The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-29

fight over. Patriotism Is there, and Is voiced
at times, but more eloquence is expended
In pleas of sexual passion. And IL is note
worthy that. though the audiences dutifuily
applaud the patriotism, they are impressed
more deeply. if less noisily. by the pas
sion. OF course, Washington is still first
in war, first in peace and first in the hearts
Of his countrymen," and the figure of him
shown on the stage is duly applauded, but
in play we care more for the fellow whom
''the whole world loves" and that's lover.
xxx
1t is another coincidence that graduates
of the Empire Stock Company, William Fa-
versham and Charles Richman, were the
star actors in those two revolutionary plays
beginning in Broadway on the same night.
Faversnam was promoted by Charles Froh-
man three seasons ago, but Richman, less
patient, has gone over 20 Weber & Fieldss
management. Faversham came from En-
gland and played many parts admirably
at the Empire. He was the most popular
of the leading actors there. and an idol of
the matinee girls, who affectionately called
him Favvy. His acting strength was, and
still is, in stimulation of honest fervor as
wooer. Richman came from Michigan
got into notice here first as the kindly chap
whom the dying child in "Hanele" thought
was Christ, and spent several subsequent
years at Days. In making a choice of a
| play for a starring tour, he narrowly
missed Major Andre" in which the un-
luckier Arthur Byron lately set himself
back a year, just after Orrin Johnson had
suffered a similar reverse with Hearts
| Courageous" another revolutionary feat Of
impersonating twins alike in form and
feature, but different in nature and con-
duct. in Captain harrington" He makes
the British officer a ne'er-do-well profiigate
and the American a ne'er-do-ill patriot.
XXX
Mr.. Faversham is the husband of the big,
beautiful Julia Opp, who Is so English in
looks and department that probably you
will be surprised to learn that she was born
| and brought UP here in New York. She
sat in the box on the opening night or
Miss Eizabeth's Prisoner and applauded
her husbands ardor in winning to his arms
the willful heroine, played by Hilda Spong,
| who much resembles her in person and
manner. There were no signs that Mrs.
| Opp-Faversham jealousy disliked the
| sight Indeed, I think she was concerned
| instead in his professional welfare In a
| scene, where all in the space of half an
| hour by the authors clock, or ten minutes
| as stake time flies, the hero has to change
the heroine's feeling from detestation to
sympathy, so that she will abandon her
purpose of delivering him up to death as
| spy And indeed that is risky passage,
because the man lies deliberately when he
| declares that he loves her. Later in the
| pIay he loses, for while, the affection
which his deception has melted, and gets
| ii back with the audiences esteem as well,
by a genuine and very brave passion for
her, but in that episode Of duplicity his
| vogue is in danger, and no wonder his
actual wife was anxious till he had squared
| himself with the fctional sweetheart and
the ever tickle public. AS to Mrs. Rich
| man, who was a close observer of her
spouse's acting on the first night, does ii
interest you to know that she was a chorus
| girl at Weber g. Feldss music hall when
he married her, and that's not saying a
word against her reputation. which was OF
| the very best.
The Americanism in 1.-The County Chair
man. is racy with native humor that is
| touched by homely sentiment. 1 would
| rather have the fame and money that Will
] come to George AIDE through that play than
all that the three other new ones OF the
| week will earn for their authors. TWO
dollar people are reluctant TO buy rustic
| shows in Broadway, and slow to like them
| when bought. 1.-The Old Homestead ano
in Old Kentucky" which / suppose to bt
the most prosperous two in that class, were
| priced at dollar per best seat at out
lying theaters during their first long sea.
sons in this city and have never been placed
in our great thoroughfare. Still, top
notch Broadway audience yielded itself tC
ENJOYMENT of this latest transcript from
rural life. Perhaps the swallow-tailed ap
probation and kid-gloved approval were
won partly by the POLITICAL theme. New
Workers found it easy to get next an(
sit close to the characters who figured IL
a midwest election canvass. The tricks o.
a county chairman to beat his persona
enemy at the polls tickled the men in thu
fashionable assemblage nightly, while al
engagingly simple and hearty love affai
between the chairman's young candidate
for Office and the daughter of the opposing
nominee caught the fancy Of the women
and the comic peculiarities of the villagers
! shown in a rapid but never overdone sue
cession of incidents, appealed to men ant
| women equally. <tuC ID tiiO oAiy oaS "a W.
newspaper humorists who has develops
skill as a playwright. and most of them
from Artemus Ward to Bill Nye, tried thei
hands at the work, which looks easy after
is well done.
1t is not in plan or scope that AIDE has ex
celled. His gathering of rustics at villag
store contains new type. his grove meet
ing with an amateur band making tn
music is an old idea, HIS law office with it
complicated clients and dime-novel readin
boy is unoriginal as means of getting tn
various persons together, and his fins
roundup of all concerned to hear the re
turns on election night has been used be
fore And surely there is nothing fresh /
! the involvement of the principal lovers
the rancorous excitements Of politics
campaign. The success comes solely fror
AIDES genius at transferring effectually
the stage things which he has shrewdly an
closely observed in real life.
xxx
: When rural play comes to town a
, ways wonder where the actors have bee
, | obtained Seldom is one of the eccentri
types of character poorly performed. G
the twenty-five in 1.-THE County Chairman