The times., 1899-10-14
THINGS THEATRICAL.
Lafayettc-4rhe choir rnvi-lhIe.,

George Falconer Holm 4 Wsber
Ihaisss y sannon- Lester Louergaa
ceseFi' hniden'- aughan Chaser
refer Sptlnse % Kaua Hills
James Wilkinson. on.......--....... W Nssr~r
fiofatio lurpfu Lawrence Hazletiue
=. Cairns
n~eei Herbert Bremen
90, =, - Fanny Colleen
isuiias James E.ivin
.esea. Frances Hastings
ss'y @ Nessa Maynard
NIFTY roy thrsss Alice HINT
w mio1N bancnck. Ada Gilman
nhnebe L5veicy- fheo Caresr
'toeier fef4usen- Sarah Summer
After series OF delays ana postpone
ments taat would have given un limited on
portunity for oratorieal exhibitions from
Jerone's immortal stage manager, who
declared. in making an excuse that to
nights performance will rot be Performed.
but will be repeated tomorrow nig1t.@ =
Henry Jewett set at defiance TIE ominous
potency of the date, and presented The
Choir Invisible" yester-evening at the La
fayette- II the occasion Is to be censid-
cred from the viewpoint of the company S
treasurer. it may be stated Immediately
that the effect of the day was not felt in
the slightest. For Manager Painters
theatre was crowded as it has not been
q
and accommodating audience, which ap-
piauded every bit of the piece, and finally.
when the curtain had fallen between the
star and conservatory. minus the build
ing, generously sheered the drop up again
and saw Mr.. Jewett come to his own. The
most exacting could not have wished for
better aSsemblage.
The play-weIT. the play was the single
regrettable thing of the whole affair. Ali
the favoritisn of the gathering and the act
ing of an excellent cast and the eostliness
of such setting as is rarely given te a
dramatic composition did not save il from
being so considered last night, and viii
hardly save it later on. In these times, 4
work of its sort must have one OF two re-
suits. II must either lift its hearers from
their seats by reason of its strength or it
must convulse them with it's humor The
Choir Invisible does neither. It IS merely
very pretty little skstch that is pleasing
and dainty and literary, but does not reach
any of the emetions-not even that OF SYM
pathy. 1t often commands the attention,
but never the interest. Briefly. its fault is
that II has neither faults nor virtues-is
consists OF nothing. and though that nosa-
ing is we'll done, is consequently doomed
to being received with Indifference. The
exquisite scenery and the marvellous cos
tunes with which the offering is staged !;
the obvious labor that has been put upon
it serve TO make deploTabIe this fact but
do not hide it. The production of 'The
Choir Invisible" makes one think of the
farmer who dressed the arms and legs of
his scareerow. but forget so many of its
props that it collapsed sir Jswett's pres
entaton is carefully clothed, but it cannot
stand straight.
ha f.rr,DO-ffscu- ~ Xr1a1
are popular because their language is
charming their view OF life ex-
presses the optimism Of Sir Edwin Arnold
and their view Of nature is as perfect as
was that of Richard Jeffries. Even The
Kentucky Cardinal" the most coherent OF
his outputs, was wholly lacking IN that
something which has just been metaph0ri-
eally designated as the props" but vhich,
IN scareerew and story, might better have
been called spine. 'The Choir fnvisi-
ble''-as this paper has said oftener than
once-was the tale of dreamer who met
one woman. fell in love with another, and
married a third This plot made a passa-
bly, readable book; it could not make an
actable play unless-unless practically un-
used. The single hope of Frances Hast
ings adaptation was in her ability to get
away from the basis OF her work. The dis
corning must have realized that in pro-
portion to the amount of the novel left
out of The Choir Invisible" would be the
faith that might be put into it.
Miss Hastings product is merely Mr. Al
lens picture Of colonial Kentucky en-
dowed with life. She has melted the vol
ume together and poured it upon the stage.
Mr.. Aliens beautiful speeches are there
with all their old charm, though not in
their old places. Mr.. Aliens old creations
are seen in every corner, though occasion
ally In new form. And the inactivity and
dullness are there. TOO. The piece IS an
idyl Of idieness. 1t contains business, but
no action. 1t is a waste of words-a desert
Of descriptions steep un5ullied with sit
uations. There are long speeches that
have no reason for existence save for their
existence in the story There are eharac-
teristies impressed upon one with great de-
tail merely because the story men and
women had them. And all this is accom-
plished with a straining for effect that was
not apparent in the literary work Miss
Hastings has replaced a metaphysical and
historical study with a conglomerate mass
of artistic touches and yalueless matter. OF
welI-defined and unique personages, con-
trasted with needless ones. Of charming
phrases and interminable lines. The better
things mentioned abound. but are not DOM
inant. The Choir Invisible is beautiful,
but a dramatic vacuum.
The theme of the product has been
changed only slightly One is first shown
the Falconers tiny place outside of Lex
ington and is introduced to John Gray,
the schooimaster, who has come a-wooing.
One sees with what seant courtesy he is
treated by Amy. the object of his quest
and hears Mrs. FalconeF to whom he has
gone for advice and consent. warn him of
the frivolity of her niece. Some women
in marrying demand all and give all" she
says. with good men they are the happy:
with base men they are the broken heart
ed. Some demand everything and give lit
tie; with weak men they are tyrants; with
strong men they are the divorced. =
Some give little and demand little: they
are the heartless, and they bring neither
the Joy of life nor the peace of death"
And on John Gray's repeated nor the
peace of death the curtain falls.
IN the next act one is taken TO the
smithy of Peter Springle and there is let
into the secret of Charles O'Banuon's joke.
learning how the Irishman has contrived
to send Amy to the long expected ball
with another swain than John Gray And
one sees the dancing room, on little
knoll overlooking the river, where the
pedagogue has come in search of Amy.
where he discovers that she has been be-
trothed to a rival. and where he thrashes
the jester responsible-the most effective
bit in the play. Then there is Parson
Moore's log church, and the memorable
sermon on the enemies of the soul One
is suddenly awakened to the fact that John
Gray is in love with Mrs. Falconer. the
aunt OF Amy, and that he is fighting that
passion. There is a meIodramatic de-
scription of the struggle with the panther,
and then the young fellow goes to Mrs.
Faiconer,s garden to tell her of his feel