New-York tribune., 1907-09-03
THE DRAMA.
wALLACK'S THEATRE.
"The Ranper.

-. ,1s,,s illustrative OF the perils ex-
.,,s and democratic insouclance OF me @~ oll '-io @~
o-...- @ responsible for many current pioduC, -.
s,.b an overstrving for local color nulLil'eS
- W. e s-.-oerto purpose and dramatic erect
- .--a-a &c numbered with cowboys Inoiai-s'
...~ars ruckipg horses and otheT acoeSoui - -
= -be Mot has 10 bend 20 constant oeliialiu -
g -1sx, and other more or less heTFe-s4io
- Some Of these Wild West pieces seen -
e ~osYoed mainly for the beref-' OF 'he ro~Us 5
1rr Augustus Thomas IS too eA 80
"a .oo alert a playwright 10 be 'hio"h O -;
-. nv 2 desire 10 cvercolor the euil0C - % :.
- and his four-act piece. Inc f1aie
p'0,..s last night at Wallacks IheaIe' Il "a
p-esei ,.-sst With many ventures in the same
a ,ha- y IS restrained in acton ana iid' ~ ui'
- -a-ber than cutspckenly melodrarlatic i. III - -;
~ change os eceno from Arizona to O-u 80
= .,-a,, Wiz, :fe too pc-vasiTe COWBOY a -
,.sor and more picturesque background ts ioi -
y - imminent canse-. rescue ana lI"s lI
tl--s --+o -ascalv superintendent a. Sohoi1
- ,r.ve is srlrsgl:ng gold through 10 san an
50 and Numbering the peon lahorers ou' %
- of ,l,e wages charged them on ms OooAs- ~
F0 = oo,,,-se engaged to marry the daughter "i
a., a. Ltef owner of the mine, and at the same uIie
lle ...,+ rho half-Indian daughter of one OF MS
- transaction which makes him Iuftisi
,a,.5 hv the Mexican worknlen s'r1ke p'e0A
-. ,,s, as the New York owner. his daughter anu
: Girl COMPANION arrive at the INNING camp ~
.btch captain OF Texas Rangers tDus'h i'1i'''i'
- chased an Arizona fugitive
--.e ranger after his troop has gone, leaos me
,...Is Marty OF Americans. including a hurlesque
s..-ican Vice. Consul and his South Bend lnd-'
&c n the courtyard of an American boarding
80 and arranges their defence against the
.,l,an and infuriated poems. He has met the
- o1r,er's daughter once before and saved her
g. ca II comes easy the second time-easer than
.11,;,r her how he has worshipped her in the hNe
,ss-s, interval-though Mr. Farnum does thal' too'
=, soene Of excellent and almost poetcal quaiIg
= "a. secona act II is needless 10 say that the
l.,.r,,a-Aa marty is rescued and the rather hait-
bssrte5 Villains villany is frustrated in the last
two acts. =, -.
The materials are not new. Mr.. Thomas. In his
+.,k IA the audience, describes his motives as
D-;-,s+s,-e and in their working ont he follows
t.-n;Iisr route But the workmanship is GOOD ana
he bss given Nj Farnum part in which ne can
chow 70 advantage the qualities OF manly sincerity
so,s;erlv devotion and saving self-restTalnt me
chief defect in the piece is that its interest cu-
inmates too soon and that the intrigue thereeiter
is somewhat forced. In popular attractlVeness' as
well as in dramatic vitality. The Ranger is
much below Arizona" II shows Mr. Ihonas IN d
less spontaneous and vivid mood.
One novelty in the play which puzzled the house
not little the Of Spanish only by the
minor Mexican characters. This expedient adds
color but pays too fattering tribute 10 the zeal
in languages of the average American audience.
We hope too. that M. Thomas drew his discred-
fable American Tice-Consul from model which
has vanished from the service since its reorganiza-
ton in 1906.