The Indianapolis journal., 1899-01-15
PLAY BILLS THIS WEEK
GRAND STOCK COMPANY HAS A
STRONG PLAY IN ..FRIENDs.'
EngIish's Has MeIodrama and Clay
Clement I'm a Double BiII-Park
and Empire Vaudeville.

The production of Edwin Milton Royles
comedy drama Friends by the stock com
pany at the Grand tomorrow night and
all this week will recall the interest aroused
by this play at the same theater some years
ago when Mr.. Royle first presented it here.
The story of the play is highly original, be-
ing altogether different from that Of any
drama ever seen here. 1t tells of the friend
ship between two young men who are shar-
ing poverty together in the first act, being
reduced practically to one suit of clothes
and a torn dressing gown, but whose
natural, high spirits make the situation ex-
tremely diyertng. One of them, Jack
Paden, is the son Of a wealthy merchant
and has been turned out by his father be-
cause he preferred a literary life to one in
his fathers counting room. The other,
Adrian Karje, is a young musician. and be-
tween them is a bond of sympathy so strong
that one gives up the woman he loves be-
cause he sees that his friend also loves
her This woman, Marguerite Otto. is
prima donna at the Metropolitan Opera
House New York. Her supposed father,
Hans Otto, also a musician is a slave to
the morphine habit and, having become in
volved in some shady transaction years be-
fore, is in the power of Harold Hunting,
director Of the theater, who knows of the
old mans secret. Hunting is anxious to mar
~ Marguerite, who however, returns the
love of Karje, the young musician Through
his hold over Otto, Hunting hopes to force
Marguerite to marry him. Otto threatens
to tell her secret connected with her birth,
which Hunting desires for his own ends
kept in the background. He keeps the old
man in his rooms under the influence of
drink and opium until Otto is crazed and
nearly dead. Meanwhile Marguerite has
been searching for her father everywhere
and. aided by Jack Paden, she finally sue
ceeds in finding him in Hunting's apart
ments. His rescue is a strong meIodrarnatic
scene and, in attempting 10 prevent it, Hunt
ing fires his revolver. Karje is so close that
the powder flies into his eyes, binding him.
just prior to this scene Karje and Mar
guerite had quarrel over her presence iii
Hunting's room, which Karje did not un-
derstand, but in the final act this is all
Strengthened out and the play ends happily
with physicians assurance that the young
musicians eyesight will be restored to him.
The comedy of Friends is one of its
most delightfuL features. Like the more
serious phases of this play it is thoroughly
original and unusually bright. The first
act abounds in comedy situations and there
is a breeziness about the entire play that
forms much of its charm. The new leading
man, Howell Hansel will be seen as Jack
Paden and Mr.. Patton viii appear as Karje.
Miss Shannon will, of course, be the Mar
guerite, and Mr.. Kirkland, Harold Hunting.
Mr.. Sheldon will have another fine oppor-
tunity for good character work as Hans
Otto and it is safe to say that he will play
the part well. Those who saw his Baron
Hartfeld in Jim the Pennman' know what
he can do in these character parts. The
four acts of Friends admit of some pref
ty and effective stage settings There will
be matinees rs usual Wednesday and Satur-
day.