The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-29
ON The new YORK STAGE
FOUR NEW AMERICAN PLAYS PRO-
DUCED THIS WEEK.
George AIDES "County Chairman" Is
Well Receiyed-A Pretty Japa-
nese Play.

still more pleasantly remarkable is the
fact that they are not native handicraft TO
be ashamed Of Their average of quality
is good and the performances generally ex-
cellent. In one OF them an actress is new
to the center OF the stage, and she takes
IL in way to show that she may stay there
IL she wishes to. Anyway. her entrance
was literally brilliant right off. The scene
was the garden of a tea house in Japan.
The lights were low and the occupants were
dim in the shadows. Suddenly balcony
was illumined, and into the focus stepped
a geisha girl. gay in the gown of her call
ing. That was the picture made of Mar
garet Ellington upon the first disclosure of
her in "A japanese Nightingale" On the
third finger of her left hand diamond glis-
tened, and most of the spectators knew
that it was token of more than her mimic
bethrothal in the drama. Three days later
Daniel Frohman married Maude Light, of
Bloomington, Ill. Miss Light and Miss Ill
ington are one and the same pretty woman.
1t was Mr.. Frohman who altered her name
for the stage, making it from those of her
State and city, when she Joined E. II. Soth-
ern's company, two years ago. 1t was not
long, it is said. before he made up his mind
uncommonly well equipped to be an actress
If she retires into matrimony it will be a
wonder and pity. too. The talent which
enables her to play YulSi, the japanese girl,
so seriously well as to make you forget
| the facetious Yum Yum in the 'Mikado."
shouldn't be suppressed by husband, and
do not believe it will be.
The drama in which Miss Ellington is the
heroine possesses another extraneous in
terest. 1t has been wrought from Onoto
Watana's novel, and the authoress accused
John Luther Long of taking ideas from it
| for his Madame Butterfly and 1.-THE Darl-
| ing of the Gods" Now, you don't catch me
| mixing in these quarrels over plagiarism.
real or fancied; and / mention this one
merely because the row has served to ad-
vertise both the Belasco and the Klaw &
Erlanger productions. "a Japanese Night
| ingale'' is noteworthy for fine and true
representations of japanese life. An artist
from Japan was employed to give accuracy
| TO the places, costumes and other objects
| shown. This honesty has cost lot of
| money, for anything more faithfully and
| extensively copied on the stage than the
| Temple of Shiba has not been exhibited
| this season. The craven idols are set up in
| a magnificent Enclosure of lacquer and gold.
A religious ceremonial dance, the bon
| odori. is here magnificent novelty in bal
| let, besides its illustration of rite at
| tending a girls VOW to become a nun-ike
votary of a japanese god. The symbolism
| of ii is expressed clearly when rows of
yong priestesses swing high their arms,
| from side to side, with gracefully beckon-
| ing gesture of the hands, and bow gravely
| in solemn welcome to the novice into the
| temple.
| new effect has been invented for this
strange dance. The long, pendant, bright
hued sleeves of the priestesses animate the
scene as they are lifted high and swung
| wide. simultaneously. the frou-frou of
silk is heard.
81 wish my silk skirt would rustic like
that" said woman near me.
You'd make as much noise if you
wore those hundred sleeves-not on your
arms, though-and were as active as those
dancers said her companion.
| Few of the spectators suspect that the
| rhythmic. silken swish, in unison with the
picturesque movement and in harmony with
| the native music is made by machine of
stage. BY and by it may become as common
as hoofbeats in military drama, but for
| awhile it will be a valuable expedient
This japanese drama Is full half Amer
lean. The heroine and the several villains
| are Asiatic, but the two heroes are the
girls lover from New York and his friend
from California. Thus Western civilization
Up to date If not a little ahead, becomes
involved with Eastern conservatism thai
lags behind. As Onoto Watana is not vel
low. but white, having got her tinted name
by marriage, and as the dramatizer of hel
novel, is William Young, the same Boston
ian who made the stage version of Ben
Hur," 1t was safe to guess, before finding
out for sure that the Yankees would throw
down and knock out the Japs in the en-
| counter. The maiden is rescued from hel
native sorrows and perils and started west
WARRIOR do they take the eastward rout,
for a new life a happy wife in Thu
land Of the brash and home of the breezy
| In Mrs. Watana's narrative the inborI
and inbred antipathy towards foreigners il
| Japan, and the fervently religious disdail
Of them for wedlock, provide the motive 70
| the action. and therefore ii is a crime O
| wanton love- in the eyes of her countrymen
when the top-class Toxic belle mates witt
an American. In Mr.. Young's play little /
made of that ethical theme, and for it 1
substituted case Of quite physical arsol
and murder, TO destroy a marriage Ger
tificate. That lessons the literary quality
but may increase the theatrical value
though hardly think so.
| The Americanism In the three other new
! dramas has been located here at home
though In two of them ii is more than
century away in time. Miss Elizabeth
Prison and Captain Darlington ar
plays of our war OF the Revolution. Lik
} the recent Major Andre" they presen
episodes of individual capture, attempte
or achieved, and are placed in the coun
try just to the north of New York cit
that was disputed by the Wings and Torie
. while the British held the town. Isn't
. strange that. after years and years Q
, managers resolrte disfavor of revolution
airy plays, three so nearly alike should
, almost simultaneously brought out? TIL
, Miss Elizabeth who has a prisoner in Rot
; ert Nelson Stephens and E. Lyall Swete'
, fiction is a capricious Loyalist. the mis-
tress of the heroic Phillippse manor hous