The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-03-14
DIDN'T FILL THE BILL.
Many People Disappointed at the
Play " Sag Harbor.o

RAY sag aStTUOI.
1t would probably be dangerous for
anyone in New York to intimate that
any play written by the late James A.
Herne was not perfect in every detail
Topeka is a long way from Kings
county. and the distance may lend
the approval of the Knickerbockers
and Alan Dale, was at the Crawford
last night, and it did not receive the
unqualified approval of everyone in the
duced amid the rumble and roar of
Broad
Herne was one of the best portrayers
of New England types that the stage
mas known He was most successful
dramatist and producer. He wrote
plays that received the approval of the
pulpit Herne was the evangelical
worker of the stage who, with his
characters and his scenery, strove to
teach the story of the good honest
hard working fisher folk and farmers of
referred to with respect as the late
James A. Herne.
With all due respect to the memory
OF Herne, it must be said that Sag
Harbor, as presented by the Liebler
company, failed to hold the attention
OF the audience and win the approval
as other New England plays have done.
me company was good, the parts We're
Well taken, and no one but Herne him
SELF as the laundering Captain
Marble was needed to make the cast
all that could be expected. The success
OF the play in the east may have been
because Herne before he died was the
Jolly sea captain. Perhaps his person.
atty won the play its reputation.
Herne mas written good plays. One of
them, Shore Acres - was last seen in
topeka two years ago. 1t is a better
play than Sag Harbor." BY comparing
the two 1T seems that Herne, like many
other drama lists and writers, has some
chosen plot which he changed slightly,
reburn1shed with a few new speeches
and incidents and wove into the fabric
Of each of his, plays. The love of two
story of shore Acres and the love of
two brothers for the same girl is the
plot of Sag Harbor''
The plot of Paul Wilstach's sSweet
Clover" is similar to that of the Herne
story of the harbor folk but it is better.
Herne taught nothing in the play There
is no moral in it unless it be that two
men should not love the same woman.
Frank" and Ben Turner are in love
with Martha Reese Ben 'r1arries her
thinking that she had made her choice
and bestowed her hand according to
her love. Martha" waivers between the
two but while accepting Ben" from IA
sense of duty it is also with a feeling
all the time that he is the one OF
course there comes a time when the wo-
man must choose between her husband
and his brother and of course she
chooses her husband and of course the
other finds a new love-
The part of Captain Dan Marble
was acceptably taken by c.. Woodward
but there was little in the character as
Woodward made it to impress the av-
erage theater goer with a feeling that
the sea captain was the counter part of
one in real life There is no comparing
the character to that of Golden'S Jed
Prouty.' There is nothing distinctive in
it. Except for the few nautical terms
Dan Marble" could have passed for
an, Ohio farmer or a prosperous village |
merchant.
Margaret Pitt sustained the difficult
part of Martha Reese" in a naively |
good Elizabeth" and Mollie ReVel was
funny Mrs. John RUSSELL,
There is parting shot that may be |
taken at Sag Harbor.' 1t should be |
aimed at the situations and lines that !
do not border on risquenesS but that |
get clear over the boundary and brings |
boots and yells from the gallery
There is something almost pathetic |
in the mother making baby clothes and |
the scene is new to the stage 1t should |
be delicate and attractive part of the |
play but there is dangerEgreat danger I
of making it a burlesque.
Franklin Ritchie handled the part of |
Ben Turner in satisfactory man |
ner, and John Dean was a capital |
ish lover with the jauntiness born of |
his service before the mast His as |
summed sang froid was excellently done. /
The truest character in the play was /
freeman Whitmarsh,' by c. B. Craig !
He was a typical siX-footer, slim. red |
haired and unSuppresSible.
Everyone has seen just such charac-
tiers in real life. The kind that fall in
love with every pretty face they see and |
are never daunted by being snubbed |
Freeman" could be taken out of the
cast and a play built round him that
would make an excellent comedy.
Only $50 to California
Via the Great Rock Island Short Line.
Tickets on sale every day from March |
I