with justice related to man who has not
yet witnessed the performance A descrip-
tion of the play in refrigerated type might
make it seem hackneyed and wearisome
and puerile, when instead the very Oldest
portions of the tale create sympathy that
makes fault-seeing improbable and touch
the heart strings firmly that they draw
out the music of charity and good will.
The plot itself at once has everything
and nothing to do with the charm of Mr.
Broadhurst's effort. Its purity and car
| nestness are perhaps the most striking
| features of -the offering. The love of a
| mother for her boy and of daughter for
her father are pleasant themes after one
has waded through all the dramatic prob
| lens of the last year. And then so ap-
| pealing is the bond the. author has drawn
| between these two younger ones, and so
| delightful-if rapid of inception-their af-
| lection for each other that the audience
loses itself in its regard for them and
never notices the positive methods en-
| ployed in gaining and holding its interest.
| The lightness and the depth, the human
ness and the artificiality, the. frankness
and the mystery in the narration occur to
those in 'front.' only with the indefinite
ness of causes brought to bear in securing
definite result.
And the story itself. Richard Stanley
| is youthful but steadfast chap, who has
| been for years laboring in a certain min
ing office with the double purpose of max
| ing living for himself and his mother
| and of paying debts incurred for his father
| by lying friend. He meets a womanly
| woman, who has come to the hamlet for
the purpose of securing position in some
| school in order that she may care for her.
| self and her surviving parent-a drunken.
| dissolute idler. OF course Stanley falls in
love with the girl and, after failing to Sc
cure the coveted place, makes himself use
| full in advising for her welfare. Among
! other things told her, he suggests the sale
of some mining stock she owns only to
| discover Immediately that the title Is won
| derfully valuable and to buy it back for
| her with money saved to pay the family
| debt Ignorant of her good fortune. the
| wage Garner is about to wed one OF the
| young fellows employers without loving
him. when Stanley unmasks the scoundrel
| as married man. Then, just as he is
about to inform the heroine that he is
| fond OF her, he finds that her father was
| the false friend whose dishonesty he had
| been working to confine in its disastrous
results. But, of course, such an incident
counts for little in a play. and so Mr..
| Broadhurst's offering ends-as all love
| stories should end-with everything look
| ing cheerful in The Last Chapter
This not-too-novel theme is told with
| careful regard for the possibilities 1t gives
and in a manner so natural and SO dl-
rect that criticism becomes difficult Inc
| characters are all clearly and consistently
| drawn and many of the lines are either
so beautiful or so bright that they bring
| rounds OF applause without the aid of the
| situations behind them. So keyed to ma
| tllre is the production that the one really
| strong scene given the piece-a scene that
| reminds one of a similar passage in "A
! House of Cards''-would appear stilted
were it not for the writer's deft handling.
| The comedy is bright and plentiful, the
climaxes quiet and seemly, and the Incl
| dents wonderfully effective in their sug-
| gestion. Like The Wrong Mr.. Wright"
and unlike What Happened to Jones. -
this work resembles an entertainment
| more than a play-it is sort OF urbani-
fed rural idyl of the least weghty sort.
Not that THE Last Chapter is without
faults for it has some very serious ones.
| Despite a certain directness of plot the
|
| act seems to have distinct and separate
story. Stanley's effort to secure a posi-
tion for the girl. his herolsm in repurchas-
ing the stock for her, the trouble he has
| with her scoundrelly lover, and his final
recognition of her father are sub threads
that take root anywhere and thus destroy
| much of the comedies smoothness. Not
| that they do not all end with the play. but
that they do not begin with it, Some of
he. n, ,nlyrn
ed and two of the climaxes so fully brought
out that one is reminded of the adage re-
garding the painting of a lily. Then
| too, man as bold as Is Mr.. Broadhurst
can afford TO cut out his music. and light
cues. Strong scenes can be made to seem
| strong without the aid of an orchestra OF
| of an electrician.
But these are minor faults in a presen-
tation that is assured of success. for all
of the reasons named above. Pretty and
clean and charming enough to please the
| ordinary man or woman, the piece still
has sufficient power and purpose to at
tract the blase theatregoer. And conse-
quently The Last Chapter" bids fair tc
| triumph in every way.
Gertrude Witty and Clement St. Mar
tin are the only faulty people employed
in long east. Thomas 4. Wise who
will be remembered for his Sheriff in The
Jucklins." makes the hit of the Offering
with character sketch of admirable con
ception. while Edgar L. Davenport has
grown remarkably like William Ingersol
and is so less natural than if equally as
admirable as the Davenport Washington
met in Diplomacy" Grace Filkins of
fers charming impersonaton of the he
roine. Then Edwin Holt makes his viii
lain villainous without wearing a nus
tache or a silk hat. Harrison Armstrong
and +. Newton-LindO are good in comedy
roles, Horace Lewis is a notable old man
Laura Case and Clara Emory prove charm
ing ingenues, Ellie Wilton is a motherly
mother, and Harry McArdle, the city
man" of "One Summers Day" plays ar
Office boy realistic. The scenery is ex-