The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-08-30
OF The THEATERS
A PLAY MUCH LIKE JANICE MER-
EDITH" AT THE PARK.
groundwork of Crude MeIodrama Il
the same, hut the Acting
IL Different.

AT Valley Forge" a play so much like
Janice Meredith that they might have
been made from the same pattern. was
presented at the Park Theater yesterday.
William l.. Roberts. leading man OF the
company. Is the author OF the piece, and
this is Its first season. The play Janice
Meredith" made from Paul Leicester
Ford's popular novel OF the same name.
was acted first last season. by Mary Man
nering and her company, and will be used
by them again this winter. They play only
I'm the high-priced theaters; Mr.. Roberts
and his company offer the patrons OF low
priced theaters practically the same ma
terial. simpliied TO suit the taste OF the
less cultured audiences.
IL would be unfair TO accuse Mr.. Roberts
OF plagiarism for the reason that both the
situations in his play and in Janice Mere
dith' are crudely melodramatic and their
very lack of originality would give any
person excuse for putting them into a play
or book. Last season. at English's Opera
House, the audiences applauded wildly the
adventures of Janice and her rebel. lover.
but the audiences at the Park yesterday
were not so highly excited. The latter
playgoers have been brought up on a diff
ferent kind of melodrama, and they are pc
culiarly loyal to IL. The ~"climaxes' in AT
Valley Forge" were applauded, but the ex-
planatory matter between was dull and the
two audiences showed signs Of restlessness.
The second act OF AT Valley Forge oc-
ours at the Hessian headquarters at Tren-
ton. The heroine is there and so is the vii
lain, a British officer. The hero comes as a
disguised Hessian soldier with papers for
the Hessian general. Later a Hessian sol
der enters and accuses the hero of having
robbed him OF his uniform and his papers.
The hero Is unmasked and is about to be
1 shot. He writes a message TO Washington
and passes II to the heroine, who has Ii
conveyed TO the American general. Just as
the Hessian soldiers are about TO shoot the
ing crossed the Delaware, burst In and save
the hero. This series of events is identical
with the corresponding series in Janice
| Meredith"
An interesting comparison also may be
made between the action of the two pieces.
| Miss Olive Martin. the leading woman of
the AT Valley Forge company, is tall
and strong. like Miss Mannering. but she
lacks the more prominent players light
ness. Her stride and name are mannish,
and when she exclaims. II am such a timid
girl" she is almost ludicrous. However,
she and Mr.. Roberts act vigorously. The
villain part is played by Frank r. Moore,
whose appearance is very like all the other
British officers that have acted In recent
colonial melodramas. The other member
of the company are capable.
AT Valley Forge" is staged deliberately
and acted theoretically, and il probably is
one of the best attractions TO be seen at the
| Park this season. Persons that applaude6
so heartily at the performance of Janice
Meredith" would do we'll to go 70 the Park
any afternoon or evening the remainder OF
this week and see the material which Miss
Mannering and her ompan decorated into
a pretty illusion. 1t is a valuable lessor
in drama.