The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-17
MrRRAY CARsoN TRTTLEs.
one More Prince ConsOFt PiuY LAght -
Air. Puzzles q Friendly Audience. =

one More Prince ConsOFt Piuy Ught -
Air. Puzzles q FFiendiy Audience.
II was a sorely puzzled and porpA1sd
audience that assisted AZ the American
debut Of Mr.. Murray Carson last night Ct
the Princess In The Thher,' Of which be
and Miss Nora Keith are joint authors.
An actor Of no slight reputation in London,
and part author Of those charming plays
-Rosemary' and The Bishops Move one
was prepared to welcome him, and hoped
to be able TO do so warmly.
But at the end OF the first act there was
not person in the house, 40 far as could
be found, who understood what the play
was all about; and, a. curtain followed
curtGin, the information one LiaLs PotsykiH
derived from his grandsire with regard to
a certain famous victory rose by com
parison to the proportions Of the most
harmed monograph.
A pCst norton examination revealed
certain facts. The scenes-veTy charming
scenes-were in and about a castle on the
Rhine In which Queen Elsd and her Prince
Consort, MdTimihGH, were spending their
honeymoon. The Queens uncle, who a.
It seemed. happened TO be a Gar, was bent
on divorcing the young couple In order 10
regain power over the petty kingdom.
To this end he sent a BdroRssS with q
forged letter-or was 1t genuinef-tslling
the Queen certain fActs-oT were they fam
cies7-about the past Of the new Prince
Consort.
The Queens Minister, known a. the
TrifsT, was one Of those provOrbll people
who wear the hand Of iron beneath the
glove OF velvet. In this case there was
even a rune Of lace about the glove, so
light and airy was the tTiaer. But for all
that he was q terrible, masterful man.
To Illustrate the BdroASss, he engaged
In a duel Of wit and passion with her; and
this formed the main interest Of the play.
Just what was in the letter and the why
and wherefore Of the many vicissitudss
through which it passed could not be dis
covered even at a post -mortem. II was
seen, however, that at the end Of the second
act the masterfd Trifsr folded the I'M
willing BdToHess in bic arms OF mail and
kissed her very hard where Kisses 60. This
not uunaturally excited In the BdTo8tss
a variety Of feelings. In the second scene
CT the third and last act she again came
up against the mastArfulneas Of the TTifer
and this time her sensations were OF unrnis-
taxable capitulation.
In retrospect there will be seen 10 be
material here for pleasant enough comedy,
though not Of a very original OF important
character. careful revision Of the opeI,-
ing act might possibly make the main
outlines Of the story discernible. But moth
ing short OF entire rewriting can make
The Triher" a viable play.
The sad fact is that II IA another OF those
actor made pieces, Complications abound,
and there IA an endless series Of conventional
situations and bitA Of stage business
some OF them aptly enough conceived and
cleyerly executed Once OF twice the
audience actually laughed. But, az IL
usual in this sort Of piece, the authors quite
forg 10 arouse interest in the people on
the stage and whit happened TO them,
In the case OF the THfGr, In fact, II was
a toss up whether the sensations OF the
audience 80 far as they had any, were not
man who by the superiority Of his intellect
and the might Of his passion forces a " oman
to love him from an inferior depth.
Bur when the man keeps telling one how
clever and masterful he Il, and. having said
il like the pupils ct Dotheboys Hall, goes
and does IT, knowing oil the time just what
Il IA he il doing, an element OF prggtshnees
creeps in incompatible with the illusion Of
masterfu passion.
What Mr. Carson had TO do he did. on the
whole with polish and ardor though plainly
suffering from nervousness. Mics Esme
BeTinger. who played the Duchess IL a
stately and handsome Bnglishwoman Of
aristccratic JIesnoe ard some htstTtonic
power. As the Queen Miss Lottie Alter
was pretty and charming. All OF the cast
parts.