The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-14
NEWS OF THE THEATERS
VIOLA ALLEN IN AN I'll COMEDY AND
A NEW MELODRAMA.
james Sheridan "The
n and Marion Craw-
ford's "In the Palace of King"

Viola Allen and her company acted Ihe
Hunchback'' yesterday afternoon and In
the Palace of the King" last evening, at
English's. James Sheridan Knowles wrote
"The Hunchback' and seventy years ago
IL was first seen on the stage. with Fanny
Kemble in the part of Julia. I'm the Palace
of the King is a dramatization by the late
Lorimer Stoddard of F. Marion Crawford's
novel OF the same name. 1t is an extrava-
CANT melodrama, gorgeously put on the
stage, and the public has liked it so we'll
that it is now closing it's second season.
The presentation of The Hunchback" is
what Is called a special production" The
purpose is, apparently, to please those per-
sons that decline to admire a player that is
not ambitious to act the great parts" 1t
is doubtful if this commendable effort is
worth while-"The Hunchback's'' audience
was very small and the Crawford-Stoddar
melodrama was applauded by a crowd that
filled the theater. TIL comparative recep-
tions of the two plays here must be an in
dex to the whole country.
All that is left, therefore, is the personal
satisfaction Miss Allen and her associates
get from acting in an intellectual play and
the pleasure they give to a few persons who
patronize the performances. These profits
are very mean in the measure now applied
to the theater. 1.-THE Hunchback' dav is
done, except in the scholars library. it is
In the old English, discursive style and
though its language is beautiful it's con-
struction is far too extensively of fortuitouS
circumstance TO give the illusion of reality.
The speech of the characters is elaborate
and studied and when it has finally con-
veyed the thought, the thought is cold.
The old comedy was acted in a style to
convert IL to naturalism If it's classicism
were not too severe to be overcome. Miss
Allen was a Julia bounding with good
rich in her voice, and at times her exuber-
ance seemed about TO overWhelm her ex-
preston OF it.; When she described to
the wealth Of her lover, Sir Thomas Cliff
ford. became hers-how she would have
three dresses for every day in the year. a
noble e0ulDage, a barge on the Thames
her - delight was obviously innocent
of vulgar wish and hard calculation on her
material profit in Clifford's love. Also there
was intensity of spirit, flashing finely, when
Julia told Master Walter that though she
had been so silly as to sign a marriage con-
tract with a man she did not love (the Earl
or Rochdale) she would take her own life
before she would sell her body and stife
her soul. Her un~reasonableness and the
spectators knowledge that Master Walter
has arranged the trap for his daughter,
confident that she is too good stuff to walk
into II, make more admirable her display
az aT ner temReTament, All through Miss
kind to assure one that with the oppor-
tunity she would win the esteem of the wise
part OF the public.
such opportunity is not given in 'In the
Palace of the King" 1t is a fabric of sem
sational e~scapades, great noise, m~alignity,
murder and different kinds of love. 1t has
no meaning, the scenes are without logical
sequence, one event is presented as de-
pending on another when in fact they are
contradictory. However, in this roaring
melodrama there is a moment of genuine
and spontaneous emotion that is like a
breath OF pure, cool air in a hot place. it
is a scene between Dolores Mendoza and
her lover. Don John, brother of Philip IL,
King of Spain. Don John has returned from
a war with the Moors, a lauded hero. He
has been gone two years. He and Dolores,
at their first sight of each other, know that
love remains between them. They sit in a
corner of the great hall of the palace ana
chat. William Pascoe, as Don John is
boyishly ardent and Miss Allen is a sweet
heart with not only passion, but also fancy,
piquancy, >delicacy and, when the inner
meaning of their state is intermittently re-
vealed in her lovers eyes and voice, a
tremulous fear to approach too close. There
is little else of truth in the play.
Eben Plympton was the Master Walter
in the afternoon and the King Philip i'm
the evening. He is an actor of high in
telligence. Master Walter suffered from
the ugliness of his body, and patiently la
bored for his daughters happiness. He
had an imposing, kindly presence that is
sued from voice, gesture and appearance.
Adelaide Prince impersonated Helen Heart
we'll, and came out brightly in the farcicaI
was played finely by Jameson Lee Finnev.
William Pascoe made a better showing as
Don John than as Clifford. He lacked
something OF depth in the latter pant. For
the rest the company was regularly cap
elaborate than one had been taught net to
be surprised at by seeing richly pictorial
productions of plays.