The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-01-17
lMPE RIAL THEATRE.

Our New Minister a pastoral play in
three acts by Denman Thompson and
George W. Ryer. will have it's second
given here at the opera house two sea =
sons ago and scored one OF the distinct
hits OF the year. New England has fur
nished the locale OF many plays. but in
Our New Minister" the authors have
entered upon an untrodden bit OF meadow
land. and have placed upon the stage a
pastoral drama dealing with every day
life in New England village. filled with
heart interest. and typifying the worse
and better sides OF human nature. There
Is an atmosphere OF rustic simplicity.
quaintness and unconventonality about
''Our New Minister which forcibly i'm
presses audience. Yankee humor
trckles through its lines and enlivens
many of the situations, but side by side
with II there runs a vein OF pathos
"Our New Minister" s now i'm its sec
ond year and has been overwhelmingly
unit i'm pronouncing "Our New Minister"
not only a great play, but one of the
greatest Of our time, and concede IL to
be the crowning triumph ot pastoral
plays. The strength OF "Our New Min
ister' lies i'm the distinctiveness of its
characters. everyone OF which stands
out prominently and conspicuously from
the other Ii would be very difficult II
not impossible TO find on the stage today
more distinct characters Than Thaddeus
Strong our new minister: Lem Ransom
the reformed convict. Darius Startle. the
country detective; Curt Ho'ten, shy on
belief" Obadiah Burton. with settled
opinions; Sylvanus Bartlett the store
keeper and Skeezicks, an up-to-datc
New York lad. These alone would serve
as a basis for a dozen dramas are drawn
with great care and skill. and are all
strong originals The other characters
are Hannibal Chapman. a pretender;
Calvin Abdal the old minister: Jack
Frasier an escaped convict; Nance Ran
som. LENS daughter. fine emotional
character; Dorcas Tattleby name and
nature alike. and Esther Strong. our new
minister's sister. The various parts are
fitted to the actors in an admirable man
ner. their portrayals are so utterly un-
theatrical and artistic, so true In every
tone. and gesture. and phase, that the
total effect is startlingly real.
Scenically "Our New Minister Is
constant delight 10 the eve. The first
act shows the front OF the general
store and postoffice. the lower floor with
its store. the upper one utilized as n
lodge room by the odd Fellows. and the
two steps in front running the width
OF the porch which shades the front
windows To the left OF the store IL the
lane leading to the depot. with a view. I'm
the distance. of the tavern and the rocky
soil OF Hardscrabble. the scene OF the
play. where the stones grow faster than
the yaps that pick en- up
This picture with It's bright reds
golden yellows and marvellous browns Is
a masterworl< of stage craft. and Is al
ways greeted with rounds Of applause.
The second act shows the homo ~ Thad-
deus Strong. our new minister. with its
old fashioned bay windows from which
across the common" Is seen the general
store and postoffice the scene Of our
new minister's introduction 10 Hard
scrabble. The third act shows the home
of Lem Ransom. n reformed convict 1t
represents an old New England kitchen
and is n fine example of fidelity I'm color
and detail
Joseph Conyers az Darius Startle.
John Barker as Curt Ho'ten. Henry r.
Scott as Sylvanus Bartlett. Louis Furce
as Obadiah Burton. and John T.. Brawn
as Skeezicks will be seen in the roles
they respectively created. John Terriss
will be the new minister. Thaddeus
Strong: Charles Stedman will he the Lem
Ransom; w, G. Tanner will play IInnnl-
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