The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-26
A NEW FARCE INTRODUCED.
THREE MORE THEATRE OPENED FOR
THE DRAMATIC SEASON,


Manhattan Theatre last night provided an
abundance OF tomloolery. Some OF this stun
and nonsense was not funny. and such por-
tons were torture to q hot nights audience.
BUT lar more OF II was all that the authors,
Sidney Wilmer aud Walter Vincent, could have
hoped Tor in the provocation OF laughter The
novelty IN A Stranger In Strange Land" was
an American Indian as comic figure. We have
mad white men disguised as wooden cRa r store
Indians In farces from the Forty Winks" OF
John Owens to the now Town Topics" But
In this case tho Indian was put forward as
genuine. and the counterfeit by George
osoourne was close enough to pass with good
Judges as a reservation red degenerate. The
story OF the play sent this fellow to England
as quack doctors advertising companion
Just In time to be hired to pretend that
ne was atypical American savage with blood
thirsty nature. A scapegrace son OF an English
country family had returned home from this
country. where he was supposed to have been
ranching in tho wilds OF Buffalo. ~ Y. His
laundering uncle conceived that the presence
OF corroborative Indian would sup
port the fiction. and so the medicine
faEir's redman was turned to account. Stimuli
taneously. the tricky scion OF the house. with
out knowing what his uncle had done. pro-
duced the requisite Indian by painting and
costuming white friend. With the two In
other neither knowing OF the other existence.
and all the other characters conveniently i'm
beetle. the farcical misunderstanding began
after half an hour OF slow preparation and con-
tinued with industrious rapdity to the end OF
third act They were too utterly unreasona-
ble for good farce. which demands degree
OF pIausibility Indeed. in one sentence OF So
Der criticism this may be- set down
Gee lingy bad farce. 1t was ludcrous though.
IT,, l.. l., 4,
great deal. SO another truth to be told about
1t Is that it was boisterous success In merri-
ment
Mr. Osbourne's portrayal OF u red wretch.
who drank an immoderate amount Of whiskey.
stole everything he could lay his thieyish hands
on AMI was n wailowing. Rrunting beast, at
the EXTREMIST remove from the ideal American
savage. was fine acting ard excellent foolery
blended. The other performance which helped
the farce into favor quite legitimatey was that
OF Cyril Scott as the young English
scamp and pretended American rancher. Mr..
Scott is an easy comedian. always light and
graceful and he made the harsh crudlties OF
his role seem smooth and polite. Theatrical
audiences dearly love a ready liar. The fellow
played by Mr.. Scott lied as huently
rs Mr.. Gillette used to in TOO Much
Johnson" His falsehoods got him out
OF one difficulty and into another
and there were assistant liars in the
uncle. by NJ A. Kennedy. and the qlack doctor.
Ivy Walter Hale. to keep IN the lying when he
was out of breath or OIL the scene. This would
have been an Ananias farce Of quite conven-
ventional type. but for the crss-cross of pur-
poses wrought out through the real Indian. who
was all the time enjoying himself with eating.
drinking and thevng. and the imitation Indian
who suffered hunger thirst and general mall
krn, ,,.,I s,,t ST. hn
u lEcd curate in The Private Secretary"
Thcra was "A set ot female characters. a wife
and some sweethearts. hut they amounted to
Little in tn" writing or in the acting The fun
CIR masculine. It is not relieved 10y sentiment
by The actor, nameI and i does not mix neat
wit wsh b e HnoIs but it is GsSSn
and comic enough to make a first night theat-
rica audience roar.
The Garden Theatre and the American were
opened last night with plays that had been in
troduced to the New York public last spring
and had then been cut off prematurey "Ru-
pert Of Hentzan." which had been successful
briefly at the Lyceum. was placed on the stage
in almost precisely the same manner at the
Garden. James X. Hackett was again the gal
liant English adventurer in Ruritania, OF course.
and it would be hard to pick out an
actor who could figure to better advan-
tage in the ultra romantic and sometimes
violently melodramatic story. This play. it
will be rene N bered. is Anthony Hopes own
stage version OF his sequel to The Prisoner
OF Zenda." 1t reproduces pretty much all Of
the novels vital interests. and makes them po-
tential, especially with people who have read
both the books. As the spirited hero. Mr.
Hackott repeats his excellent depletion OF the
same character in the first drama. AS the
resembling king. whom he enacts also no is
lpea vat liffprentiato
two men clearly.
The play renewed last night at the Anne ric an
and to stay there only week prior to the
season OF opera. is Lee Arthurs Victims OF
Tennessee" This piece coming from an I'M
known native author, was one OF the agree
able surprises OF last season. Its rugged
mountaineers were force'ul in wha, they said
and did. Its negroes were clearly studies from
real life, Its scenes at the camp OF a regiment
formed for the Cuban War. with rsminiscence s
Of the Civil War. gave a martial playground with
out the boom Of bloodshed OF actual warfare
The manifest faults OF the composition were
overbaanced by the merits. especially by the
fresh originality. Of some OF the episodes. Mr..
Arthur is in the efficient company, now at the
it. He had refashioned several passages i'm
rsSched With hn Better offoct' weUns OF ' Ten.
nessee" is in some respects as unconventional
as us tltle.
The Murray H1l reopened yesterday after
moor for another season Of Henry w DON
nelly's stock Gonna" N weekly changes Of
play. Augustus II m = I'm Mizzoura" had
been chosen as the ,,orter, and the perform
ance taken as n whole was good as to sug-
gest that this comedy had been selected for it's
fitness to the actors. Interest centred partc-
ularly in Ralph Stuart the new leader. To I'll
VIII twn
ances are given every week requires not only
acting ability but Versatility as well. There
fore. Mr.. Stunrt's fitness for the position
could hardly be decided by his impersonn-
ton OF ono parsonage. His Pike county
sheriff was good characterization.
comm endable for its earnestness and
its touches OF comedy Another now conner is
Georgia Welles. who made good start yeIter-
day. The old members were greeted warmly
al without aXcOptiOn 1naarvpd nm