The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-05-10
NEW PLAYS LAST EVENING.
,,,c erCELLENCF THE GOvERSoR"
zen "VE-UNS OF TENNESSEE"

mama Brought Out mt the American
".donis" Reproduced at the Bijou.
An uncommonly witty play. His Excellency
=" Goyernor." written by Robert Marshall
mI imported from London, was performed
=" IA, yreum Theatre last evening. II
-, described in the bill as a "farcical
'..,ce , and that was n true enough
.,..,iaration, though all the romance in
!. ~as ocular. The conceit on which It
Id heen built was that a peculiar kind
=, aloe. growing on the Amandaland Islands
y" ,be Indian ocean. fades into yellow dust
n,co in n hundred years. and that the powder
..,.os nm epidemic of love among those whom
" sottes on. TO that sentimental phenom-
.ron the action Of the piece was due.
TLo British Governor was a achelor
tio.ed against marriage. and he especially
I.srproyed Of it for men in the Colo
si.l service. He had enjoined cclibacy
an his Two attaches. an army Captain
.,d n Secretary. A member of the Brit
,h cabinet came to the islands. bring
,,c his sister. a staid old maid. and his
d,ushter. an Ingenious girl. Another visitor
simultaneously was n vaudeville actress. who
h,I arc, been more than friendly with the
Governor. These persons, 1t will be easily COM
r,sheudei. were Just about the same set that we
t,,e had over and over again in English come
dtss and fsrrcs. II is obvious. too. that they
we're bound 10 10 affected by the dust OF the
.ioss which happened at Just thai time to be in
Tho air. But with these promises estab-
lished. staleuess ended and freshness be-
,,n The author had been ingenious in de-
,ising situations as well as facile In imbuing
,bs language with wltticism. The Governor,
the CAPTAIN and the Secretary. being
undcr the spell. fell Ia love instantly
with the daughter. and told her 80
without delay. Their contrasting ways OF
uooing. her frank manner OF listening to them
and their rivalry were made to yield a great
daal o, fun. The actress. an unwelcome guest.
utilized the atmospheric condition to entrance
the Cabinet Minister.
An assemhlage Of suitably clever PLAYERS
sharpered every point In the composition.
This was a production by Charles Frohman.
and he had assigned some members OF his
Empire company to it. Jessie Millward
x,s the vaudeville siren. She had revealed
herseli in Lord and Lady Algy" as an
excellent comeiienne. Last night she
proved that her talent in facetious-
ness was versatile. Instead OF being bluntly
and frankly g~ood-humored. as before. she was
a roCuish wheedler. leading an oldish man to
make "a 1901 bl HllIlStll. 1ol uolHk i 81 DE0tZlly
and handsomely that nobody could think OF
rating her a. an evil adventures. Hers
was a delightful performance. Harry Har-
wood played the easy victim OF her wiles.
Robert Edeson was the particular wooer who
won the girl. acted by Grace Elliston. and Guy
Standing and William Norris were the two who
lost her. May Robson. for once not g%rotesoue,
was the digniaed sister. There were no re-
in,ipg nhapuaa ~ ecana tho fhraa aota
being all in the vestibule OF the Govern
ment House n slightly place. however. and In
harmony with the entirely polite persons who
we're in it. This play. as written and acted.
was merry amusement for people with
brains and acquaintance with good 80
ctal usages. 1t was a rather high grade
Of stage literature in a light and jocose
vein. Its approaches to romanticism. and its
turning Of them into farce. were adroit in con-
ception and In Interpretation. 1t provoked
much laughter, and was in all respects well re-
eeiyed.
President McKinley's call for volunteers was
potent with the characters OF "We-Uns OF
Tennessee" which was new at the American
last night. The play opened shortly after this
bid for soldiers. which stirred all OF its per-
sonages. Two young men were moved to
avowals to their sweethearts previous to march
ing away with their fellows for the front.
and a third affair OF the heart concerned a
veteran OF the civil war, now taking a regiment
P0 camp. With the young men, suits were
successful; with the other. obstacles were
limited at In a pleasant way. indicating that
they were not insurmountable. Another veteran
was moved. though he stayed at home. because
he and his brother had been on opposite sides
In thu fNrrnn ~ n ! ",C ula a~I LaI
their differences. This was in a Tennessee
home not far from C~hickamauga Park,
whose encampment was taken as the
scene Of a second act. There some of
me matters OF sentiment had gone awry.
and these we're deepened between one
pa!I O! lovers Observation-Disclosures that were
made to appear more reasonable than such
Affairs often are. A, fight with, bayonets be-
slrenuous incident. Continuance was in the
hO'pltal Of the camp. and a concluding act
brought return to the scene with which the
The plot was based on the love OF two
men msn,, ir the same woman. and the sentii-
t RReqs't w in,eF byap GiSmi ma Inn most mi Of it. though
and the war supplied an Interesting
a a,sI, pi %t1r background; armed, sPl-
a AMI. Of 'f the h "sp tho w pITsut suss Sl tive
enough Of wars serious side. Gunner and
SS H iorcetql mediums, we're not employed,
o9s Incidents there we're plentiful limits
q The iooery of army life, nearly all OF
mem new and bright. The hungry private
Vas moi IN evidence. and the severest COM
me1t on camp fare was that Of a soldier who
Saaiessed To being a bit weary OF beans. As
lamp lnL0wer had been shown shortly be-
Or Ioadei down with spoils from a
meaLoy chirken roost. the criticism was not
X We slightest sense a bid for sympathy. In
eme hospital a surgeon was examining the sick
Gnss but those not Immediately concerned
~ lhe main story were more for deceiving the
sspudsenh WIN n view to securing dclicacies than
smt,{ were Tor following his directions. Tho
au.,QI' r." Arthur. had promised that the war
,Inuu o." Kept as background. and did 30
nnWltdnly. I'll" scenic outfit was good. but
II, H. Etea' demands were made in this
wlrs'oh' Al excellent company OF players
NJ emnIoynd. Among those more happily
.Sge' were ilctory Bateman. who was a. win
IKE" a h"roin" AS ever: Theodore Roberts,
iHHGb%r' nruvct. Archie Boyd, and RAYMOND
mnch,"ck Most Of the defects that were ap-
Gfs a. M,T" due TO a peryading slowness that
wwItaleu, Va" end until nearly midnight, and
""'ch 'hoGHl wear On with q lew repetItions.
me Occasional! revival Of "Adonis' Is an
SE'eoahl" event. not only because it gives an
opportunity q see Henry L. Dixey at mis- best.
an Interesting reflection Of the taste and
n4"oF u the early eighties. 1t was AS much a
TTppeul'"Pt ~ that time at The Bilou
t"ealFe last night rs it ever had
Y'rn' Ihe fun Of that day can be
very leaSant,y studied. as the text has
zen treated with the reverence that
ihAk ~ tH "a 3. " a1a~a l---.LI