The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-28
A BEAUTIFUL PLAY.
Griffith Davenport" opens a Weeks
Engagement at the Worcester Theatre.

! Engagement at the Worcester Theatre.
Griffith Davenport" James 4,
/ Hernes new play, which he considers
his best work, and which has received
high encomiums from educational, lit
erary and religious authorities, opened
a weeks engagement at the Worcester
/ Theatre last night before a deeply i'm
/ pressed audience. Like Shore Acres, "
/ the new piece is an idyll oe domestici-
! ty. Though its scenes are laid in time
of war; its atmosphere is reposeful and
quiet Its story may tell OF bottle, but
its spirit is Of calm, beautiful peace.
1t is in Virginia, in 1860. Griffith Da-
| Vcnport is a Methodist preacher, an
( alti-slavery man, who has inherited
slaves, but who has resolved never to
buy nor sell human being, Certain
incidents happening in the neighbour
hCOd, tend TO deepen his prejudice
against slaveholding, and he resolves
to free all his slaves. HIS younger son
agerly approves his ideas; so does his
wife, not from principle, for she is d
| true southern woman in every sense,
hut through her love for her husband;
! the elder son and the neighborS hear
/ OF his purpose with rage and threat
enings. Even his negroes rebel; tender
/ back their free papers, and refuse TO
| be degraded into free nigggerS," Now
comes the news Of the election of Lin
coin, and the neignbOrs, Knowing Da-
| venport voted for him, compel him to
! leave his home.
/
v here he remains in quiat two years.
| Gov Morton of Indiana, an old friend,
/ suggests him to the president as the
| only man who can lead the Union
| troops accurately through the Shenan-
doah valley, a task which must be per-
! formed, or the loyal cause Is hopeless.
| DaVenports Oldest son, Beverly, has
| sided with the rebels, and is now a
| confederate captain; his other son, Roy,
/ Is wearing the blue; and the parson
/ breads to leave his wife alone. Morton
| brings him a peremptory order; he
| ponders on his duty, and he goes, after
! overcoming his wifes scruples in a
most pathetic and beautiful scene.
Nearly two years later he is captured
while scouting, few miles from his
| old home, by rebel force led by his
son Beverly, from whom the preacher
learns that Mrs. Davenport has re-
| turned to the old homestead, and made
OF 1t a confederate hospital So he
and his wife meet again at the old
porch, and he tells her the parting shall
! be for little while only. Beverly has
married, and SO, they learn, has Roy.
He believes an exchange of prisoners
will soon take him to Washington, and
she promises to meet him there, AS he
awaits the time to go, the twilight
shadows deepen; the old couple cling
closer to each other and he sings the
old song that he had sung to her long
before in courtship days. Then the
curtain falls.
The same exquisite charm which
stamped Shore Acres" as extraordin-
airy clings in equal degree to the new
piece. Instead OF New England. the
scene is laid in Virginia, but the local
color is as carefully defined, and the
dialect and surroundings as accurate
as before. This play is especially inter
estlng as picture of the times A
years ago, from a southern standpoint
and the Virginian side of the Question
IS set forth with a skill and simplicity
that leaves no doubt of it's truth. The
scenes of the manumitted slaves tear
ing up their free papers and the con
Tempt IN which the darkeys themselves
heId the free of their race open new
and unsupported visions to our north
ern eyes. The wish Of a prominent
educator that every teacher and child
OF discretionary age could see "Grif-
nth Davenport" is heartily Endorsed.
Inc cast is a long one. and contains
number of clever people. Mrs. Herne
as Mrs. Davenport takes first honors
aItsr her husband, for her sweet and
notheriy rendition of the part. Such
GO q conception as Mrs. Herne's is the
IeeaI or true wife and womanhood.
ROBERT Fischer played a typical south
ener in quantity humorous fashion
sydney Booth and Bert Young were
capital as the two sons: and Warren
Ionlan gave faithful portraitl1re of
Inalana's war governor The ladies and
Senuemen who impersonated slave
roles showed signs of careful staga
management, and H. G. Carleton must
De credited with good bit of work a.
degraded Free niger" Mr.. Herne's
own appearance as the parson-bero is
, On par with his Nathanl Berry, nat
ural and inimitable. ''''
Not the least interesting mart - a..
whole were the stage SETTINGS T SI,e
quaint, low parlors, with straight biyho
backed furniture and typical family
PORTRAITS on the walls awaken 70,
Spouse IN the memory of the middle
aged; and the costumes Of tha rn,,id,1
with wide hoopskirts for the Wor M,
ana Dell shaped coats and trousers fo-
e ne Lieii, are reproduced in MANY
clerlshed old daguerreotype.
IL. ~. a T. Marble, formerly superin-
, reIrug ~, OF schools in Worcester. and
Go, ~ silI'~Nf position in New York
CITY, writes the Spy a personal 1at{ tH
as follows: 4'0iis4 letter
- IS West 94th ST. New York Feb. .
To The Spy: eo' 20
Dear Mr.. Editor:
me play Rev. Griffith Dava,,
port which win be at the WoTcas+a-
IIleatfe next week. is of historic in
terest; and especially so to the naonia
OF your city, because its hero vas IL
! "a asiler OF Col. Chenowith, my predeces-
sor IN the Office of superintendent -
STiools there. One of the charactars
30 ely, represents the colonel, ex-
~ MAJ LOT dramatic reasons, he enters
D., t -le confederate army. As is veil
known, Col. Chenowith was in +ba -,
ION army he led off the troons ~ az
battle of Wilson's Creek. in NTisso,,,i;
aIter the fall of Gen. Lyon. and snh
Sequently he was on the STAFF of 60
Grant, by whom he was appointed COZ,
SUI at Canton, China, where he AZ
rms play depicts in a mastery 1voI,
lnanH features or slavery in the south
rboyoot - - VI 'ne civil war. and the
si' ne aJserlstlcs OF the southern people.
as no history can make them knovn ~
any one, man or child, who is not 70
mlliarr with those characteristic nar-
1t is truthful history. and he
sides this. there is not a scene or a sns-
sestion in all the play that can offend
the most delicate sensibiity; though
3 me OF the generals does indulge in a
Few 'cuss words" as he says. for EN-
pn lt u.s. People who, like myself, do
lot frequent theatres where the mir
ror'' often shows little too much ma
Lure, may see the Rev. Griffith Daven-
port with as much interest and nro3t