New-York tribune., 1900-11-09
THE DRAMA.
A NEW AMERICAN DRAMA.
THE ToRYs GUEST"

THE TORYS GUEST"
In the quaint little house at Newburz. vha-.
General Washington dwelt. at that critical TINA
in the Revolutionary War when he was engaged in
maintaining communication between the middle
Colonies and those OF New-Engiand parting the
British forces and preparing for the investment of
NewYork. displayed tor, AZ least. formerly they
werel manuscript documents relative TO a pIot
which fortunately miscarried. to seize the person
Of that commander. and deliver him into the hands
OF his enemies. Conspiracies against the grand old
cbieftain were not uncommon but this one was
especially ingenious. and il almost succeeded This
Is the subject that has been happily chosen by
Mr. Victor Mapes. as the theme for a drama and
this subject he has treated. with marked inxenuit
and 10 good practical purpose. in his play called
THE Tory's Guest" which was produced YESTERDAY
afternoon at the Empire Theatre. by a company OF
Mr. Franklin Sargent's students. and which was
received with more than ordinary favor by a larra
and unusually intelligent and discrninative audi
elce.
The fabric differs from most OF the callovr COM
positions that customartly presented at thesa
trial matinees (Which commonly trials in more
senses than one). in possessing several conspicuous
merits. 1t tells its story more by action than By
words 1t suggests the atmosphere Of the time to
which it relates II discrminstes between varieties
OF character. 1t arouses and maintains a feeling
or suspense. II contrives two or three situations
Of effective order. 1t is written In fluent Eng
nsh. and 1t Is comparatively free from long
speeches. On the other hand, its fable II trite its
incidents occasionally forced; its movement IA
mpeded by episodicaI trivialides-odds and ends
Of scrappy dialogue between servants and supers
TO explain what needs explanation; Its heroine
Is made far too easily crednlous that her accepted
lover is impostor and q SPY; II contains too
many persons. and it Is wofuly weak in the sls-
ment of humor. The introduction OF Washington
necessary and cleverly managed In the fourth act.
is superhuous and drear1Iy Ineffective in the first
The expedient OF the twin brothers. who closely
resemble each other,-not merely In aspect. but in
voice.-that no observer distinguish between
them. has done duty IN many another play
and novel. and is venerable with antiquity
There Is. however. a respect due 10 age
and old things that freshly used can
still sometimes be made to seem effective Mr.
Aapes, making one OF the brothers gay and rat
Ting British officer and the other stafd and
serious Continental has. in his series OF connected
scenes, caused them to be repeatedly mistaken for
each other. and. by involving them IN the plot Of
three old Tory inhabitants to capture General
Washington.-by Turing him a dinner party at a
country house. and causing the place to be sur
rounded by British troopss-has made their personal
similarity contributive really romantic climax
II carefully pruned and condensed. and then COM
mitted to the hands of experienced actors. The
Torys Guest" would assuredly make a brave show
and not improbably would capture the public fancy
Such situation that In which the Continental
brother is surprised by the British guards and then
being mistaken by his captors for their own Leader
in Disguise is sufficiently alert surprise their
secrets and discomht their plans has carried IN a
popular success several dramas more experimsutl
than this one. Even the somewhat crude treat
ment Of IT by Mr. Sargents phalanx evoked a re-
sponse OF copious enthusiasm.
The play contains twenty-eight parts four OF
which are doubles. The representative OF Washing
ton bore himself with composure and inspired
respect,-and that, under the dramatic conditions
provided, could not have been easy: for now as
always. since the tie-wig times Of Peter RlchIngs
that great American emerges all dignity and
decorum. all buckram and starch a creature but
momentariy escaped from a marble pedestal. and
old Henry Clapp said of the Rev Dr. Osgood-
only waiting for vacancy in the Trinity. The play
that shall do justice to the character OF George
Washington has never been written and probably
never will be. Mr.. Wallace WorsIey who doubled
as the twin brothers. evinced many OF the qualities
of an actor-creating illusion, and exhibiting
both vivacity and serious force The actlng.
general. at least Jealous. Robert Siddls.
old traitor. and Austin Webb. tipsy soldier.
were notably clever. There was much screaming by
some of the female players particularly by Miss
AIifflin. lady who said that she had come all the
way from Philadelphia and who began A vol
and continued voclferously explode through
out the representation. King Lear furnishes
salutary hint for students OF this kind
Her voice soft, gentle. and low
An excellent thing in woman"
"