Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-05-17
THE PARISH PRIEST. "
LAST PERFORMANCE OF THE SEASON
WILL BE GIVEN IN FREElAND.


by Daniel suily and Company-Review
of "The Parish Priest"
Monday evenings performance Of
1.-The Parish Priest" at the Grand opera
house, will close Daniel Sully's season,
and this great play, written by Dan L.
Hart, will not be seen again until it
opens early next September in New
York city. The members OF the com
pany leave here for their respective
homes Tuesday morning. OF the play,
its star, and its author, the Wilkesbarre
Record of April 2s, 1900, has the follow
ing to say:
t t
Daniel Sully produced Daniel L. Harts
new comedy, The Parish Priest" at
the Nesbtt last evening to an audience
that was limited to the space between
the walls, breathing room being at a
premium.
With the Parish Priest" to his credit
Mr.. Hart takes his place among the
playwrights OF the country, for it is as
good as anything that was ever written
by Clyde Fitch, Augustus Thomas, or
ment and lofty in purpose as the pro-
ductions of either Denman Thompson
or James Hearne. The human interest
is the strong feature OF the play; it deals
with common people and tells the story
in II natural manner. There is no
strainng after effect and you see the
people of the play doing the same things
in the same manner as you see them at
home, and yet the play is not common
place-far from it-for originality is It's
basis and therein lies its strength.
t / t
1t was a reckless thing for the author
to write a play with priest in the lead
ing role, but Mr. Hart has made the
character one to be loved, never for a
moment was he anything but the noble,
upright and self-sacrificing man OF the
cloth whose sole purpose in life is the
bettering of the condition of the people
around him and never happier than
when acting as a peacemaker for their
quarrels, or leading them out OF some
ENHANCEMENT. He was ready to give or
take joke and his laughter filled those
around him with good cheer. There
was nothing of religion mentioned ex-
cept in most general way and the good
man with but twist of the authors
pen could have been made an Episco-
palian, Methodist or Presbyterian
clergyman or Jewish rabbi. The
same beautiful natures are found in
other walks of life beside the clergy
and the world is better for their exist
ence and is uplifted and charmed when
they are seen on the mimic stage.
The stage has been polluted during
late years with adaptations from the
French, the only recommendation of
which for approval has been coarseness
and vulgarty. With the success OF Mr..
Hart's play and the success of the other
pure plays of the year it is no excuse for
any management to say that the
theatre-goers prefer the risque to the
pure aud wholesome. And when IL Is
said that "Ths Parish Priest" is pure
and wholesome, let it not be understood
that this means that it is filled with
mawkish sentiment or dissertations on
the fact that the good go to heaven and
the wicked to the other place. The
sentiment is OF that nature which all
men have, love and ambition, and Mr..
Hart's idea was that ambition for riches
and position interfere with the hero's
love affairs until his eyes are opened
and he finds that Glove is the only
thing" after all.
The play is laid in the Wyoming valley
and every once In while the local color
ing is apparent with its reference to the
mines and familiar names mentioned.
Rev. John Whalen is the priest in
charge Of the spiritual affairs OF his par
ish and his niece, Helen Durkin, has
been engaged to DIR. Edward Welsh,
protege Of his, who had become sue
cesful physician and succeeded DR..
Thomas Cassidy to his practice. To
further his ambition he becomes
bethrothed to the daughter of DR..
Cassidy, who had a love affair OF her own
with Frank Dougher, a young attorney,
but who had in moment of pique
thrown him oyer. The announcement
of the unfaithfulness of DR.. Welsh is a
terrible blow for the priest and James
Welsh, a brother OF the doctor. The
first act ends with the Father repeating
For what shall itprofit man If he gain
the whole world and lose his own soulP"
/ /
Tho second act opens with the priest
u yIHe W CoHNluCo Jue yUuuS uOCbOT vi
the error of his way and also to tell
Agnes Cassidy the true state of the love
affairs Of her liance, and meets with no
success, but the doctors brother, not
able to control his temper, strikes him,
and is prevented from furnishing him by
the timely arrival of the priest. The
news is kept away from Helen Durkin
up to this time OF DR.. Wesh's deceit,
but she is made aware Of it unintenton-
ally through Katherine Corrigan,
young lady just over from Ireland on a
visit. The curtain drops on the scene
wherein the doctor asks for forgiveness.
Father Whalen replies: ~ forgive, as
a priest, but not as man." This act
was marvel of sustained interest, all
of 1t leading from the central point and
never diyerging and yet acquiring
added interest to the curtain, when the
intensity of the situation is relieved and
the auditor falls back into his seat,
feeling for his 'kerchief and with a
suspicious sniffle proceeds to wipe his
face.
t /
The third act finds the priest still
l..at .Ia-l