The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-01
"The Crisis" at EnRIish's.

A decentralization of Winston Churchilrs
novel, 1.-The Crisis, was acted at Eng
Ish's last evening by James K. Hackett
and his company. Mr.. Churchill was his
own dramatist He divided his story into
four acts The first is in Judge Whipple's
law office. in st. Louis, in the year 1857.
Stephen Rrice a young man from Boston,
meets here Virginia Carvel, an ardent
Southener. Six years later, at the end of
the last act of the play. Brice and Miss
Caryel. again in Judge Whipples office,
declare love for each other. During those
six years they are agitated by the passions
and circumstances of the civil war. To
describe dramatically that crisis in the
Nations history is the purpose of Mr..
ChurchiIl's novel and play. He had be-
fore this no experience as a dramstist, and
the crudeness of his play shows that he
was not inspired. The play has no serious
value as a discussion of the causes of the
civil war and has little in it that has not
already been made familiar in many other
melodramas. 1t has not even the merit OF
newneSs.
Brice offends Miss Carvel at their first
meeting by buying and freeing a slave
girl that Miss Carvel wishes for. Her
cousin Clarence ColfaX, bids against Brice,
but the Northerner goes too high for him.
Brice finds nothing Dut SnuDS III 81 LOUIS,
except that Colonel Carvel father of Vir-
ginia, and Judge Whipple are KIND TO him.
After he has been in the place two years,
Colonel Carvel invites him TO party gwen
bv his daughter Here he has a collision
with Colfax who is in love with Virginia,
and they promise each other TO settle this
elsewhere" Virginia begs Brice's pardon
for her insults before ne goes away In
Nav. 1861. Brice saves Colfax from Adolf
ZIONIST rioters. The mob breaks into the
Carvel house and finds Brice confronting IT
81
with revolver. the men rush forward
self wounded The mob hurfies out of the
house and Brice drops to the floor. Nir-
ginia takes him in her arms
Within the next two years Br1ee again
saves Colfaxs life, and the Southerner
finally comes to know the Northerner as
good fellow. 1.-THE South has courage
enough" Colfax says. and adds that il
lacks Just the thing that makes Brice so
admirable Colfax is an indolent impetu-
Gus fellow, and in his losing Virginia the
audience is expected 10 see the reason for
the South's suffering defeat. Colonel Car
vel. cavalier and Judge Whipple,
Yankee. quarrel a great deal over the diff
ference between the North and South but
their arguments throw no light on the mat
ter that is not thrown by school-books.
Brice and Miss Carvel are sentimental,
conventional hero and heroine, and there
is neither wit nor nature in what they
saw and do. The only incidents of the play
that are not wholly forced are those in
which one Eliphalet Hopper figures. He
Is an ignorant SINUS Seie97ANt anu III
soient fellow that has charge of Colonel
Carvers store 1t is marvellous that such
a man were capable of the task and inn
possible that he should succeed, as Hopper
does, in converting Carvefs property 10
himself but. those Inconsistencies aside.
Hopper does create some excitement by
making gross love to Virginia. He tells
her that her father is in his power, and
tries TO buy her. Her father enters and
orders Hopper out of the house. George
lie Soir. the actor Of this character, has
given il the value 1T has. He puts noisome
yulgaritv into it. and despite its intrinsic
impossibility il assumes the likeness of life.
Mr. lie Solr's Is the only acting In the
play that is especially interesting. Mr..
Hackett's ability is completely hidden by
the playwright, for Brice is a commonplace
person and certainly does not represent
the best blood OF the North as ii was at
the time OF the rebellion Miss Charlotte