The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-04-11

company in "The Second in Command .
a comedy by Robert MARSHALL
1.-The Second in Command is very
Drewsome and highly English. All the
characters punctuate there speech win
'aw and the letter II is In evidence only
when the actor slips. Being by Captain
Marshall the military character OF the
drama IL distinguished for accuracy as
well as picturesqueness IL Is combina-
ton of military and society comedy and
IL is successful in respect TO both feat
ures, We should say.
Ii is a very correct comedy. also IL the
word Is used In a colloquial sense. a
very proper comedy Indeed its propriety
IS as unauestioned as its military faith
fulness, although. on the whole, the pro-
priety feature probably doesn't contribute
so much TO the interest as the military.
Propriety is, alas, too often pretty ana
polite synonym for dullness.
The book OF the comedy is smart with
out being particularly clever or bright. In
such a production as that of THE Second
I'm Command" one may distinguish the
part the author does as the book from
the other features OF the production with
quite as much reason as the book Is ois-
tinguished from the music In an operauc
work. Captain Marshalis book tends TO DE
a sort OF mild edition of the oscar Wiloe
or Haddon Chambers article. The peo-
the stage. who are newly acquainted, un-
dertake to talk to one another to impress
one another with their clever converse
tional powers. Everybody is very prign'
and the audience feels like the other party
being talked to- Last nights audience OF
ten smiled indulgently, laughed OCCASION
ally and let II pass quite often.
The theme Is a capital one Tor MT
Drew I'm the kind of role inaugurated with
''Rosemary' when he abandoned the de-
bonair and successful lover type to be-
come the equally debonair but otherwise
self-sacrificing type--the man VINO wins
his audience by giving up instead OF py
succeeding. As a character bit that oil
Major Kit Bingham is as suitable part
as Mr.. Drew has. ever been provided with
and he does II capitally with marked
restraint OF old mannerisms and a culti-
walton of new touches that make the part
real. IL not great creation.
No one really wants TO have Mr.: Drew
get very far away from himself, only
season TO season. His old man In Rose
mary was a consummatc character
study. but II was the only part OF Rose
mary. that Mr.; Drew.s admirers ro aisap- SAP
tune. was quite impossible. But as MAI
bingham Mr.. Drew Is all himself. WIN
some new and artistic touches, JUST 70
show that he can make character " ne
wants to and is only restrained BY the
limitations put upon him by his poiiteiy
exacting audiences.
So Mr.. Drew was never better. He has
renewed his moustache of the "ButternN
DAYS and he was never more smartly
dressed than I'm the swagger wardrobe or
an English dragoon. The self-sacrilccs
OF the theme. his falling In love With n
fair creature who IL madly devoted 20
another. his displacing i'm command OF ms
regiment by that other, and u succession
OF disappointments and sacrifices, give
Mr.. Drew splendid opportunity Tor a
fine bit of acting I'm the role OF a soldier
n man of society and OF the world. a man
OF heart and sentiment. often hidden by
lightneSs and carelessnsss OF department.
"A fellow who needs 10 be tried severely
10 bring out his manly and noble quail
tics. " is a capital part
The play az dressed and mounted rs
delight. The military uniforms and tho
are presented with extraordinary faith
fulness and beauty. Never was stage
more handsomely dressed than nv the
three scenes provided for THE Second in
Command" The atmosphere OF the bar
racks Is finely reproduced. You can al
most smell the pipe clay
The company is an unusually good one.
There is the nhysical representation in
the soldiers that makes thcm seem the
real stun The orderlics and the Tommy
Atl,Inses look and act as "a British soldier
IN the ideal r. supposed tn look and act.
Thev are big fellows and they serve and
take thcir II and SIS with military pre-
part of Col Anstruther. the brother offi-
cor that Is much In Mr.. Drew's wayd has
more than six feet. we should sny. OF SOLE
dierlv rtalwartness 10 his credit and
looks every inch the part he Is acting.
I.ionel barrymore. In a minor part. makes