Evening star., 1902-02-18
Meets With Encouragement.
ADJUSTMENTS.

COLUMBIA THEATER.-The dramatized
novel has been set aside as a distinct class
in theatric attractions, and the announce
ment that favorite work Of fiction is to
be placed before the theater- going public
does not inspire the confidence that it once
did. But there are characters whose sturdy
individuality are sufficient to compensate
for absurdities of plot or commonplaces Of
diction. and Eben Holden, together with one
or two Of his associates, belongs to this
class. Unfortunately. when a novel goes
into the dramatiZation mill the most de-
Sirable course of events is not maintained. d.
A great deal of the chaff IS saved for pop
ular consumption. large amount of for
eign and deleterfous substance is often in
troducfd, and many kernels of real merit
are permitted to escape. Those who have
read the book declare without hesitation
that some of the prettiest episodes have
been sacrificed. 1t is true that the preser-
vatiGn of the incidents which portray the
close and tender relationship of Eben and
his protege could not be introduced with
out difficulty. But difficulties like this are
what playwright is under obligation to
meet. Conscientious and capa BILE effort to
preserve. as far as possible, what is best
in a story Is all that can keep the drama
tized novel from falling into utter and
enduring disrepute.
Those who were unfamiliar with the book
probably enjoyed the play last night more
than those who had read 1t. The first act
is not especially spirited despite the in
PRODUCTION of a horse, but the second takes
on more life and ends by throwing man
into a brook, with an accompanying splash
of genuine water. This bit of realism so
enthused the audience that vociferous de-
mands for speech We're made on Mr. Hol-
land who plays the title role. Mr.. Holland
did not respond, but showed his appreca-
ton by doing some very conscientious work
His care seemed to be not to over-empha-
size the rough edges of the role in his ef-
forts To make 1t comic Yet he preserved
Its hOmely humor and perhaps made it the
more effective because of the absence of
caricature. The audience manifested hear
" approval. The character bit Tip Tay-
lor," played by j. III. Bradbury, was a
novel conceit, and ii was well carried out
by the actor His hare-lp dialect was
something out of the ordinary, but 1t was
not overworked, and his grief when his as
pirations as member of the village choir
We're rudely quenched was rare touch of
Whimsicalty. There is an irresistible fas-
cnation in that school of the drama in
which the cha racters go about in their
shirt sleeves chew wisps Of hay and sub
ject the English language to relentless
atrocities. But dialect the public wants
and dialect ii will have. And when it is so
easily provided. there is no reason for stint
ing the supply. 1t Is part of the sur
roundings. The note of the COW bell Is of
itself Hnmusical, but heard In its proper
place it blends with twilight sentiment, and
makes the harmony complete; the smell Of
new mown hay would be resented in a
drawing room, and the simple garb of the
country folk would not pass muster any
where save III a rural play. Let the char
acters then, complete the bucolic sympho-
ny, and gurgle their dulcet "b'goshes'' un-
checked into the public's willing ears
There are no pretensions to brilliancy
The play is a plain wholesome picture of
simple humanity. 1t is in striking contra st
10 some of the highly seasoned preparations
which the menu of theater presents dur
ing the season and its reception last night
left no room to doubt its acceptability.
LAFAYETTE SQUARE OPERA HOUSE.
The Bellows Stock Company has taken
another step along the road of success
through thoroughly satisfactory presen-
tation of Brother Officers.'' comedy in
three acts by Leo Trevor, first produced In
this city by the Empire Theater Stock
Compar- with William Faversham in the
cast. ~ idea of the play was based on
Tennyson's assertion that Here and there
a cotter's babe is royal born by right di-
Vine An enlisted man Of the British army