The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-12-01
NATHAN HALE"
Beautiful Play Finely Presented at the

Beautiful Play Finely Presented at the
Hyperion Last Night.
Clyde Fitchs beautiful play Nathan
Hale" was presented at the Hyperion
last night. The piece is well known to
theater- goers as that gifted authors
masterpiece. 1t is one of the most in
tensely American dramas. The story
of Nathan Hale is known to every
schoolboy. His loyalty to his countrys
cause and his lofty self-sacrificing pa
triotism brings a thrill to the heart of
every American. His death is one Of
the saddest yet grandest tragedies in
| the dark days of the Revolution. The
story of his love for sweet Alice Adams,
which is introduced into the play, lends
| it additional pathos and beauty. The
Iplot hinges upon that ancient subject,
the struggle between love and duty;
and duty wins the day, though the VIC
tory costs life and two broken hearts.
The sombre tone of the play was some
what relieved by many humorous Incl
dents but after the first act there were
| far more occasions for tears than for
I laughter.
| The scenic effects were elaborate and
| beautiful, and the piece was we'll play
ed Howard Kyle vigorously and truth
fully acted the part of the noble young
soldier whose name is the title of the
| play. Miss Nannette Comstock was the
heroine. She faithfully portrayed the
character of Alice Adams, winning the
hearts of the audience by her sweet
girlishness in the beginning and in the
end claiming their pity for her great
sorrow.
Frederick Weber as Guy Fitzroy and
George A. D. Johnson as Cunningham
acted their parts strongly. The esca-
pades of Angelica Knowlton Miss
Proctor) and Ebenezer Lebanon (Mr.
HaighD furnished much amusement.
Though the cast is new to New Ha-
veners, the play is not. The piece itself
is very strong and it has not suffered
from changes in the cast for the play
ers' several rendtions of their parts
We're excellent.
The audience was appreciative. All
who see Nathan Hale undoubtedly
leave the theater ip~>the happy con-
seriousness of having witnessed pure
and thoroughly American drama.
Nathan Hale is a play that appeals
to all Dealing with so essentially a
SUBJECT d6 tpGS 4Nolie'il ii'iN'
the author. Mr.. Fitch, has wisely told
his story in a simple, direct and force
full manner that cannot fail to stir the
patriotic heart of every true American.
He has mingled just enough fancy
with his fact to give to his work the
happy elements that go to make up the
perfect, play. Sombre as is the main in
cident Of Nathan Hale, the play is
beautifully relieved by some of the
daintiest bits of American comedy
writing. The play opens in New Lon
don Conn, where Nathan Hale as a
village schoolmaster falls in love with
his bewitching pupil Alice Adams, and
their love scenes, in which the smitten
schoolmaster still seeks to maintain the
dignity of the teacher, are delicious in
their simplicity and truth. The play
proceeds on the lines of bright comedy |
until the tragic events of the later acts,
where Hale / as the patriotic spy is
trapped by the British. The final part
ing from his sweetheart on the eve of |
his execution is one of the most pa |
thetic scenes in the literature of the |
stage. There are many reasons why |
this play should especially appeal to |
Connecticut people. Apart from the fact
that the opening scene is laid in New
Clyde Fitch the author, is a
Connecticut boy, having been born in
Hartford. Nathan Hale himself was
born in the town of Coventry, and
graduated from Yale in 1878. One of
his staunchest friends, who was also a
Continental captain with him, was Will
liam Hull also graduate of Yale, 1878.
Then, pretty Alice Adams, Hale's
sweetheart, was born in Canterbury,
Conn, and her father Colonel Adams,
was one of Connecticuts glorious con-
tributions to the Revolutionary cause
1t may not be generally known that
the Rev. Edward Everett Hale, the au-
thor of 1.-THE Man Without a Country"
is granddaughter of the Revolutionary
martyr. The play will be repeated this
afternoon and evening.