The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-17

Carus sings a ditty about the loves OF the
chimpanzees in Zanzibar. That gambol
Owen Wister's play, like the novel from
which he has made it. is misleading in title
its Virginian by birth beng a typical Wy
oming cowboy throughout the story. T
knew that one of the acts set forth q
lynching, that another was given up TO
gunplay, that the men, from hero to william.
hadn't a white shirt among them, save one
on a parson, and that politeness was as
scarce as IT had been on the ranges OF the
Rockies a quarter of a century ago. So 1
decided to see a matinee performance. at
which the house was occupied by women
and girls in a ratio of ten to one man or
boy. Therefore L was able to watch out
for signs in front of the footlights OF how
feminine assemblage would regard the
other in its toughest aspects.
Well, when some of the cattle thieves had
been trailed TO their hidden camp by Wig
ilantes, and the Virginlan. as boss Of the
pursuers, was in duty bound TO hang his
ranch chum Steve one Of the thieves,
there were signs and ordinations of inter-
est all around. And when Steve, a good
fellow gone wrong, went calmly 10 his
moose, the sympathy passed from the exc
cutioner to the culDrit. The audience was
so hushed that the outlaws footsteps were
way to his gallows tree. Then a woman
in a box sobbed Historically, and the flow
of tears became general Two minutes
later Steve came before the curtain. alive
and well with bows and smiles, and the
dramatic effect was gone In an instant
sion to be spoiled in that way?
In its materials and the handling of them
1.-The virginian" is a faulty play. The
lynching occupies all of the third act.
during which the charming school mistress
from Vermont is not seen nor heard OF.
and the love between her and the ranch
man from Virginia is not so much as men,
toned. The sentimental element which
has been nicely nurtured into a vigorous
growth. with spells of racy humor and
stalwart passion, is thus thrown asides
and it IS not taken up again effectually in
the final act, wherein. on the evening OF the
wedding, the vengeful Trampas and the
valiant bridegroom patrol the streets OF
each other However, this is toned and
tempered Cor Broadway. Dustin Farnam
and Frank Campeau characterize the
has done the same with the cattle stealer.
None of them is permitted 10 be noisy with
a single word. If they were TO raise their
voices or become demOnstratiVe the play
would be sent 10 the Bowery in a fifty IL
will get there eventually. I think. and then
it's blood will be accompanied by thunder.
For the present II Is artistic naturalism.
While that deadly game OF hde-and-seek
is going on good and bad cowboys go into
and come out of two saloons, drunken with
holic friends appear and disappear as often
at the adjacent inn. The jewellers are very
profane-ribald almost. with a song about
"a of a gun" considering that gun
isn't the word Wister would have liked TO
write for tipsy cowboys 10 use-yet not
one Of the young girls in a row near me
bling-hell jests were beyond their cOmpre-
hension, though they smiled knowingly at
references 10 points in poker, and they
laughed merrily when a chap, becoming in
coherent in attempt to make speech 70
the bride from staid New England, in
terrupted by Disguised comrade with
skuking in shadow. fired at-the moonlit
back of his antagonist. but missed the
broad mark, being unsteady with drink. and
was shot dead. WhereuDon shy Vermont
threw herself on the bosom OF brave Vir-
ginia. and Wyoming shouted "Hurrah."
The feminine audience was glad the Vir-
ginian came out of his adventures alive and
was going to get the girl. but did not quite
forgive him for having hanged Steve.
The token of truth IN lin the Cotton
Fields" as a half-hour of the new Dock
stader minstrel show is called. is a live
possum. Could anything else than coon
have stood with equal authority for negro
ism in the South. A darkey with shiftIess
arms, shambling feet and sagging clothes
leads the little beastie on the scene Few
in a New York audience know which IL is
coon or a 'possum. till the man mentions
him by name Good Lawd. how that man
can dance-and his brother. too The bill
says they. are Ed and Max Ford. but
doesn't tell what part OF the country they
come from. 1t seems as IL they must have
been born and bred TO wing and buck
dancing. If such legs theirs grow wild
/ would like to find out where because a
fortune might be made by gathering them
for the theatrical market And If those two
fellows could put their steps into footraces,
with no loss OF skipping. straddling veloc-
ity, all the records in pedestrianism would
be broken i think the new record would
be mile minute. The fastest feet hith-
erto developed on the New York stage
have been the little tootsies OF Weber
fields's girls, but they are slow by contrast
with the slaDsoles and clatterheels that
make the Fords looks like kinescopie fig
ures gone crazy. Talk OF dramatic art.
Edwin Booth began in an amateur min
strel company. but his Hamlet couldn't
dance like that. Edwin Forrest started
a circus athlete, but his Gladiator wasn't
In the same class with the Fords for gym
nastic vim.
The activity OF these imitation negroes
was unlike the slow and lazy real things:
but there was the 'possum 10 give color and
atmosphere TO the plantation scene. Broad
way audiences stare at the creature and
with a few black exceptions In the gallery
are uncertain whether ~ Isn't that other
Wanted Wand OF the darkies, a coon TIN
IL Is mentioned by name. i suppose il is
kept I'm a safe deposit vault in the daytime
and taken TO the taeater at night under
police guard. else some dark migrant from
the South, reckless with the reminder OF
childhood joys. would play Tom Tom the
Piper's son with this pIglike little wildcat.
FRANKLIN FYLES