The Indianapolis journal., 1899-01-15
AT ENGLIsH's.
elm Old Kentucky and Clay Clement
in n New Play

iii OAeA AenNuCky, ana Clay Clement
in N New Play.
In Old Kentucky" coming to English's
Tuesday and Wednesday with a Wednes-
day matinee, has become one of the most
popular melodramas by an American au-
thor. Jacob Lifts production was a sue
cess from its first performance five years
ago, the play containing number of SEN
sational and unique scenes that furnished
material for newspaper articles and attract
ed attention to the drama throughout the
country. Nothing of the same sort, exactly
treating of types of Kentucky characters
had ever been produced. Both it's comedy
element and the thrilling episodes of
theatric nature served to make it enter
tanning and much discussed. The peaceful
characteristics of the blue grass regions
We're contrasted with the rugged nature of
the sturdy mountaineers and their bloody
feuds. No story of Kentucky life is perfect
without a chapter on thoroughbreds and
abe -h6rse-racing element plays a prominent
part in the drama. The events hang large
" on the result of a race and one of the
best limitations of race course ever seen
on the stage is pictured with the horses
and the race. A jockey is drugged and
the heroine herself dons Jockeys costume
and rides Queen Bess to victory. This is
FAMOUS
in the early days of her career before her
erratic nature led to her complete down
fall. Miss Lulu Tabor is now playing the
heroine and there is no little interest in
the engagement on account of Miss Tabor's
well-known reputation One Of the pic
turesque comedy features is the pickaninny
bands made of colored ragamufins whose
playing and dancing made such hit that
piclSaninny bands became feature of many
other productions soon after the success
of In Old kentucky"
CLAY CLEMENTS NEW PLAY.
Clay Clements new play, "A Southern Cen
tleman,' at English's the last three days
OF this wek, tells a Southland story, which
has its beginning with the firing of Federal
and Confederate artillery at the time when
Farragut was reducing the defenses of
New Orleans in 1S62. The scene of the pro-
logue of the play is Camp Chalmette the
position of a Confederate battery six miles
below New Orleans A rascally civilian.
named Durand, had been baked in an at
tempt TO swindle the Confederate govern
ment by Confederate quartermaster, who
refused TO be bribed. This leads to a chal-
lenge by Durand to Lieutenant Thompson.
the Quartermaster. The Confederate Off
Ger had for his second a young South Caro-
lima artIIeryman, Lieutenant Joseph Car
roll (Mr. Clement) Lieutenant Carroll,
when hastily summoned to the scene of the
conflict tries by every honorable means to
have the meeting avoided or even postponed.
Durand is bent on killing the man Lieut.
Thompson fires in the air, but Durand takes
careful aim and his victim falls with
bullet In his heart With his last breath
he begs that his wife be told that he died
in battle.
twenty-five years elapse when the play
proper begins. Lieutenant, now General
Carroll has became philosophical typical
Southern gentleman; a man who dispenses
the best life OF a Southern gentleman who
is generous TO fault. The scene Of the
first act is q picnic in q fine old woods on
General CarroIs plantation in honor OF
the day Lieutenant Thompson was muir
dered by Philip Durand, now grown TO
WOmanhood. Miss Thompson is rich
heiress. She has. lately returned from
tour Of Europe While abroad she mas met
Philip Durand, a smooth, plausible. gen
fZenent by marriage with Miss Thomp-
SON. He has managed to get from Miss
Thompson half-hearted promise that she
will become his wife, but the enga cement
when the act opens. General Carroll sees
and recognizes the man, who. twenty-five
years before had murdered the father OF
the young lady IN whose honor the picnic
IS being given. Years before General Car
roll was in love with the mother OF Miss
Thompson, but she had chosen the more
mature man, who afterward fell a victim TO
Durand's murderous bullet. Miss ThOmp-
son, for reasons for which she cannot ac-
count herself, has taken dislike TO DU-
rand, though her honor viii not allow her to
break their engagement, and when she art
lessly asks General Carroll IL II is true, sne