The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-04-28

CHARACTERS or THE NEW YoRk
STAGE IN fooo-IooI.
Clever Comment and Criticism Con-
Pfays--star" system had.

$3.50" rRh+N Nht1AfN va
nihcance which may well deserve a brief
review.
sp the first place a very large number Of
the Nuys produced FOR the first time. and
among Sem some Of the greatest sue
cesses. have been OF American origin. This
should be encouraging. even ~though-as
need hardly be s~tated-several OF these ma
tive plays have little value. Thus the dra-
matizations Of American novels, just now
30 popular. have In no instance risen above
respectable mediocrity. and as a rule they
have remained a good way below that level.
or greater interest are such plays as Mr..
Clyde Fitch's. OF which "A goodly number
Just now hold the boards. So far this au-
thor has scored more than one great pop
ular success-notably I'm the case OF The
Climbers and Captain links both seen
for the first time this season-but It yet re-
mains 20 be proved that he can write a
play able TO live Ia literature. To avoid a
common misconception / may be- allowed
&c say that by such "A play / do not mean
one bedizened with more or less elaborate
flights OF oratory. cieverly balanced cpl
grams or the like. A play makes a place
for itself In literature land on the stage
of coming agesl through the possession of
a Arm. solid structure and true. original
character deIineation. Now. whatever Mr..
Fitch has produced. even the best OF it.
r. wavering and tentative In construction,
fraementary and inconsistent in character
ization. But the author has wit, a light
touch. often a keen eye for effective situa-
lions. and, moreover. a certain daring
which promises well. THE Climbers has
two or three plots clumsily tackled on to
one another. but at least one thoroughly
new and fine situation-the scene I'm the
third act. so eapitally interpreted by Mr..
Edeson and Mrs. Bloodgood-and some
startling bits of oddly. Among the latter.
however. one-the appearance in the first
act OF a whole family In mourning-pre-
sents only a doubtful claim to real origi-
naiity. considering that the device was
used not so very many years ago by a
Frenchman named Henry Becque in "rhe
Ravens" a good play which has never been
seen in the United States.
I'VE GOOD PLAYS.
OF the imported plays two English ones
easily hold the first and second places
Pinero's The Gay Lord Quex.' with its
fearless. sturdy humanity. and Henry Ar
thur Jones's Mrs. Danes Defense, - which,
for dizziness OF architecture equals Sar-
dou's best work. The character drawing
Is somewhat shallow. but not more so
than customary with Sardou.
The latter's Dora" has recently been
revived at the Empire Theater i'm the old
English adaptation. which. for no obvious
reason. rebaptized 1t Diplomacy The
presentation is. as one has become accus-
toned 10 expect from Mr.. Charles Froh-
man. as sumptuous as IL is tasteful. and
of the minor parts some are acted as we'll
as at all possible. But Mr.. Faversham and
Mr.. Richman are singularly miscast I'm the
parts OF the brothers (as this adaptation
makes the two friends of the originaD the
former playing, or. rather. trying to play,
a shrewd. self-possessed man Of the world
a Character by no means unlike the one i'm
which Mr.. Richman so remarkably distin-
guished himself In Mrs. Danes Defense
while OF the last-named actor IL is now de-
manded that he impersonate a hot-headed.
impetuous lover and husband. 1t is 20 Mr..
Richman's great credit that more than
once does ne make the audience forget
that his appearance and bearing, however
handsome and g~entlemaniy. are not those
called for by the part. AS for Mr.. Faver-
sham-well. he is a matinee idol who for
once has a part requiring intelligence and
dignity-and even his large feminine fol-
lowing would hardly claim that these quail
tiles are his forte.
Margaret AngIin plays Dora. She is not
girlish enough in the beginning. not really
passionate enough later on. Miss Anglin
Is intelligent and ambitious. but here, as
In Mrs. Danes Defense" she substitutes
Mysteries for pathos. Miss Jessie Milward
plays Zika with ease and occasionally even
brilliancy, but she is lacking in depth.
STAR SYSTEM BAD.
Upon the whole. the performance Illus.
trates the fatal weakness OF our present
theatrical system which sooner or later
drives every actor and actress of even sec.
ond rate ability out on the road as "A star
thus making IL impossible 10 form stocs
companies that remain in one city and
throughout the season. present a series oi
various plays. competently acted from TOT
10 bottom OF the list of characters. Suci
stock companies exist in all capitals ON tn,
European continent. but In the United
States not one Is 10 be found. The fault
lies with no individual manager. but sim.
Fly In the absence OF that subsidized the.
alter which is more and more becoming the
one paramount hope and desire Of al
thoughtful friends OF the stage.
At the Lyceum. Miss Annie Russell. for
many months. charmed countless people 10y
her p~oeticsl princess In a ight and grace.
full English comedy "a Royal Family.
Miss Russell has a distinct individuality
which would grow and gain by trying e
adapt itself 10 many different parts. As Il
Is. the star system keeps her i'm the strait.
Jacket OF one and the same character
month I'm. and month out. or still worse
year In. and year out.
Never have the evil consequences of thu,
system been more strikingly exempihet
than In the artistic career OF Sarah Bern.
hardt- This great artist has for now Owe,
twenty years mainly played parts writer
expressly for her. that is TO say. containing
essentially the same characters and situa.
tons. only In varying costumes. Moreover
50 much of her acting has been done Defor,
audiences ignorant of French. that she ha.
been compelled TO rely almost wholly OF
those histrionic effects which may b,
grasped through the eye alone. The resul-
f. q hard. cut-and-dried style OF acting
with ell freshness and spontaneity long az,
cvaporsted. That genius still remain.
largely evident In Sarah's conception OF he
parts. nc one would think of denying. Blu
Il = nevertheless a saddeniag spectacle, an.