The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-03-11
Mrs. Fiske mt the Park Theater.

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Mrs. Fiske began her engagement at the
Park Theater last night. presenting a play
and a sketch, The Unwelcome Mrs.
Hatch" and "A Bit of Old Chelsea" The
play was new in this city; the sketch was
familiar. Mrs. Fiske having acted in it on
previous visits. In THE Unwelcome Mrs.
Hatch" the actress is seen for the first
time as an American woman of this day,
affected by conditions with which every
mature person of usual station is more or
less acquainted. This in itself is an adj
mirable thing-Mrs. Fiske should be devot-
ing all her time to it. The same praise
is TO be given to the author. Mrs. Burton
Harrison. Her play is a straightforward
report on matters that she has observed,
without trickery of intention. 1t shows
original research on her part and sympa-
thetic understanding. 1t treats some phe-
nomena entirely new to the American
drama.
In fact. Mrs. Harrison has suggested a
great deal more in her play than she ac-
composites. Marian Lorimer is introduced
soon after her return to New York, her
home city. from San Francisco. One is
given to understand at this time and later
on in the course of the affairs that she
No' MAJ n NtoAeAA9 A-AG'
LOrimer; that he ceased TO love her. and
brutally tortured her by forcing her to re-
ceive i'm her house a woman that was glad
to triumph over her. She heard the two
discussing their position, 1t seems, ana
she ran away from the house, leaving be-
hind her a note in which she said some
thing or other. Her husband obtained
q divorce from her and married the wom-
an with whom he had houted her. Marian
then left New York and Journeyed entirely
across the continent. At San Francisco
she set up a small business and prOspered
to some degree, under the name of Mrs.
Hatch She saw in a newspaper an
nouncement of the engagement of her
daughter and she determined TO go back
TO New York to see the girl and TO learn
what sort of a man she was TO be mar
ried to.
This is all the rma that is given
regarding Marian Lorimer'S brutal treat
ment by her husband and the woman that
took her place prior to the incidents shown
at the beginning of the play. In the play
Lorimer is exhibited as a conventional VII
lain of the melOdrama-bad through and
through. His second wife. too, is seen to
be very wicked. She is as vulgarly mean
as a woman of the streets could be. Her
ambition is to "gO TO Hamburg and go the
pace" She dislikes New York because she
cannot have d fling" and yet she desires
TO shine in society. This apparently Is an
ideal so easy of attainment that even a
woman of this coarse type can be elected
TO the coveted presidency of some prom
inent organization. Mrs. LOrimer is so hon.
ored. Here is plenty of material for a
play-the attitudes of Marian. Lorimer and
the second Mrs. Lorimer-yet il is thrust
into THE Unwelcome Mrs. Hatch" as a
matter for the auditor to take for granted.
First, then, it is necessary TO overlook this
important and unfortunate defect before
one can take seriously the main theme of
Mrs. HarrlSOn'S drama. There is another
such fault-the description of the love of
Marion Lorimer and Paul T~revor-but by a
stretch of the imagination this can be al
most satisfactorily accounted for, as will
be pointed out later further on.
The truly dramatic, illumining and val
liable scenes that Mrs. Harrison has writ
ten are three in number. The first occurs
in the first act. Marian Lorimer has en-
gagged a room in a hotel and has money
enough to keep it for a week. She has
written to Lorimer. asking him to call on
her. He has turned the letter over 10 his
attorney, Cleeve, who represented him in
the matter of the divorce. Lorimer is afraid
Marian will make a "scene." 1t is impor-
tant that no scandals arise now, for the
young man, Jack Adrian, that is about TO
be married TO his daughter Gladys has par
ents that are "old-fashioned" in their ideas
of propriety. The marriage of the young
people means a financial alliance between
Lorimer and Adrian's father that will De
very profitable 10 Lorimer. If anything
should go wrong and get into the news
papers Adrian's father might break off the
Cleeve calls on Marian. He is cold. adopt
ing the policy of intimidating her until she
consents to go away and cause no trouble.
Marian approaches the question ingeni-
Ously. She tries hard TO suppress any emo
ton that would alarm the attorney. The
knowledge of her wrongs burns in her and
at times finds expression, but she RECEIVERS
herself and pleads calmly with CleeVe to
use his influence TO obtain for her a sight
of her daughter. LOrimer is waiting down.
stairs and Cleeve calls him up. LOrimer
has no delicacy and he refuses Marian's
request roughly. She is fighting TO keep
her control of herself so that she may be
able TO seem the commonest beggar. 1t Is
only as a beggar, she feels, that she will
win her end. But it is not her pleading
that moves Lorimer TO grant her request.
He gives in because she promise that one
look at her daughter will satisfy her and
then she will go away forever. This mat
ter settled, Lorimer and Cleeve leave.
Marian revelS IN the JOY OF anticipation
The next day she will see her daughter.
now doubly dear TO her because of the eX-
element she has Just passed through. How
will she look? What will her voice be?
Have the years made a great change in
her? These questions Marian murmurs sit
( ting before her window. clasping and un-
c~lasping her hands.
The second obviously truthful moment
of the play comes in the second act, the
scene of which is I'm Central Park. Marian
has been informed that her daughter will
be there at an '%Outing" given for the chill
dren OF the slums. Coming TO the appoint
ed place, Marian waits n~ervously, fearful
that she Will be disappointed. One of her
old servants, an Irish woman, comes To
her and hugs her with ardent affection.
Yes. she says. Gladys is coming. She is
there in a carriage with her step-mOther.
Marian and her old friend retire into an
aTbOr. The daughter takes a seat on a
bench just outside. Marian could reach
out her arms and clasp her. She is re-
strained rarity by her great agitation.
partly from Consciousness OF her promise,
partly by her companion, the old servant.
She sits there listening TO the happy girls
chatter. sees her so away with her friends.
After a moment. in which she gets her
balance. she determines that she must
speak 10 her daughter and touch her.
Promise or no promise, she cannot stop
at this; there is too great an ecstacy
ahead.
The third of these expositions Of real
emotion is the climax of the play. Marian.
as the messenger of a dressmaker. brings
the bridal gown 10 the Lorimer house and
is admitted by the old servant. Standing
behind a screen. she hears Mrs. LOrimer
complain 20 her husband that she was
not the FIRST" This sensual s~elhshness is
the very height of the so-called love that
the woman has for Lorimer. When the
husband and the wife have left the room
Marian's daughter enters wearing the we'd
ding dress. Marian comes forward TO see
whether or not il its. She takes a needle
and thread and kneels to attend 10 some
defect. The old servant hovers about anx-
iously. While the girl turns TO make some
laughing remark 10 the servant, Marian
1 "a axes III the end of the veil that hangs