Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-11-26
7.oufs DC Foe in the World.

The critic Of the New York. World says:
The drama on Broadway is surely beat
inr up to windw6rd again. After wave
% immortality carrying vulgarity and IL
cense on its crest which broke almost at
orce over half & dozen playhouses. comes
exactly the opposite extreme. The play
wright and actor have penitentially
sought the Church.
Last week a fictitious Pope was drama
tzed at the Victoria. a few nights later
thu most revered and pathetic story that
the New Testament records was made
The basis Of a tragic play. And last night
at The Madison Square Theatre. where
Audrey" was first produced, the Liebler
Company. not 10 be outdone by the
others, introduced as the climax Of the
rev dramatization. q complete church
service. with pulpit, congregation, hymns
sad all. and with n minister who preach
FL from a biblical text haTangue
against the sin of dancing.
DANGER OF CHURCH SCENE.
Tho coed taste of such an exhibition
on the stage before an audience that IS
anything but reverential is to be seri-
easlv questioned Its danger was made
apparent last night forcibly and uneN-
peg;edly when a girl in q stage box in
the exuberance Of her good nature
laughed right out in meeting and in
terrupted the dominic
But If the rest of Audrey had been
Ftaged and acted half as well as the
church scene there would have been
7l1erent story TO tell OF the play from
III artistic point OF view.
Here was the scene that illustrated The
Gew tendency Of the drama. The stage
was an historical setting of an old Vir-
GINA Westinghouse. The seats, filed
|tth The congregation. Were ranged in
-ows before the high pulpit, in which
stood the preacher, clad in clerical vest
nents As the curtain arose the con-
Efeg9iion stood and sang a hymn.
SERMON AGAINST DANCING.
Then came the text read gravely
from Scripture-"Thou art weighed i,
the balances and found wanting" Gradu-
ally the preacher warmed up to his DIS
course and let loose a torrent or lnvecure
@2ainst worldliness as typified by the
wicked art of dancing. He eSpounder
bis views for fully ten minutes and made
many q hardened ffrst-nighter wriggle
Gaaasily in his scat.
But the play hae TO find a climax. and
u came when the preacher singled out
The iGc!dess Audrey, branded her as :,
disciple of the devil and broke up the
meeting by bringing the wrath of her
ttoulors foster parent--who was also one
head. 1t was effective in its way. and
The curtain fell with poor Audrey, heart
broken and alone. sobbing out the misery
q her soul at the a..ar rail.
Beyond the church scene Audrey
hsc little IN 81 10 recommend it to criti-
cal attention. Dramatizations Of novels
are merely commercial makeshfts at
ees' and this particular attempt was not
Eood one even in its clasJ. The char
&ete?s we're hifalutin costumes, talked
haalEtin sentiments and acted not like
iSal people but like inspired dummies.
James Z. Wilson. as the hero, was bonn
haSlc rather Than tender. and Frederick
Ferry who played Jean Huson. the half
breed Villain resembled q tobacco sign
1otchea by the first whitening blight OF
tEnderloir civilization. George Woodward
aud Ada Dwyer. as Mr.. and Mrs. Darden.
contributed only fair ideas Of hypocritical
thafacter and rs for Selene johnson as
eFe!yE Byrd. the naughty belle of the