Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-10-26

Two stock companies and former rivals
FLASHED in the local theatrical nrnlameht
this week; when G!fen met the FaWcett
coterIe OF players. The former manager
whose name has been so closely identineo
with summer dramatics hereabouts LOT
several seasons, brought reorganiZed
company tc the Academy. Thursday even
Ing in a revival Of ouida's romantic story
.ITnde- Two Flags" At the same time
George Fawcett. who also played an Ell
raeemeut here last spring with a stock
company headed by Percy HasWeI,
brought a new aggregation OF actors ana
actresses to the Bijou in a revival OF the
welI-known drama Jim the Penman
Both the Flags" and the Penman
had been seen here, SO there was pract-
Gully nothing new for the patrons OF me
drama 10 pass upon except the merits
and personnel of the two new companies.
While the popular verdict was favorable
TO both organizations there were very
fragrant faults observable in the work
of the individual members IN each so Tar
IS pertained to the conception given their
respective roles. In the first place the
Giffen road organization did not measure
I'D to the summer stock in its presenta-
ton of Under Two Flags. Miss La
Verne while a loving Cigarette, was not
q y
the part. and lacked The v;vacity and sen
suousness necessary for its proper inter
pretation Her best work perhaps was
done in the sand-storm scene in the
desert, while she failed utterly to convince
in her death scene.
The new leading man, Walter Hale,
while he was in many respects an ideal
BERTHE. stumbled. In his lines, and gave
performance that IN many respects SUI
|. n hot of
The other members Of the caste, while
fairly good in their roles, also failed to
keep the pace set by the summer stock.
ALLOWANCES MADE.
Allowances must be made for the fact
that it was the first night of a new
company in a new play, or at least new to
the cast. The same consideration is due
Fawcett's players who gave better
performance of Tin the Pennan,' than
they did on the opening night.
VARIETY OF ATTRACTIONS.
This week promises a variety Of at
fractions and as variety is the spice of
life the existence of lovers Of things
tfleatrc ought not to be dull
The only Dave Warfield who has scored
tremendous hit in the metropolis and
on the road in the Belasco version of
1.-The Auctioneer," viii be seen for the
first time as star here at the Academy
TUESDAY night. warmed Is CuliCeueu "
be one of the very best Hebrew imper-
senators before the public, and Richmond
is indeed fortunate to secure such an
attraction. The Boys Symphony Orches-
ira, the musical comedy THE Messenger
Boy" and Arizona" a play not new
here viii also be seen at the Academy
while unctuous George Monroe will put in
the week at the Bijou in his new musical
comedy, THE Doings Of Mrs. Dooley.'
ONLY DAVE WAKEFIELD.
Warfeld's appearance at the Academy
next Tuesday evening In The Auction
eer," will be of particular interest because
1t will offer the people Of Richmond some
thing distinctly novel in the line Of dra-
matte entertainment. In View of the
reputation he made by his tour Of last
season including his phenom enally sue
ccssful season of four months at the
Bijou Theatre, New York, it is scarcely
necessary. to speak praises OF his admir-
able work as Simon Levi, the Hester
street merchant who earns a fortune and
moves into fashionable uptown home on
Lexington avenue. 1t is enough that
Warfeld's triumph was the conspicuous
feature Of the early theatrical season
along Broadway, and that, although new
ss star, his fame has been carried
abroad by the excellence OF his work.
The announcement that it is David
BelaSco'S managerial hand winch dlrectS
the genius of Wartield is of particular
Importance Indeed it was Mr. Belasco s
shrewd and urerring judgment which
sought Warf1eld out, and which saw in
him the possibilities of high artistic
achievement. Doubtless it will be discov-
ared that much OF Warfieid's personal
success-to say nothing Of the correctness
Of the stage settings and effects-is due
to The genius of this master. We are told
that in Warfeld and THE Auctioneer,'
we are to see something distinctly unique,
for Mr.. Belasco has apparently been ex-
ceedingiy careful to keep clear Of the
trodden path.
warfeld himself sets the pace. AS
every one knows him to be utterly unlike
any other comedian. SO is The Auction
eer,' the new play Mr.. Belasco has chosen
for him, absolutely different, from any
drama that has ever been seen in this
city. In his great successes on the vaude.
VILE stage, Warfield achieved his fame
through his skilful and laughable por-
trayal OF the eccentric Jew who inhabits
the East Side of cosmopolitan New York
AS a vaudeville creation this characte,
was utilized only for creating laughter
But. with all his quaint ways. his SHARP
business methods his ludicrous dialect
and his shambling walk, Mr.. Belasco and
! Mr. Warfeld always maintained that the