The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-02-24
AT THE THEATERs

MetropolIt County Chairman
One is tempted to hail George AIDE as
the coming American dramatist after see
ing his thoro- going American comedy,
The County Chairman Certainly the
plays written on this side Of the Atlantic
that combine SO successfully in one the
comedy OF action, the comedy Of character
and the comedy of manners rnay be
counted on the fingers of one hand The
Interviewing Of the twin motives, politics
and love, is most skilfully accomplished
in story that appeals to every under
standing by its truth and it's interest. It
Is the politics of small Indiana county
and there is no more strenuous politics
than that in all the land-that furnishes
the warp Of the texture, while the wool
of pretty country love story is woven in
and out across these threads. A natural
and powerful climax at the end of the
third act arises out of the sacrifice by
the county chairman of his righteous re-
Venge, long and carefully planned This
scene, the most tense Of the play, reveals
as by a lightning flash the UNDERLYING
character and motives of the chairman,
VINO mas seemed hitherto merely a shrewd
country politician. It Is at once reveal
ing and appealing It's vivid contrast with
the unconscious humor of what has gone
before is attained without any straining
for effect and in the most natural way
The action moves on to it's secondary
climax In the last act and the denouement
comes about in a manner not quite un-
expected, but entirely satisfying and Just.
The character depictment of Mr.. AIDES
play is perhaps it's chiefest charm. His
art in causing each of his characters to
make self-revelation with such uncon-
scious freedom results in a group of viii
lage portraits finely differentiated and re-
plete with humor, but in no sense car
features. These are the men and women
and youths whom AIDE knew in his boy
hood and they are drawn with a master
full, yet loving, hand. Their weaknesses
and their virtues are very human, very
real and very western. And his IDEAS
one may well believe, have been realized
in every detail by the fine actors to whose
hands they have been entrusted.
The manners of Indiana in the early
eighties are pleasantly reminiscent to
! some of us and certainly Of amusing in
terest to all. And thus the comic trinity
action, character and manners-are made
one in this excellent play.
Theodore Roberts presents portrait Of
! the chairman drawn to the life. The man
plays politics with such evident enjoy
ment and studies every one about him
with such keen and humorous insight
that the revelation of his own character,
hIIuly DuI SITeWO, intensely human
the desire for long postponed vengeance
and equally human in sacrificing that
vengeance on the altar of an old love,
comes with telling force.
Another portrait equally effective in it's
way, and perhaps more difficult to sus-
tain because Of it's less vital connection
with the story, is that of the village darby
with his ingenious schemes for grating
and avoiding work. George Thatcher, Of
at
Of this shiftless negro worth more as an
evidence Of mimetic genius than all the
years of his minstrelsy. Just to see him
walk across the stage is cause for con-
Stunning laughter.
Besides these two masterpieces, there
are numerous others quite as effective in
their way. r. J. Dillon's cold and CAL
culating Elias Rigby, the opposition candi-
date, is certainly a fine piece Of work.
James Fl. Bradbury, we'll known for his
many eccentric roles, does a "store-box
orator. who prefers eloquence to work,
| that is full of broad comedy. Charles A.
Burke is the old settler, whose senile habit
| or Renaissance spells WEAKNESS for the
other characters and amusement for the
audience. William Lamp plays the young
lawyer whose love affair Is so badly tam
gled up with politics, in spite Of his best
efforts. His sweetheart, against whose
father he is running for office, is played
with girllsh naturalness by Florence
Smy the. A very interesting pair is the
windmill agent Of w. L. Phillips and the
simpering nilliner who meets so many
, travelling gentlemen capitally played by
Zenafde Williams. The rival editors,
played by George R. Game and Edward
German, the manager of the fife and drum
corps John Germany, the storekeeper
(Marcus Moriarty), the station agent
(Joseph Daley, the smart boy (Harold
Grau), the energetic and outspoken wife
of the lazy store-boX orator (Flcrence
Gerald, and the orphan girl (Florida
Kingsley, are all good character sketches
each in it's own way. H. ~. ~s5.--5 .z.s.s..'
1.-The County Chairman is well staged
and presents thoroly wholesome and
genuinely humorous and dramatically in
teresting production. Sea-
w. r. Chamberlain,