The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-03-21
"a Royal Rival, Mt EngIish's.

Gerald Du Maurier's new version Of the
old story Of the adventures of the Spanish
bravo. Don Caesar de Bazan. which was
acted at English's last Ugh would be like
one Of the Old-fashiOned cut-and-slash
dramas were it not for the weak spirit in
which it is played. William Faversham is
the hero, Isabel Irving the heroine, Edwin
Stevens the wicked Don Jose and James
Kearney the king. They have shown skill
i'm the society" plays of the day, but they
cannot put the old-style fire and swagger
into Mr.. Du Maurier's melodrama. They
speak the Upon me souls and the Have
a cares" but the dear old EXPLANATIONS fall
fat from their lips. The performance
awakened little enthusiasm, though the au-
dience apparently was more than willing 10
become excited ON the slightest provocation.
The fun of the play does not spring from
any of it's situations. but from watching
costumes of old Spain when they should be
i'm the evening dress of to-day.
There are few, if any, new ideas in the
play; for the most part the story of "A
Royal RIVAL has been told many times be-
fore in different forms. Don Caesar, a
ragged cavalier. protects a boy from a cruel
49, G1EE
10 a duel and kills him. He knows that he
will be hanged for the crime of duelling.
but he values his life as nothing. Don Jose
wishes TO procure a mistress for the king
so that he may have opportunity TO make
love to the queen. He selects Marta, a
ballad singer of the streets, whom the king
has seen and remarked favorably upon. 1t
is necessary for Marta to become a person
of quality before she is introduced into the
court. BY offering De Bazan death by bull
let's instead of by the rope, Don Jose gets
the condemned mans consent 70 go through
a marriage ceremony with Marta just be-
fore his death. Marta is persuaded to ac-
cept this ordeal by the trick of telling her
that the man she is to marry has loved her
secretly a long time. She is eager to get
into the court so that she may serve the
queen, whom she adores.
The boy for whom De Bazan so prodigally
gave his life removes the bullets from the
soldiers muskets. When they shoot De Ea-
Fan falls and they leave him for dead.
WhereupOn he arises and escapes from the
prison. He does not know the woman 10
whom hs was married, for she was yelled,
but he goes to the house of the Marquis of
Montefore, where she has been taken, to
satisfy his curiosity. After seeing that his
wife is young and pretty he escapes from
the place by holding a pistol to Don Jose's
head and exacting a promise that he shall
Jose's country house, whittier Marta had
been removed. The king has been intro
duced to her as De BaZan. He brutality tries
TO despou her of her honor, but she pulls a
dagger from her cOrsage and declares she
will die first. De Bazan enters abruptly and
tells the king that he has just come from
the palace near by. that he found Don Jose
there pleading for the love of the queen
and that he killed Don Jose. He contrasts
his ardor in protecting the kings honor
with the kings dastardly attempt against
the honor of De Bazan. Whereat the king
is Inundated and offers De Bazan a gov
ernorship. De BaZan chooses the governor
ship of Granada, because it is far from
Madrtd-and the king. 1t is to be ques-
toned that De BaZan here shows confidence
in his wifes integrity. 1t is, Of course, I'M
necessary to say that in the meantime Ma
rita has fallen in love with De BaZan.
De Bazan is a conventional hero. He
boasts that he has fought the bravest.
drunk the best and loved the fairest, but he
suddenly feels the grip of honor when he
comes into contact with Martha. He brags
of his rakishness in amOrous affairs in one
moment and the next he is the purest of
young men.
The Starbucks.' a play of the Tennessee
mountains. by Opie Read. will be acted at
English's tonight and tomorrow afternoon
and night by Howell Hansel, who was one
of the leading men of the Grand Opera
House stock company, and a company.