New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-27

This week will see the opening Of the Fields
Theatre on Tuesday night; the appearance OF
Nat Goodwin at the Knickerbocker in a new
play Tomorrow; the first production in Eng
lish in this city of sudermann's Fires Of st,
John" at Days tomorrow, with Miss Nance
O'NeI as the star; and the appearance or
Retane tomorrow night in 'Sapho.
To many theatregoers the opening of the Lew
Fields Theatre will be the most interesting
feature Of the week. because it marks the be-
ginning OF what IS expected TO be a permanent
amusement in this city. and because 1t will also
challenge comparison with Mr.. Webers venture
already successfully launched down at the old
Music Hall The new Fields Theatre IS III
West Forty second-st.. close by the American
Theatre. It IS the latest-and he says Will be
the last-playhouse erected by Oscar Hammer
stein II will seat about thousand people.
The musical play with which Mr.. Fields will
begin his separate career Tuesday IS called 1T
Happened in Nordland" and is by Glen Mac
Donough. The music IS by Victor Herbert, who
stands easily at the head Of American compos-
ers Of comic operetta music, and If the one
"ragtime" march which Mr.. Herbert recently
played at of his Sunday night concerts is
any sample OF the rest OF his score, there is
going 10 be music which will be worth while.
Miss Marie Cahill. who a singer OF comic
lyrics has few equals on the stage. will be. with
Mr. Fields featured" on the programme. Miss
May Robson, Miss Bessie Clayton, Billie" Nor
ton Harry Davenport. Joseph Herbert. julius
I
paTnes which will appear the bill. The piece
has been staged by Julian Mitchell.
'Johannisfeuer." a drama in four acts by
Hermann Sudermann. was first presented IN
English IN this country by Miss Nance O'NeiI
IN Boston on January 21- 1904 some seven or
eight years after its German production. She
used a version made by Charles Swickard
translator OF Taps" called The Fires Of St.
John" and this same version she Will show at
Days Theatre tomorrow night It has been
issued IN book form by a Boston firm with q
portrait OF Miss O'Neil that is, to put it mildly
startling. But Miss O'Ners performance In
the drama is said 10 be startling, too. The play
certainly provides the opportunity
The Ibsenesque keynote Of this play is sound
ed IN toast proposed by the lover of Marie the
heroine, the night Of St. Johns feast while
the bonfres Of the German peasantry are burn
fng the hills outside. Fate has brought It
about that this lover George. is to marry an
other girl on the morrow. the foster sister of
Marie. He has learned too late that Marie loves
him. In his toast he cries: Once every year
that spark OF heathenisml is famed into flame
1T flames up hiRh-and then It is called The
Fires Of st: John once every year we have
flame shooting up to heaven. do you know What
they ere2 They are the spirits OF our dead and
perished wishes! That is the red plumage OF
our birds Of paradise We might have petted and
nurSed through our entire lives but have es-
C6ESG us. Ihat Is the OLD chaos: ( heathen-
ism within US; and. though We be happy in
sunshine and according to law tonight is st
Johns night To its ancient pagan fires empty
this glass;
And George and Marie are left alone down.
stairs. 70 wait for the midnight train which
Marie Is to take into town, to get ready the
bridal suite. But they miss the midnight train
and there is no other till 4 o'clock. The fires of
St John still burn red the hills outside The
curtain falls none too soon. This is the third
act, the big" act. The fourth act is devoted 10
working out Of the problem whether or not
George should off with Marie or stav and
marry the foster sister according TO the tradi-
tonal standards of honor" Mr. Sudermann
causes him to stay and marry the sister The
play ends with Marie stufing her handkerchief
Into her mouth while George and her sister go
out to church Charles Dalton will play George
Tomorrow, Miss Gertrude Binley the foster sis
ter. and Mckee Rankin the father. OF course
Mise O'Neil plays Marie.
The American millionaire abroad is the theme
OF n. Z Goodwin's new comedy. which Will
nave us first New-York presentation tomorrow
evening at the Knickerbocker Theatre Mr.
Gooo"in brings forth q new American author
IN me peTson Of I. N Morris. It is true that
mr. MOTIFS has written other plays-"The Prim-
rose Path" tried IN Chicago, and Jim Bud
Eoe'-but none that have attained the apparent
success that so far has followed THE iUsurper'