The sun., 1901-06-02
SOME DRAMATIC SUBJECTS.
4 REAL HERO NEARLY KILLED AT MS
THEATRICAL NEW B:GTH.

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fHEATRICAL NEW B:ATH.
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new Vital Passage n Play Wa akippsd On
rtsvt Might That Became Chsetis -Eiee-
nsrs DussS Expernsnt with an Initiation
of OLD 0rscaan Trassdy-Rsjaas Checked.
That border hero OF vim and valor, KIT
Carson. after living In history moro than
nfty years after his physical death. was al
most killed In his theatrical birth at tho
Amsriosn Theatre last Monday night He
was to renew his youth and repeat some
OF his deeds In q drama. but he found him
sell beset In his make-believe adventures
by perils very different from those he had
encountered in his actual existeuos. When
he had fought Indians In the real New Mexico
the ciroumstances and surroundings had
been all too ready for him. But on the mimic
stage they were slow. wabbly or altogether
sosent. Ralph Stuart. tho impsrsonator
OF Kit. had perhaps been inspired to reck-
lsssness BY the subject. As the leading
actor and stage director OF the Greenwall
stock company. no had become accustomed
10 tne preparation OF himself and his COM
panions for q change Of play every week
But to revive an old piece. with its business
all settled by usage. is one thing. and to
bring out new one Is quite another. Kit
Carson" was loaded heavily with elaborate
scenery. crowded with people. and altogether
the big kind Of show that hardly ever less
than q month % expended on before . public
disclosure. and even then some perform
anoss for experiment and practice are usually
given remotely from New York. But Kit
Carson had only nve short forenoon re-
hsarsah by . company that was engaged
In another piece every afternoon and evening.
until the Sunday before the production.
All that day and until o'clock next morn
ing . struggle to get ready was made. but
In vain. The nrst two acts were delivered
on Monday night with many. though minor,
ntshaps, such a. the audience generally
did not observe. but in the third a confusion
Of horses. machinery and other things set
In. the climax had to be omitted. and from
then on to the end OF the play thero was chaos
But Kit Carson was too vigorous fellow
70 die Of the mAtreatment. He rallied for
the matinee OF Tuesday. overcams all obsta-
cles and prospersd in his adventures beyond
the fondest hopes OF those Immediately con-
oerned In him. His love affair became mani
fest. his bravery took on the intended aspects
and the audiences delighted in him So the
scheme OF turning biography and history
into a border melodrama seems TO have
worked we'll To those who shall say To Mr.
Stuart Your Kit Is an impossible hero,
born OF psrusal Of Indian tales. from Ned
Bunthne to James Fsnimore Cooper. and
as exaggerated as the boss fighter OF Richard
Carvel or To Have and TO Hold.'" he can
refer 70 the authentic records OF one Chris
topher Carson. trapper. guide. scout and
subsequently, United States Indian Com
missioner. for truth as strange Us this fiction.
into which some OF the mans exploits are
faithfully copied The play is very frankly
melodrama, with first and foremost in
tantion 10 engrQss parquet and gallery alike
and yet with the purpose OF doing that without
moment and TO imbue II all with picturesque
romance Mr. Stuart snacts the character
In that spirit His Kit is a good-humored
fellow. an ardent lover. and much the same
as Davy Crockett
Eleonora Duee's tendency toward un-
CLOSED naturalism has led her TO use PLAYS
on unpleasant themes. and she has encour-
aged some OF the writer's who are so advanced
as 20 be too forward She has reached a
climax and seemingly a setback with Ga
briele d'Annunzio's new drama OF The
Dead City performed early this month in
Rome In II she enacted blind wife OF n
man who turned from her 10 WOO a girl while
that girl was revoltingly loved by her own
brother The horrible subject had been
treated by the author plainly and directly
in imitation OF ancient Greek tragedy. He
made a present day party OF tourists camp
on the site o. buried CITY and there learn
how IL had been ruined through incest Aside
from the dreadful nature Of the story there
was nothing noteworthy In the play Dusc's
role was a long and tedious bewallng Of
her unhappy fate Much license Is per-
nitted TO the drama in Italy. bur This Dead
City is said 20 be regarded as intolerable
Rejane desires 10 produce 'Sapho' In
London The dramatic censor has declined
TO permit a performance OF an English ver-
sion, and IL Is thought that he will not let a
French one be brought out except in an ex-
purgated form Reianes Sdpho Is said u
make Sethersole's seem cool and calm by con-
trSs, though haI doesnt STRIKE one as pos
seriously impressive. however was proved
by the fact that the actress who followed her
in the part could not save herself from being
ridiculed "Sapho" audiences at the Grand
Opera House we're very Jolly over her throes
Of passion, and became wildly hilarious when
the lover started 10 carry her UP the stairway
20 her room
Experiments are boing made with view
10 determine the worth OF certain plays for
next season. Tho Woolng Of Priscilla, :
based by Stani.laus STANCE on the Long
fellow poem. was performed last week in
Boston The Puritan maiden who bade
John Alden speak for himself was enacted by
Lillian Lawrence. who is such a local favorits
that the adllatory frst audience did not pay
much heed to anything but her. The re-
viewers say. however. that the drama is
happily free Of the grimness OF most early
New England pieces. and extends Long
fellows narrative interestingly. even melo-
dramatically. by means OF fights with Indians
musical comedy called King Dodo," In
which the principal character is An old mon
arch who seeks % stay the flight OF time by
setting back the clocks altering the almanacs
and swallowing eliXirs OF youth, was brought
out last week In Chicago. 1t is the work Of
the two men who made almost a success
here with The Burgomaster," Gustave
Luders, whose music was admirable, and
Frank PiIley. whose libretto was less so
Don Cesars Return," by Victor Mapes.
will be acted by cut-rate stock com pany
at Richmond in order that It's value for james
X Haokett may be learned. The expecta-