The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-16
AT THE THEATRES.
The NationaI-.Ricanrd carveI.,

| The Observation-Disclosures ,Caryel.v
John Drew has put away his frocls
coats. creased trousers. and society man
ners in the dramatized version of Rich
ard Carvel. which was shown at the
National Theatre last evening. and has
taken on the garb of a hundred years
ago. Imagine it, John Drew not up to
date in the matter of dressi And he is no
longer a man of the world, helping, half
| cynically. young women out of scrapes
and haunting the salons of the smart set
Last night the former idol of the matinee
| girl appeared as an ingenious youth who
| loves ardently and unanalytically, who
| buffets his humble London landlord about
| in the most outrageous fashion, plunges
| violently into his country's defence
| against the British in an entirely unmod
| ern manner. and swings stage sword
| with great recklessness. In short. John
\ Drew is the central figure in what is ad-
| vertised as a romance. but which is, as a
| matter of fact melodrama of the most
| thrilling type, the very sort of a play that
| the patrons of the Academy of Music take
i delight in.
Edward T.. Rose made Richard Carvel'
| over for the stage and he succeeded in
| butchering the book most effectively.
While the novel was not natural the play
Churchill story, long one, ii will be
readily recalled by those who had the
| hardihood to wade through its pages had
to be condensed for the footlights but
the product of Mr.. Rose is something
worse than condensation; the book has
been telescoped. damned up much after
the fashion of an opera hat being put out
of business. Very certainly Mr. Drew
cannot take his present offering seriously
Were the women removed from the play
1t would be the weakest sort of an affair
imaginable. They are the only persons
who appear natural and simple. They are
the living beings of the piece and give it
all It's charm and sweetness, and are the
redeeming features of the presentation
The first act. which introduces any num-
Der of persons of whom but little or moth
ing is heard during the remainder of the
play, reveals the mutual love of Richard
and Dorothy, hints at the shameful bar
gain by which the latter's father pro-
poses to sell her to the profigate Duke of
Chartersea. and concludes with the plot
OF Grafton Carvel to compass the abduc-
ton of Richard by a pirate. In act two
the principal characters are transported
to London by the dramatist, and Richard
who has been rescued In the interval from
the pirates by Capt. Paul Jones and from
his creditors by Lord Comyn, has a
meeting with Dorothy, which convinces
him that his suit is hopeless, whereupon
he resolves to return to Maryland How
remain and try conclusions with his noble
rival. The third act is in the reception
hall of the duke, who has asked all his
friends to witness the announcement of
his betrothal to Dorothy. The scene af-
lords a good chance for some patriotic
defamation and historical Renaissance,
which the audience apparently takes to
with aVidity, and the speeches are most
heartily applauded. The act eliminates
IN the conspiracy of the duke and his con-
hdential agent to assassinate Richard the |
a ~ ha Lott b. Ill E...,
his defeat of Chartersea in what is sup
posed to be an exciting hand-to- hand |
encounter. This is evidently intended as |
the great scene of the play. and the /
curtain falls upon the discontinue OF the |
duke ana his myrmidons, and a tableau |
that Is quite picturesque. The last act, |
which is located in America two years |
later is devoted almost entirely to long |
drdwn-out and not especially inspired love
passages between Richard and Dorothy |
while the fate of the other personages is |
left to the ina gination of the spectators /
Last nights audience applauded with a !
glsto that was evidently genuine and 1
was an appreciation of the work of the |
acl"rS more than the excellence of the |
piece as dramatic composition. There |
is no doubt but that Mr.. Drew will enjoy |
a prosperous local engagement, although |
IT must be admitted that his personal |
popularity will have more to do with the |
success than anything else. ''Richara |
CarVel is staged very deliberately and |
the costuming Is pretty and effective
to be cast for such a part as Carvel, but
he makes the best Of the situation by "A
conscientious endeavor that is very COM
mendable While at times lacking in fire
eloquenCe, and fervor, he is eminently |
frank, courageous. vivacious and not at |
all deficient III tenderness. Ida Conquest |
as the brilliant. coquettish. distressed
Dorothy. Is piquant, capricious, and fasci-
mating, and adds considerably to the /
charm Of the play. Frank Losee as
Chartersea is good enough in his villainy
TO excite the derision of the gallery. and
surely no one could do more. Dodson
Mitchell is seen in secondary villain
part, which he plays with remarkable
secondariness. Brandon lyman makes
Charles James Fox thin and pale fellow,
while the parsonage in the book was any
thing but this. Arthur Bryon in the early
portion Of the performance holds out
great promise. but this fades away as the
piece develops The Horace WaIpole of
Francis Powers is one cs the very best |
things OF the performance; it is played
intelligently and at times brilliantly, even
If it is one Of the unimportant bits of the
play The rest OF the company is salts
factory.
There will be matinees tomorrow and
Saturday.