The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-15
MR.. DREW'S NEW PART
MIR. WINTERS CRITICISM OF HIM
IN SECOND IN COMMAND"
A victory for the Actor and Splendid
Success for the Playwright,
Dir. Marshall.


duction of a new theatrical season-which
one Of Mr. Drew's or Mr.. Marshalls new
tasks always is-but also because it is a
fine piece Of dramatic writing by the
dean" William Winter of the New York
Tribune, always the champion Of true
stage art:
Mr.. Drew, cordially welcomed by
numerous and brilliant audience, appeared
at the Empire Theater last night, begin
ming the new season-which IS the tenth
at that house, and presenting the character
of Maj. Christopher Bingham in Captain
MarshalIs play called The Second IN Com
mand." This play had long and prosper
Gus career last season In London at the
Haymarket, and there Is reason TO expect
that it will enjoy equal favor here. I'm
forced In origin natural in motive def
mite in purpose, interesting in story, deft In
construction and facile and crisp In style,
IL presents a group of attractive persons,
ana 1t exhibits q study or composite hu-
man nature and diversified human charac-
ter much as these are manifested in actuaI
lie when agltated and coerced by the pas
sion OF love and fettered or driven by the
vicissitudes of fortune. The central thought
OF the play bears upon certain pathetlc
aspect or experience, not uncommon, winch
is distinctly resultant from fate. one man
Is born TO success and another IS born 10
failure. One life gHdeS smoothly TO VIC
tory, while another, with equal CELEBRITY
and certainty, moves to defeat. The start
in both cases, may be suspicious, but the
result is ineVitable for one there will be
crown, for the other a cross. 1t Is not pre-
ordination; it is natural development. The
seeds of the future are inclOsed within the
| present, and circumstances, to a great eX-
| tent, are the consequences of character
| That would seem to be the purport or
| ethical substance of the piece. In mental
| significance, accordingly, 1t is serious. In
garb, however, it is quaint, gay, pictorial
| and delightful.
Bingham, in this comedy, is second in
| command and his story shows that such
| he was destined to remain not only in his
| regiment, but in everything else. This is
| the sad irony of fate. The soldier is worthy
to lead; the lover is worthy to win; the man
| Is one of the gentlest. bravest, noblest of
| his order; but the desires of his heart are
not TO be fulfilled. He Will deserve rewards,
| but, being unselish, magnanimous simple
and true, he Will not reach forth his hand
and treacherously or truculently take them.
| He will show some weakness, and once Will
| blunder into sin; but he cannot persist in
Wrongdoing. He will save the life and pro-
vide for the happiness Of his rival, and
| having awkwardly begun with the chasing
| or ralnbows, Will ruefully yet cheerily end
| with wearing the willow. His story is sim
| plicity itself. He loves a young woman.
| Muriel Mannering by name, the sister of
one of his lieutenants. and he asks her to
marry him. His solicitation is encouraged
| by her consent; but he is frankly appraised
| by her that she does not love him-her af-
fections having been bestowed on another
| man, known TO her only from a sight of his
| portrait. He is content with this frfgid for
| tune. and he hopes for the best Meanwhile
| MUriels brOther-who has become imDe-
| curious, and whose position in the military
|
| cllneS to think that his sister should marry
| Colonel Miles AnStruther. who IS rich. and
! who has predominated over Bingham, in
! obtaining command of the regiment. An
! struther enters; Muriel recognizes i'm him
| the original of the portrait that has be-
| witched her: these two promptly become
! lovers; and Bingham finds himself discard
! ed. At first he cannot submit to his fate
| and SO-partly because he is himself de-
! SelVed and partly because his love makes
! him mOmentarily selfish-he cOnnives i'm
! deceiVinS the manly and credulous An
! StTutheT-perSUading him that Muriel is
! sacrificing herself, and by that means Caus-
/ ing the lovers TO part. Later. having saved
| the life Of Anstruther. in a South African
J battle. he cOnfeSscs this deceit-Of which
/ he has, all along. been ashamed-and so
| ne makes clear and smooth his rivals path
/ way 10 welded bliss, and his own RELOCATION
| into that extensive limbo of self-sacrifice
| which has Ions been populous with fine
| ideals of romance.
Mr.. Drews alacrity to comprehend and
facility to indicate, if not fully to express,
| such character as that of Major Bingham
has often been manifested. In certain
essential particulars there is an elemental
| harmony between the actor and the part
in the particulars Of repose, self-com-
mand, gravity, sentiment and half-whim-
| steal and half-meancholy humor, and in
| the mood that can smile over past illusions.
| accepting loss with composure and bearing
misfortune with cheerful acquiescence. In
those scenes of intense feeling which i'm
! plicate devotion 10 a woman, a comedian
| of this order easily gets beyond his range
Men possessed Of intellectual character,
humor, the sense of the ridiculous, and the
faculty of playful satire are seldom or
| never impressive as stage lovers Mr.
| Drew's dramatic ardors serve for stage
expedients-and for them only (Since
| IIAH
| make the Claude Melnotte attitude abso-
| lutely natural and aUthentic) In emo
| tional scenes that implicate comradeship
| on the contrary, the kindness that men
| sometimes have for each other, their sense
| or honor, their passionate integrity, their
| htful, wayward gusts of pity for the weak
| and Of conempt for their own passions
| sentiments, faults and folies, such Il
| comedian as Mr.. Drew is often superbIy
aoequate; ana he Will move easily In pas
| sages or panied perplexity, and through
| moments OF half-melancholy, half-droll
| half-wistful, half-bitter self-confiict Mr.
| Drew found cOngenial opportunities i'm this
| comedy, and ne seized them with a firm
| grasp, held them with authority and i'm
| proved them with sharp and fine effect
| his style mad no need to become more
| incisive; 1T has ma tured in the better quail
| ties of mellowness and grace. His wistful
| drollery, in the avowal of romanticauy
| chlvalrous love, his seif-binding gladness
| in the fallaciOus success of it, his touching
| effort to disguise sorrow with mirth and
his rueful acceptance of mischance and
1
| shadings or feeling and intimations OF char
! acter were excellent with nature and lovely
/ with grGces OF art. at many points
| the touch was delightfully."- kindred with
| that of Jefferson, as seen, or felt in some
| OF that great comedians peculiar moods Of
| mingled pathos and humor His passion
| when poor KIT learns that he cannot 90
| with his regiment, TO the war, seemed to
| sob its way directly out of his heart and
| IL moved his great audience as with a sud-
| den blast of storm. There could be no
| doubt OF his victory. There could be no
| doubt OF his splendid success of Captain
| Marshalfs comedy
All the essential characters in the play
| nave been Disseminated with singular in
/ genuity. The misunderstanding between
the heroine, her brother and her two lovers
are contrived with subtle skill and man
| aged so as to create dramatic situations Of
rare and exceptional force and beauty. The
scene Of the parting between Anstruther
and Muriei-bcth being sadly, bitterly mis-
cradle at oss-purposes-shows an alto
| Gether UNUSUAL knowledge OF human ma
| ture, and ii IS written with the utmost
J oetcacy and finish. This was acted by
| Miss Ida Conquest and Mr.. GUY Standinr
| upon high level OF genuine emotion. Miss
| COnquest-fortunate in possessing n voice
| OF most expressive sweetness telling i'm its
| quality, FAR more than the actress can
| know or intend-incarnated a most SWEEP
| and noble girl bitterly tried and she dd
| this very simply and truly BY the per-
I Torrance she certainly and easily tram
| sends all her competitors on the Empire