The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-25
MeIodrama at the Park.

There are two good actresses at the Park
in the play which opened half-week's en-
gagement at that theater yesterday. They
are too good for the play. and each should
have an important part in a drama of the
better class. One is Ida Hamilton. young
woman who portrays the usual melo-
dramatic heroine, and the other is Mrs.
Charles Peters, a veteran actress who
gives a most faithful picture Of a big
hearted old Irish woman. While the role
played by Miss Hamilton is the conven-
tional heroine of melodrama, the actress
does not interpret II in the conventional
way by any means. She plays 1t so earn
estly. so convincingly and with such con-
summate art that the playgoer who is not
accustomed to taking any OF the cheaper
melodramas seriously finds himself alb
sorbed in this woman's acting and entirely
forgetful of the crudities of the play itself.
AS for Mrs. Peterss characterization, 1t is
just complete in its way. The dear old
actress is so natural in her role that it
would be hard to imagine her as any other
person than the kind, lovable Cordelia
Donohue that she pretends TO be.
The play Is called ''Her First False Step"
1t is one of those curious jumbles of rural
drama, musical comedy, sensational Incl
dents, pathetic episodes and thrilling eli
maxes-a play such as the dramatists for
the cheaper theaters delight in calling
stage stories of laughter and tears" Well,
the laughter Is there, for there are several
comic characters in the piece that provoke
And. strange to say. the tears are there.
too-not the tears that pour forth from
overimpressionable auditors who are ever
ready to weep at some mawkish attempt at
pathos, but tears that are drawn to less
susceptible eyes by the unusually strong
acting OF the unusually talented Miss Ham,
nton. The tears come in a death-bed scene.
A scene OF this description Is usually over
done to such an extent in melodrama that
the thoughtful auditor can see only its alb
surd side. But in this case there Is a real
actress to carry the burden OF IL all. III a
better piece of emo lnal acting has ever
been done at the Park Theater Ii has es-
capped the present writer's attention. Miss
Hamilton does not rant; she does not wave
her hands in the air and tear her hair
when, in the character of a broken hearted
mother, she realizes that her baby is dead.
Her emotion does not degenerate into
hysteria, nor does she employ the old the
atrical expedients The mothers anguish
rings true There is so much bad acting
to be seen at the Park that when player
does such work as this-and in spite of the
character she plays rather than any in
SEPARATION to be gained from 1.-THE innova-
tion deserves more than passing notice.
The audience cares little or nothing for
this bit OF art or If ii is somewhat i'm
pressed, all remembrance of the scene is
quickly scattered TO the winds in the ex-
ClfemenI OF the SenSdllOIls tildl lOiOWs hc
play is bristling with all of the old melo-
dramatic thrills. There is the old story OF
the father turning his daughter from his
door 'never to darken it's threshold again.
there Is a bank robbery in which revolvers
play their good old accustomed part: there
is an attempted murder; there is race
for life" with the Brooklyn bridge as the
scene-a fsvorite stamping ground for the
melo5rama writers-and there is circus
where the villain, after doing every other
devilish act imaginable, throws a child into
cage OF lions from which the little one
Is rescued by her mother. The play is. in
fact what the Park audiences call a
hummer" and IT opened yesterday TO two
audiences that simply packed the tleater
from pit to dome.
There are other capable people in the
cast besides Miss Hamilton and Mrs.
Peters. but few OF them are able to get
away from a certain stereotyped form OF
acting which has long been in vogue In
the popular price houses" Those worthy
OF special meBtion are Frederick Weber,
John Sutherland and Charles III. Stewart,
each one OF whom plays his part with in
telligence. There is comic quartet which
creates a good DIAL of amusement Zone of
the men In Id is at least seven feet IN
height) and there are several pretty girls,
including AMY Fanchonette. who brighten
up things considerably with songs and
dances whenever the opportunity offers.
The play will continue at the Park the rest
of the week IL is sure TO enjoy enormous
business