The sun., 1903-11-24
NEW STAR SEEN IN A NEW PLAY
CHARLES RICHMAN APPEARS IN
"CAPT. HARRINGTON"
A Cleveriy Contrived and Forcible His.
toricai Mel0drama in which Hickman
Changes His Costume Every s Min.
utes-uuqualifed Enthusiasm Over II.

Yet another dramatic star transposed
from the planetary system Of mere lead
ng men! Charles Richman tempted fate
last night at the Manhattan Theatre in
play, "a now American play" capt.
harrington" by Victor Mapes. Little need
to tell you at this hour. when all the his
trionic clocks seem TO be most perversely
striking l3, who Richman is or was. As late
leading man OF Mr.. Frohmans Empire
Theatre company. where his shadow never
grew less nor his art istic powers lay fallow;
making his first hit as the gigantic and
benignant stranger" OF the much abused
"Hannele" production, MIR. Richman has
done hard. honest work in a half dozen
organizations, including Days.
II you wish to learn more Of him and see
his handsome features consult the gorge Gus
souvenir which Weber and Fields. his
managers, have put forth. 1t contains
biographies of Mr. Richman, OF Mr.. Mapes,
Of the leading lady, Of almost everybody
and everything in the cast, with cross
references to that beloved team" Weber,
fields, themselves.
Mr.. Mapes, too, is not unknown to fame.
In addition TO having been a dramatic
critic. he was stage manager and-here
is where the aspiring and youthful dramatist
should sit up and take notes Mr. Mapes
studied the art of playw riting, that is to
say, the art OF dramatic construction, as
fervently as an ambitious architect for
architecture and the technics Of the stage
are closely related. Al present Mr.. Mapes
is manager of the Globe Theatre, Boston,
where Capt Darlington" ran successfully
last month. So much for star and author.
The work itself deals with historical
incident in the career OF Gen. Geot ge Wash
inaton. 1t ia said that documents once
existed the facts Of which were amazing
A false friend OF Washington attempted to
decoy him TO dinner party, whore he was
to have been captured by the British and
then given free passage to London or
Haues. The anecdote sounds too ideal to
be true; II smells of Dumas or Charles Lever
besides, IL those documents were eXtant
Mr.. Clyde Fitch would have seized them
a. fair material for II revolutionary comedy
OF manners and exquisite Colonal furniture.
However, Mr.. Mapes has only used the
Washington theme as a starting point
he was wise enough to avoid building UP
the figure OF the Father OF his Country "a
proceeding which usually results IN one Of
those sha apeiess and huge mounds OF snow
erected by snuO-nosed. earnest boy-sc'ilp
tors. The real interest in Capt. Bar
rington' is frankly romantic one--for the
author is al avoWed opponent to modern
realstssnd from the eternal stuff Of which
the dreams Of maids and !nen Is spun he
has devised his piece.
Its scenes are laid near Newburgh. on the
banks Of the Hudson, and its action is COM
pressed within a week. There are four acts
AN exterior of Mouitons house. Ii scene in
the British calAp,a room in MouRon house,
and the last act is duplicate OF the first
This scenery was designed and painted by
John Young, The play wa staged by the
accomplished hands of Mr.. Ben Teal. The
incidental music VAS composed by Manuel
Klein.
After the fall Of the curtain on Act III.
the public approva! of the new Offering
was most enthusiastic. Mr.. Rchman made
u speech In which lie thanked every one Of
his associates. Miss Suzanne Sheldon in
particular, and tien endeavored to lure
MIR. Napes from the back of the house but
need not have been ashamed of his play,
1t is of sound workmanship. as conven-
tional as he could make it, and without q
new idea, situation or character with
the slightest drop Of human blood in lts
veins
All is of the theatre theatrical. and liber-
ally suiused with patriotic sentiments.
Well the author is only putting into practice
what he has always preached. He be-
ieves in the immediate impact Of a sentence
or a situation upon the public. Last night
his theory was confirmed give your pub
lie good o!d-fashoned melodrama. give it
TO them strong. but give It TO them well
made!
The twin brothers who are mistaken
each for the other even to the wringing of
lovely wornan's heart !s as old as Jericho.
II NAV be found in the two Dromios. or
it may be found in Plautls. Terence or
any OF the old wonderw orkng -Johnnies"
of the antique. CAPTAIN harrington has
a twin: one is in thc English, the other in
the American army. The, patriotic, her.
the suspense the audience narions her.
If she knew the ruse Of the dramatist we
should have missed the many thrills. -
They came in squads in Aot III. With
a large cavalry pistol Mr., kichman com
thrusts the fatal letter into the hands Of
Miss Sheldon and forces her to hy. CAS-
in Hearts Courageous Then he falls
to the earth. The new star did his share
1ey h his shase fSSos SS snfs snf qnsnd n
looked imposing in both We liked him
better as the patriotic American than as
the volatile British officer. Mr.. Richman
is all too powerful physique to be strictly
volatile. In his graver, moments he was
and deserved all the appla use he won.
Miss Sheldon. charming US ever, played
with supple skill and genuine emotional
power. George ". Wilson, veteran actor,
was finished Mou'ton. The surprise of
the evening was the brief appearance of
General George Was hingt on in the disguise
of Joseph kilgour, who made furor wit h
his polished address, bearing and graceful
person: He mAJ not have looked very
much like the General but his public thought
he did and rewarded him with cheers.
especially after the curt ain arose at the
close of the act. His pose was classic
What he had to do in the play was rat her
hazy 1t seemed to be sonnet hing in regard
to dinner engagement, which was an
undrsmatio procedure on the part Of Mr..
Mapes.
There were Irish. Dutch and negro
dialects introduced-the comic unities?-
aud large .coored' lady achieved sue
white stocking. The character was ir-
restibly played by Mrs. Charles G, Craig,
Her companion in soot was H. B. James.
Mr.. Bradbury enacted small role excel
lently; indeed all the minor roles we're well