The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-09
INCIDENTS IN STAGELAND.
nm DITRTCHsTEIN'S DRAMA MUCH
IKE MIR sHORTZ'S NOVEL


.Ths song OF In. Sword" 10 likely to lead to a
,,,.nt Leo DtrIchstein is ostensibly the
",,hor ~ the drama In which +. II. Sothern
IA virginia Harmed are the hero and the
,,o,,, AT DAYS Theatre. IL was announced
hi. altogether original competition and he
.,,licltiy declared that none OF II had been
S,,iyod from any novel. In the first nights
,I,orr. WAS Archibald Clavering Gunter. the
,oys lat and dramatist. He Is the principal In
cha Home Publishing Company. which issues
hs hooks and others. The published outline
,,,b, new play had struck him as resembling
"rbe Git of Bonaparte.' story written oy
Robert Shor,2 and published by the Home
,,n Asatesult OF what he found In the per-
t..mancc he gave formal notice to Daniel Froh-
IAN manager o. Mr.. Sothern and Days. that
"Ths Song Of the Sword" was in part taken
,,,r THE GIFT Of Bonaparte." Mr.. Frohman.
,,vhom this accusation was n surprise. sent
.,oNr Ditrichstein. who Ia travelling with
,hs,trirai company. and got from him posi-
,ive denial that he had ever read or heard
n Mr. SHORTS book. Mr.. Gunter said yes-
,srlny that the question in dispute would
bsv. 10 be settled in court In the M eantime.
Al, rrohnan will hold back further royalty
until he learns who Is entitled to it. one thing
1. made clear 10y u prrusal OF Mr.. shortz's
toye, It's theme. principal characters and
,omo OF the episodes reappear In the
drama This Is not possibly chance
,s.snblanrc In the novel and the
drama alike the hero Is French officer
under Bonaparte in Italy; the heroine
ia an Italian countess. whom he. in COM
ru,ncs with Bonapar;e's order. takes prisoner:
And she hates her captor ut first as an enemy
other country and supposedly OF ignobla birth.
bu, owe, him at last. after nndins out that lao
is her ,eyotsI ndorcr and OF titled parentage.
u her personages that figure similarly in both
niece. OF fiction are a village priest mounte-
bank. an inakeeper. several typical soldiers
tri Eon,parte. In both the countess dis
gas-s herself "a waitress in an nn,, so
a. 10 escape arrest. a. an active Italian
suited by a brutal French sergeant.
,rnm whom IN" hero saves her. In
toh she Is taken prisoner. AMI started on
tho inlrcn L. he delivered to Bonapartc who Is
,Nprcre 10 make NJ her n creature of his lust.
H. roth IN. struggle o. the hers between love
An duty ends in his re- ease % his, prisoner, in
orier that she may hn4 safety IN tho Austrian
camp. In both the fr"nrhman wins the girl
away from her Italian cousin after desperate
eee!. 81 vn,or. n genera and IN many o.
ca On tho other hand. the novel conta ms
much thai isnot IN the drama. and the drama
contains much that is not In the book.
Sclm. Kronoi's Carmen was known here
several years ago as a vivid and highly colored
performance, without much subtlety or allure
ment. but undoubtedly effective in dramatic
lisht. These qualities give value to the cur
rent reviya. o. Bizet's opera at the American.
hut the presence OF Miss kronoli in tn. Castle
sIu,re company has beneficial Influences that
vii be FELT more widely She brings solid
merit o. routine. AMI in that particular none Of
N. other women In the organization Is equal
10 her She has tho authority which most OF
them aeI, and tot which seI.pnssession 10 no
sntsutute. The scenes between her and
Barron BeLthold this week are suns and acted
with taste and expression aud act. with the
proficiency that comes o. practice Miss kro-
with Just the right degree Of light and
shade .ss But But both stand sa.tiy. a the bend
ready has its traditions n; the American. The
late Lizzie Macnlchol "InGgsratei the comedy.
her role. and the transition TO the unavoidanle
tragedy 81 the later scenes WAS violent, There
is naturally. lit!s Of that element left in the
part now. IL remains to be seen how the audi
su,e acei,tomsi to the other view d the char
arter viii IKE change. even though il be
The stage management is aooi, The action /,
as clear out and actual as that sot any we'll
customary need OF a struggle to give interest 10
Sn orsr,ic lSr..tH which rarsiy pGs.esss: !.
In some particulars. however. and there is time
enough for the discussion OF such points.
Again Il was the acting rather than the play
Nti,h added an evening OF success TO the
seasons record at the Irving Place Theatre.
The Scaregoat" was never here In Ger
ran form although an English YER
SION relying on the original in its i'm.
I0rant features was given last winter as
The PURPLE Lady" The entanglements az a
bachelor about 10 marry are tho theme OF the
pay These assume in one case the haras-
sag form OF claim Of money damages
AMI the circus rider who presents this uti-
ra'um on the day Of his betrothal settles
herself IN the home OF the future bride.
w'l,n: 10 have her presence explained in
any possible way. but determined not 10
i"t.-". he a Introduced as the wife Of an alb
t"nt guest who Ia thought unable to appear
lut he arrives In the person Of an eccentric
lGp'e',or who objects to tho responsibility
hrls, on him especially as he has
We Of his own. She arrives also and
J. mistaken Tor servant engaged by
.Nlt'r The expected happens with the
in'.stenry q farce. The climax is
Is.ehe with b"it Inc, and in tho adjustment
o. The cpnp Heated relations established 10y the
"Hs l.p" iTSepti"n the, !unl'y Of the fun Is
"a nigh, have ben insignificant. but
s''or, and The xiii % al o. them, This fortm.
-" e"nI"ht hrpt The audience in laughter
I'm alm"r9tl"In was most dscisiv" and the
WIEN rho second "", ' cosei' were 'ors'''e"
,F'Ofg lh-et. in u precading play. showed
70 pnsa"ss On OF strongly marked comic
u en-, eNurvsssd with some rXaggerntinn
- me professor he Dor" his share in last
ISWS Proceedings with credit. Anna
lrgharIl. who had to become the wife
o. me eccentric parsonage at u moments no.
!Gs hhd shirt and not too much refinement. so
me hlei him yaantly IN carrying the stu
tu.n through So did julius Stroll. Tor that
mHWer, and half dozen more OF the theatres
WlI'trlned actors.
IN L. Marion Crawford seems to have con WINGED
hns't By his effort with Mr. Isaacs" that he
.ho' a PLAYWRIGHT, He has turned over his
,,,'hc1mtng novel. Professionally called In Old
madrid. TO Lorrlmcr Stoddard to dramatze
br Viola Allen.
Jose beNittwho n,ldled her way into vaude-
we va!u" and ihter played roles in musical
'4ree'' was the wife o, william West. He
'"hed her 10 take an engagement in the same
company with him. She refused to do so He
y" therefore obtained in san Francisco u
S,o'ce on the ground Of wiful desertion.
,AFouHg actress who had been dismissed
rom one q the Xaza" companies sat in a
nohl seat in tho theatre at Oswego. and. as