The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-10-21
MUCH THEATRICAL ACTIVITY.
"t\ tNFRICAN INVASION" WIN
THE DODSONS IN IT.
Martin Harvey for the First Time Here
IN the only Way"-Miss Millward
\gsln IN Ills ESceiicncy the Gov.
rrBOr. This Weeks Chang e. Of Biis.

rrHOr. "-This weeks Changes u Bills.
A, the BiJou Theatre last night two
actors familiar ia our dramatic service.
J. +. Dodson and Annie Irish. were made
stars in An American Invasion, a new
play by Madeleine Lucette Ryley. A
friendly audience assisted with close atten-
ton and encouraging applause. Mr., bod
son appeared as an American civil engineer,
competing with British rivals in India for
a government contract to build sewers.
Miss Irish played a widow who. actuated by
wounded vanity, consent ed TO steal the
Americans plans for the work and thus
bring his enterprise TO naught, but after
awhile she became enamoured Of him, KEEP,
his papers safe and promised TO become
his wife.
II will he seen that Mrs. Ryley's theme
in, reduced love into business. Not until
sentiment had permeated the commercial
affair did the play take Arm hold on inter
est. The acting was admirable from the
outset. and il became effective "a soon a.
the plot was fully developed but prior TO
that the motives had TO be s,irmised and
could not be clearly comprehended. Sew
eral characters served no purpose and
were not missed when they passed out of
sight AT the end of the first act. The Brook
company was capable. The mounting of
the piece was liberal A presentable stage
show was accomplished.
Mls, Irish Is an especially sure actress.
handsome in person. well-balanced in
dramatic Art and qualified In every wav
for the roe of brilliant woman who passes
from somewhat hateful aspect into one
Of loving amiability. In this play she
represented a smart, worldly. fascinating
widow, VINO lent herself to a British Cpi
oneis rascally scheme until change oi
heart separated her from him and joined
her 70 the American invader. The
author had drawn this character strongly
and the PLAYER gave ii a vivid realization.
Mr.. bod. on hit the mark hat had been set
up for him hit it straight and fair bat
not hard. because IL was out of his range
and only his accuracy OF skill enabled him
to hit il AT all. A. the American engineer.
tough-headed in business. er-hearted
IN love. something Of n boaSter. not very
nice Of conscience vet a square man when
it came 10 a choice of serious conduct, he
was liked very much. There was no often
sive exaggeration Of Americauism, vet a
sufficient breeziness 10 carry the char
acterilation heartily. There must have
been those in the audience Who would have
preferred spread-eagle manner. such as
We usually 20" in stage Americans abroad.
but Mr.. Dodsons neat. quiet. detailed
method has made considerable fame fer
him. ana he did not modify II in this por.
travail II was case of a fine actor winning
against odds in short. Of ! T.. bodson
giving satisfaction in iolc suit able for
y. &. Goodwin
A, the Herald Square Theatre lasi even
ing Martin Harvey. an English actor Of
recent fame. started the American our that
he has announced every Fix months during
the la-t three wears and fair sized audience
greeted him cor liallv. Three or -four yea r.
ago he made his first success IN actor
manageEe1' With The Only WAY. a
dramatizlt ion by the Rev. Freeman Wills
of A Tale of Two Cities. and had not that
drama been previously placed for America
Mr. Farvcv would hayo come over in u
Since then ha has made many productions
and each time has announced the visit
that ctart"d last night, but every tine
his play came 700 near 70 failure for lin to
risk presenting hirnself in II 70 foreigner
So after all Tho Only Way was used. and
~
that 'hcy did in September If 1899 10 500
Henry Miller in this depressing entertain
m.It
Mr. Harvey has been 20. this country
before having come over at least twice
Ia Sir Henry Irviug's company, in which
he played small roles adequately. For
reasons not wholly obvious no suddenly
emerged from the comparativ" ob-curity
of lis place with Irving - leadership in
good IoI don theatres, in The Only Wav, 4"
AID has since appeared internationally in
that town. with provincial tours in be
tween
Their" need be- no undue excitement
attendant upon Mr. Harvey's appearance
here, although 10 those who care for drama
entirely in the shadow he will give much
pleasure by his Performance" in Dickens
cheerless tale. In appearance hn is slender
no, tall. at first glance youthful and ser
ious in facial expression to the extent q
suggesting the traditional tragedisn. In
romantic; always the elooutoni-t and
always the actor. Al no time does no
suggest life.
ono admires his sense Of proportion
in reading. his well moduLatcd voice. and
perhaps the graceful placing Of word
or posture OF his body But he never
lets one forget that 1t is Martin Harvey.
acting, acting, acting. One can ina CINE
actors and managers. who go 10 the theatre
saying, "Oh it Is only makc-bolcvo any
way" admiring Mr.. Harvey, but the ordi-
nary thestregoer cares nothing for tech
nique in itself, and If il creates no illusion
its value is quest ionable.
How much OF the apparent shallowne. :
OF Mr.. Harvev's acting is due To the lack
Of depth in Mr.. WIss play Is hard To- sur
mise and surely cannot be definitely do
cdcd unit he has shown himself in another
part. This gloomy melodrama Of drunk
enness and sudden death is very much on
the surface. II is not the sort OF play IN
which an actor could exhibit genius Taken
for a hero an intoxicated lOafer. whose
love for pure girl leads him to the guilo-
tine, where instead Of quietly sacrificing
himself he stands in the white glow Of the
calcium and eNtos his virtues in s'iltod
terms. the opportunity for depth ne bilil Y
of demeanor or in fact anything but utter
superficali'v IA small.
In the tribunal scene Mr. Harvey acted
with melodramatic fervor. at the last ex-
pressing In gesture a. much a. in the earlier
part in vehement words. In the speech
to the Paris mob he deity suggested the
orator feeling his listeners taking quick
notice Of the effect of any though, that
might be amplined and dwelt upon TO the
advantage OF his rival, for whose life he
fought that the girl they both loved might
b, haDDy In this scene The En- glish actor