The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-09-24
4 SCOTCHMAN AND A HEBREW
PORTRAYED ny y. W. STODDART
AND DAVID WARFIELD
In New Piayv introduced last Evening.
The Bennic nrtar lBsnh" by
Msciarcn. Thomas and Macarthur. and
'1he A~uctioueer'' by Arthur and Klein.

M homie Brsar lBsnh" by
Msciarcn. Thomas and McArthur. and
The A~uctioneer' by Arthur and Klein.
ttans u David Reiasoo. His latest product
VA displayed last night at the BijouTheatre.
TN sight Il wa no novelty. David
warficld In the guise % q Hester street
tvpe Of the Hebrew had long becn familiar.
hut he soon showed that he had be-n ad-
,anced from farce into comedy. He was
30 longer Incidental to q music hall enter-
eminent. but tho principal IN a legitimate
LAY. Sometimes the distention Of a comic
siaracter thins Il out until what has been
anusing becomes tircsome. Audiencss
know when they nave md enough Of Q
good thing. and then they decline 90 accept
any more Of IL. But the exploitation Of
NT Warield had no such setback. II was
ahishly prosperous affair.
OF course there was applause. long and
loud. when the new star came on the stage.
THAT was a Demonstration Of friendine--
.u'y. and II left hin 10 hold or ose the
alvantage which Mr. Belssco had given
him la a speech that the audience de-
handed Of him. after the second Of the
ty's three acts had assured hts success.
h. thanked Mr.. Belnsco ~ his teacher
and then Mr.. Belasco. being In his turn
sompclled To ssy something. remarked
-hat Mr. warfield had proved himself a
fine character actor. That was the truth.
Hc had gone two-thirds Of the way through
the ordeal thumphantly. and the other
thr q made no change for tho worse In his
a. hievcmeut.
Il was In Tho Auc,ioneer.- written by
lee Arthur and Charles Klein. that Mr..
Narfield was most of tho time humorous
and seldom sentimental, rs The Onip Lsri.
lie was at IA vt the keeper of an odds-and-
ends store at tho Five Points. lie was
rcst the wealthy occupant Of a fine HOUSE
IN Lexington avenue. where n party In
honor OF his daughters betrothal was
interrupted by the disclosure Of a fraud
through which. by no fault Of his own. he
lost his fortune. Finally. while peddling
toys la the street for a living. he oleverly
caught tho ~scoundrel who had impover-
ishcd him and thus re-tor ed himself and
andy to afiiuence. This plain and 90
nerent plot served well In holding together
what wns essentially n comedy Of char
ucterization. The authors had made II
clear and logical. What was better still.
fhev had treated Il In tho right vein OF
humor TO make IL amusing.
The winning point In this venture with
Mr. Warfiold was that his eccentric Hebrew.
besides being as funny as before. became
interesting as a tenderly loving husband
a mo friend In bitter adversely. In short,
an vimimbla man In sober earnest. His
grusesqueries as a Five Points salesman
Of second hand clothes. IA an unaccus-
toned occupant OF a Lexington avenue
Sine house and as a Sixth avenue pedler
we're almost all lsughabl. and Mr.. Arthur
and Mr.. Klein had provided jovisl good
matter for his PURPOSE. Running through
rhe oomicaity was Just about the right
amount Of homely pathos to lt a farce
into a comedy.
Next 10 the new star, and only n little be-
hind him. was Marie bates with one Of her
broadly graphic representations Of q bibu-
lous Irish woman. Odol Williams gave a
similarly strong deiineation Of q ward
politician. Brandon lyman and Maude Win
tor were a pleasing pair Of lovers. The
production was excellent altogether.
Ihs r.antranoe OF J. X. s,oddart upon
the local stage. after an absence Of nearly
Two years. was effected Last evening at
she Theatre Republic before a consider
able audience hat cheered him nv its pres
ence and its plandits. The PLAY was a
stage 81 Ian MacLaren's
Scottish sketches gathered together under
the name Of Beside tAs Bonnie Briar Bush.'
and this title. abridged by removal Of it,
first word. was retained IN designate the
drama. Mr.. ~Stoddart has long held an
honorable position on the American stag.
more particularly that ~ New York. and
n personal regard resultant from long
srd agreeable association would In itself
stimulate interest In his emergence as a
star actor. However. his careful arr would
arrest attention even were his sweet per-
sonality less dear 20 this public.
Mr.. Stoddart's art has been moro o.
psrially associated with the subsidiary
rather than Che central characters Of staRe
action. Nevertheless, he has always ex-
ertcd n noble power. and his control over
personality, as well a over expression.
creates a complete illusion, causing his
auditors 20 forget his subtle and rarc art
and TO feed that they are looking upon life
it-s.lf such actors arc Mr.. Jefferson,
Mr. Le Moyne and f. NJ Holland. and esti-
mates Of their achievements In such a
subtle arr are sometimes unappreciative
La the role OF Ldchldn CdmpbcN. Mr..
Stoddart has Opportunity for the full eSer-
Ci-e Of his powers. h harsh exterior
that IL not 40 impcnotrable ~ TO absolutely
conceal an inner self charming with good
ness and tenderness, II a character nicely
suited to his peers onali,y and methods.
lie enacts a loving yet stern father. who
believes his dAuthger unworthy Of her
dead mothers home and drives her into
the world. But he relents Of his too literal
reading OF the Scripture and welcomes
his returning child gladly
This play had one strong. interesting
and dramatic act. II u doubtful whether
the material would have made another,
even had the authors bcn less clumsy
In their handling Of what the novelist had
supplied. This admirable episode, fol-
lowing the plays best humorous and trivial
Incidents. came at the end Of tho second
act. TIE old Sootchman discovered his
laughter In an attempt 20 communicate
with her lover by mail. He rad the let
ter. and misinterpre,ing IL denounced her
as an outoasi and hung her forcihly ron
ls hou-a.
friend stopped him from hloiiing tho
girls name from the family Bible but
te odd bigot drove the good adviser from
lam too Then In Ms utter lonc-omeness.