The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-22
GRACE GEORGE IN "ABIGAIL. !"
,gtRui\G COHEDi or SENTi-
4 ur\T ny tNIB PI.tIH RIGHT.

L ,u.uroll, Staged aud tblS tctcd Al
,rc-,ran Variant ~ The "Nerel,
wary ,nn"1hcmr THAT Ccmpa n
VIZ vtm the israel XanENnl Pla,
Tbo.e WHO forcgathered last night a.
I.e save. had the pleasure Of greeting
Ia, G..ce George ia the most legitimat,
I.nccca SIC ha, achieved in many a Ions
49, and ideS Of welcoming young New
W.. playwright who already com and
J,omr,ri.on with tie he and bids fair al
" % distant day TO rank among them.
.Keileit Chalmers a, the programme
Ill. the author. is Nr Hlrrie X Chambers
Younger brother Of the Australian.
rosii.h playwright, H4!don Chambers
M. NAV Abigail. is an American varicn
= t.e Merely Mar Ann story. Abigail
rtot,s ia not q -l,vey with gloves, but she
/. fine right American equiy1lent-a New
y,gond book keeper with conscience.
she t. the cousin Of rich and fashionable
Nav York fmiy reputod TO rejoice in
the same name, aud without knowing Il
,be is the heir Of rich uncle. But in IN,
az, Two acts she is merely pale white
muse oil . WI hAiAF h+AA tillN ''NNbi'f' =
Nv narlo- on the coast OF Bohemia, with
sonrano on one side and an artist in paint
90 the other
Her launcplot Is a young cub who has
lAen adopted In the ma nner of the mildeI
Bohemia by tho painter maiden One ca Us
her .mother-l and who Il in love with the
sonrano-a lady with that form of the
s5i.tic temperament which delights in
s,rensiye gowns. rich steadies and lobster
Wo,ber j. a downright coed sort who il
sorry for Ahiqnh and With the best Of in
tsntions gives 10 her the violets the cub
intends for the soprano. 1t so happens,
however. that one Of the lunches has . card
in II be ring the words =" ! luVe you.
AbiooH i thus trapped into confession
n her love The scene in which the cub,
.Jacg disaouses her is very delicately and
effectively managed, and exposes her heart
so sweeilv and naiveiv that Jncb Is made
10 realize that all along il has been Abigail
he has really loved. At this moment
however, comes the news OF her legacy OF
millions and proud Jack departs for South
America where being a civil engineer
he is 10 build "A bridge.
The last act shows Adj J1ii liv ing in heart
broken splendor and full of good works
among Inc tabled ,Stck 7ses She puts by
an heiress hunting Duke, much favored
az her swell aunt. and in very charmin 2
scene OF NHNlllDtildl NbliifiN BlOllOrf'0 "
Jack over the telephone. assisted by the
hello girl II j. very simple story. and
far from new. But truth iE always the
most recent thing in the world, and The
piay has the proper rinc even TO the POM
where Abigail rings Jack of and tells hin
10 come to her
The accesso~ies. quite rs much rs thu
story we're accountable for tho constant
rpple Of fun hat greeted the play. The
frst two acts take place in AbigdH' aky
light chamber. the shabby simplicity o
which is very truthfully and artistioallJ
expressed The third is in the artists stu
do On the evening OF n dance. and is al
AFFAIR Of pungent punk sticks and Japa
nese lanterns richly atmospheric.
Il is the drawing Of the characters Of tn
three girls however. that caused mos
satisfaction The milieu Is that kind o
Bohemia in which the inhabitants prid
Themselves on being Bohemian. II lie
semi and not ut all a demi Bohemia Ever
the soprano lover Of lohe,er=. human AM
cristacean, receives tie benefit of what
ever doubt may accrue
II is all very archly and satirically de
noted Mr. Chamber has moro knowledg
of girls than any humble minded youtl
has right TO own up to: but his strokes arr
generally sympathetic and comprelfending
s ldom acid. and never vitriolic. NJ
woman viii feel called upon TO laugh al
her own foibIe@ or if she does. ii is at the
foihles Of which she V secretly not asha med
A. the PAINTER m7iden Louise Cios=el
has a part worthy Of tho vary Considerabl,
powers she developed a. Prossy in Can
dido dowuright maiCeuiv sense and rec
titucle have seldom heen better done
Selene johnson climbs up several pegs il
her portrait q the soprano-a creature oi
half amiahe sellshness and lnughablc
vanity
Annie Woods ia admirable a. the lodgin
house keeper. Mrs. Hone brings her ia
nilsr presence and inerrant grand manne
10 tho portraya o. Mrs.: GormdilD, ms
stokes but would have shown to better
advantage il she I've Il bad bowing cqua in
tance with her lines An tho women are
rortri yed with n doftnesS that suggest
Clyde Fitch and an INABILITY sugges tina
that ether stu ont Cf tho over wom1nly
Hubert Henry Davies.
BMss George ably chara cterizes the timid
blonde Ahi70i shocked at Sunday laughter
ana cards and brings out her tremulou'
motherhood with vigorous and sympathetic
emphasis though at times she perhaps
forces the emotional stop III her voice.
in portra wing mis- men folk Mr.. Cham
hers IS, perhaps. a trifle less successful
Abi1nPs swell cousin who falls IN love at
sight with the % inter IL not untrue, pcr-
h,rs. but lacks the final touch If verisimili-
tde A. embodied by thrt heroic actor
Arthur Forrest, at least. II seems Just y bit
heavy and at the same limo sketchy. JGck
Is little moro than n simple and mannish
cnh. hut be is very successfully embodied
BY Conway Ter RE
In the Duke. however. Mr. Cham bars
evinces no little observation. albeit Of q
rather conventional sort. The part enables
Joseph Coyne in a brief scene 10 make one
n he comedy hits OF the evening. Henry
Mills vas also funny enough as the succu-
lent human lobster whom the soprano
finally marries.
II the play as a whole lacks the thestric
appeal Of Merely Mary Ann" it also lacks
the conventional theatric falseness, and
especially in the last act. which is charm
ing and natural. Being a first piece it
stamps he author as one who may in time
70 far
Too much praise can scarcely be given
10 Mr. brad" for the exquisite simplicity
and nch ta~fc with which no has mounted
" and Tor tho excellence Of the cast az a
whole
Mr. Chamters made n neat little. brief
l'tle speech saving that the laughter ard
applause vas the sweetest music he had
evrr hcard