The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-01-09
PROVIDENCE OPERA HOUSE.

o 81 aa j. 4.
| Mr.. Frietchie. ............Geo WoodWar.
Arthur Frietchle. Lionel Adam,
1ol Negiey y......,..,.......C h. GlbneS
! JACK Ncglty ,...... Arnold DALI
| tred GelwiN., N.,r........D DOdsOn Mitchell
! Tim Green en............... Becton Radford
| Edgar strong Donald MacLaren
Dr. Hal Algernon Tassin
! Sergt. James. .............. Frank ColfaN
| torp. Gerklns, ..,......... Ralph Lewis
| ofheTly '..... ......-..........H IA. Phillips
| y ooy 's''''' ..-...... Byron Ongley
I There ls really nothing about either
| Miss Julia Marlowe or her new play
at the Providence opera house to hitch
up with the popular notion, the ira
| dition. or the famous poem OF Bar
bara Frietchie." The title is admitted
ly selected chiefly for it's Significance as
bringing easily 20 mind the stormy
days when Federal and Confederate
fought on the Maryland border, the lido
OF contending armies now moving TO
/ the north. now 90 the south. 1t is OF
this critical period. these scenes and
this episode OF the Civil war that Mr.
Clyde Fitch has wr,tten in his new play
20 provide atmosphere and local color
for the love story that ne tells. To be
sure the heroine II called Barbara
Frietchie.' and there is also represent
ed the poetic and inspiring incident OF
the flag. But FOR both the name and
the incident others might have been
substituted for dramanc purposes with
out affecting the story had the play
wright so chosen, except that both are
rather more closely identified in the
popular mind with the picture OF the
period that Mr.. Fitch otherwise por-
trays than any other that could prob
ably be selected.
In the main. then. Barbara F'rietchie
IL war drama with the love story IT'S
leading theme. Indeed IL is rather
more than "A drama--ih IL tragedy
by the same reckoning that applies 10
that greatest Of love stories, Romeo
and Juliet" Like the working OF fate
In the immortal Shakespearean love
story. the tragedy comes quite unex-
pectedly 10 the audience assumed TO he
unfamiliar with the complete unfolding
OF the tale. For Barbara Frletche" Is
a play with an unhappy ending. Such
plays are usually accounted hazardous
from the box Office point of Ylew- and
are particularly uncommon when the
theme Is youthful love. 1t is often as
serted on Inadequate evidence that au-
diences will not stand for plays with
unhappy endings. But Romeo and Ju-
Ret has weathered a good many sea-
sons and without suggesting a box Of
hce comparison between the work OF
Mr.. Fitch and that OF the Bard Of Avon
there isn't any manner of doubt that
barbara Frietchie' will continue to
please and make sad a good many au-
diences for as long "A time TO come as
Miss Marlowe chooses To keep il i'm her |
repertory.
no gtl ID. ~
liet. by she way, in the new Fitch |
play Is inevitable. Indeed. II is likely |
that the trend OF the earlier tragedy /
inspired the writing Of the play when /
me author got at il quite as much as /
iid the tradition OF Barbara Frietchie
and the Old Flag. Miss Marlowe and /
her leading man. Mr.. J. Fl Gimour are
gwen few lines from the immortal
owe romance In an early scene to in
ncate That the similarity to Montague
and Capulet is recognized as indeed il
8 so often in real life and the way the
apparently promising incidents lead up
% nnal catastrophe is all but a plagiar-
SIN or the Shakespearean model, were
L fair 10 accuse Mr.. Fitch OF attempt-
ng 10 plagiarize Shakespeare.
But these observations are all i'm tho
way or an aside. Barbara Frietchie"is
| singularly up-to-date and very beau
iful romantic play. as original as DOS
tble in the telling OF the old old story.
# peculiarly dainfv construction and
appealing throughout 10 the finer SEN
iments Of an audience. II is brilliant
n dialogue. simple and direct i'm con-
truction. strong and varied I'm situa-
IONS and provided with an unusual
lumber Of rapidly sketched and erfec-
i've characterizstions In tableaux and
cenic devices II IL remarkably rich. Ex-
ept for the first act II mostly tends 10
romote a flow OF tears After the mid
le OF the second act II calls for little
lse but tears as II moves with increas-
ng speed from the merely pathetic to |
he pronounced tragic-AnA- n ~ safe
say that few tear inspiring dramas |
re so successful i'm their mission and |
one achieve the result with less en-
a'Tassment 20 the individual i'm the
udience. The use Of ones handkerchief
eed not he covert where handkerrhiefs
re In evidence all over the house as !
hey were last evening. Moreover there I
really nothing 20 feel ashamed OF in
eing moved TO pleasurable tears bv
lch a fetching bit of work ne this new
Itch piece so exuulsitely interpreted q
: II is by Miss Marlowe. 4
Barbara Frictchie" is ropresarted
be "A southern girl whose heart is
on by Federal soldier. captain I'm l
'onnecticut regiment, evcpllpntlV | q
)rtrayed by Mr.. Gilmour Barbara's a
'other Is i'm the Confederate army. Her a.,
.ther and all her acquaintanccs are
~ rebels. Rarbars runs away to near
Y Hagerstown 20 we'd her lover bur he e
called Ia the defence OF the place v
om the approaching rebels before the g,
lct can be tied. Back to- her home in ,
rederick she goes and here. shot nv !,
" brother. her lover is brought TO :
But 10 summarize 10 its conclusion {
~ romantic theme as Mr. Fitch dc. u
lions u, or 90 relate the dranetic in =
dents by which IL ~ develonad vouId *
10 rob audiences for the balance ~ g
. week ~ = great many stirring and q
arful shocks N
There arc four acts and as MANY an q
rent scenes. The scenes are clabor- q
., beautiful and as new as is possi- u
.. Perhaps the 'naning scere H. Tho I
ost attractive of thcm all. l. roprs. "a
nts street in Frederick. promlneai s.
which IS tho Frietchir house u cboy n
the old colonial archit s-ture. many
anDles or which are rreserve1 tb ot
aryland 20 this DAY. Roses grow X
-ainst he foundation wall there Is a y
onnv stoon and in the foreground n a.,
nn the gives fhn ffppwosaf,,, 80 49,.