The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-02-01
AT TWO DRAMATIC KAfINEBS.
PLAYS BY JOHN OLIVER HOMES
AND HERMANN SUDERMANN.
h English woman's The wisdom Of
the Wise and the Germans "Frity'
"A Transient Cast for THE school
FOR Scandal" With kyrie BeIiew.

FOR Scandal" With Kyrie Beiiew.
When Hermann Sudermann's Fritz was
performed In English for the first time
yesterday afternoon at the Empire Theatre
It was seen to be a singular drama In two
ways. II had no condolences with the
audience. In that respect violating an old
rule Of the playwrights most studiously
and persistently. Secondly. it's one act
ended with the story broken OF so abruptly
that programmes rustled and huttered all
over the house In the curiosity whether.
really. there was no more to come. The
absence OF an expected son was emphasized
at the outset by the intense anxiety Of
his bluf father, his invalid mother and
his girl cousin. There were premonitions.
indications. and al length certainty that
something serious had happened to the
young fellow. who was in the army not far
away. When he did oorne he was ~nervously
excit cd. but for awhile the fact was held
back that he had been publicly iogged by
a fellow officer with whose wife he had
misbehaved. That information was kept
from his mother. because il might kill her,
and from his cousin. with whom he was
bA Only after half an hour Of
secrecy did his father and the audience
find IL out.
The planning and writing Of this short
play had been lone expertly TO make The
| suspense Increase steadily up to the point
where Fritz. ashained and desperate, was
nevertheless gladdened by the news that
the regimental board Of honor, after de-
liberation, had decided that he was en-
titled 10 face his ussailant in a duel with
| pistols. A handsome actor, George Ger
bich, made him an attractive chap, and
six other students Of the Academy OF
Dramatic Arts were proficient in the cast
II was not their fault that Sudermann's
whole play seemed like only the start OF
one. The Fritz went of TO fight his duel,
leaving il to be surmised whether he would
survive il. and, IL he did, whether he and
the girl 10 whom he had been untrue would
get together again.
The second play given at the Empire
yesterday was THE Wisdom Of the Wise"
by John Oliver Hobbies. The performance
made the reason plain why the piece had
been rejected by the London public. II is a
mass Of words. some OF them making neat
phrases, witty sentences end even clever
c~olloouies, but dramatically formless and
often dropping from brief brightness into
long stretches OF verbose dulness. There
is a young Duchess who is a one and happy
wife until her drawing-room companions,
leu Nv a " bAhAa 49,
her husband TO her as either disloyal or
likely TO be. No great harm comes OF it,
nor anything TO make good stage fiction
Of. excep, during about twenty scattered
minutes OF something like dramatic interest
in the mans honest. vet suspicious, mid
night visit 20 a friends sweetheart. Moth
ing but the pen name OF Mrs. tragie can
account for this play having been placed
on the stage regularly.
Nevertheless, The Wisdom OF tire Wise'
was n judicious selection by MT. Sargent
Tor his students 10 perform. lie ENLISTED
seventeen OF them in u advautageonsiy.
Most Of them must have been ready for or
past graduation. as they were NJ TO go
into professional service. Twelve Young
women gave TO the mrs, ac' craving room
SCENE such a bevy Of feminine c~entillty as
stage directors find II hard 20 produce
with the hest resources AZ command. They
walked and talked a. modishly a. the gowns
they wore An equal number OF Young
men spoke fairly well. but, b sides being
inevitably less comely, their average OF
acting ability was lower. The locuacity
Of the play gave abundance a. language
10 display elocutionary abilities. and v
COMPANY missed no verbal point. Not
one spoke badly. Martin '. Merle Thomas
Fallon, Jr, louis Parker and especially
Lucille Watson. were leaders. and there
Was a Marian stone. 40 very handsome
as TO dazzle ones eyes, bu, she looked like
q promising actress.
Several wears ago enough star actors
to 6l every par' IN The Rivals" really
did e., together and act that play Ever
since every classic revival j. made by an
sal-star cast o. usually compossd ~ actor-
who have been stars or hope To H., and
several Who really are. Yesterday after
noon The School fof scandal was given
nj wallAck's by an -Rll-star east % - which
only three had ever teen stars A. matter
of faoa. the performance wa admirable.
and made, a. shendan'- comedy neoer-
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