The daily sentinel., 1904-03-31
Isabel Irving in
"The Crisis" a Success.

Winston Churchill. the author of
THE Crisis,'' and who also prepared
the dramatization of the piece knew
we'll what portions of his great book
would not suffer through the dramati-
zation and we'll selected the parts to
be presented on the stage.
The Crisis has been a generally
read as any book by an American
author in quart ter of century. 1t
Is more nearly ideally American in
all its parts than most books of the
day. hence the great interest with
which it was read and the greater in
terest there seems to be in seeing liv-
ing chara ,ters portray its scenes and
incidents.
James K. Hackett. great player
himself. author and dramatist, selected
well when he took Isabel Irving for
the leading role of Virginia Carvel.
In the book itself Stephen Brice is ap.
parently the leading character. but in
ho play it is all in all Virginia Car
vel. around and about her hinges
every act of the play.
The scene of The Crisis is laid in
st. Louis and the text is so unusually
familiar to all, that any attempt at
review would be superficial. The
characters in the play were costumed
in accordance with the styles of the
period just previous to the war.
These were faithfully followed by the
entire company and were quaint as
well as picturesque.
Both Miss Irving and Wilfrid North
the latter in the character of Stephen
Brice pleased greatly. Mr.. North has
his enunciation was poor. He was
the manly Brice, however. all
through the play and he never at
tempted to overdraw.
Around and about Miss Irving.
however. in the splendid character of
Virginia Carvel all interest hinged.
Miss living is one of the leading
women on the American stage and she
certainly proved last night that she
was entitled to all the confederation
which the public has given her. She
is beautiful, but better yet, winsome
beyond measure. 1t is no wonder that
the late Mark Hanna said of her that
she was the most engaging and sweet
est actress ON the American stage.
She pleases all who see her. Her
every movement is natura Ines itself
and the sweet and charming and loyal
Il nf
have been more delightful than Miss
Irving was for her. Especially in the
second act did she appear to the very
greatest advantage. There was no
gushing. everything she did and said
was sweetly simple and with great
charm. Miss Irving can hardly be
said to be petite. yet she is not the
type of the modren American athlet-
ic girl. She fitted the period of the
time in which the play was occurring,
when women made men more partic-
uiarly their admirers and when the
smile of such as the fair Virginia
was worth fortune to those who
were part of her court.
On the whole everybody was pleased
last night to see Miss Irving ard none
have been heard to say that they were
disappointed. OF the other principal
characters, the parts of Col. Carval
ana judge Whipple were especially
well covered by Thomas A. Hall and
Charles Lamb while Jacques Martin
in the very trying part of Eliphalet
Hooper was especially good.
The staging of the piece, especially
that of the second act was delightfully."-
enjoyable. The lawn fete has seldom
ever been eaualled here in scenic
production.
The next plav at the Park will be
James A. Herne's Sag Harbor''.