The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-09-01

stantially satisfactory results
Classmates" was written for him by
William c. De Mile and Margaret Turn
bull. Mr.. De Mile wrote "stronsheart,'
and Miss Tunbull, II I am not mistaken,
is the author of "Genesee Of the Hills.
which was first produced IN Chicago and
then had a short but disappointing trial
here at the Aston last season. With the
corporation OF Mr. De Mile she seems
TO have succeeded better.
| This piece is 70 exception to the rule
| that plays run IN cycles, and that authors,
having once discovered the nerve center
| OF public interest. love to play upon that
! sensatory center for their profit. Thus.
Mr.. De Mile having struck II rich In one
| college play. follows the lead with a drift
In the same direction in Classmates"
But barring the theme. there is little in
the new play TO suggest either his first
or any other play in which college men
play the leading roles.
| The first act deals with cadet life at
West Point presented with many hnmor-
Gus embellishments which add salt to
| tho salad The plot deals with the ex
pulsion from the Academy of Duncan Irv-
ing (Edeson) for striking and temporarily
binding Bert Stafford CwslIace Eddln-
ger). his old enemy and rival for the
hand of Sylvia Randolph, after which the
dramatists unfold an interesting story,
not without a certain touch OF psyche
logical interest. OF the rivals struggling
for the possession Of their hearts idol
| The events carry them into the jungle
of South America, where Bert Is re-
ported lost. and is searched for by the
/ hero and found under circumstances pro-
/ nouncedly sensational. The salient fea-
ture Of the dramatic treatment is a scene
/ In the second act between Duncan Irving
and Sylvia Bert Is reported lost in the
| jungle. Sylvia has meanwhile promised
| TO become his wife. Duncan volunteers
/ to go to his rescue, but the girl is averse
/ to encouraging him TO hope by this means
10 win her, and the scene in which she
I probes into his motives and lays bare
/ his purpose Is admirably drawn, with that
degree Of subtlety which appeals on a
higher plane than the mere pictorial fea-
lures Of the average acting play.
/ The remaining acts are full of action
and graphic touches. more or less con-
ventional in conception, but reliably ef-
/ fective in engaging the interest of the
audience We find Duncan deserted by
his Indian guides in the primeval forests.
and Bert fever-racked and hopeless. A
/ strong incident Of the play Is the scene
| between the rivals under conditions OF
uncoInpromising hostility. their appar-
ent abandonment 20 a sinister fate. and
their rescue through photographic COM
munlcati0n with party in search Of
them. And the end is as you like il.
/ The vogue Of the wild Western drama
inaugurated with THE Girl OF the Golden
West and The Squaw Man has found
another exponent in a genuine thriller
/ by Edmu Day. entitled The Round
/ Up" which received its metropolitan pre-
miere Monday night at the New Amster-
dam, with Maclyn Arbuckle in the lead
| ing part.
| This play Is a reversion to the frontier
drama OF twenty-five years ago, when
| Buffalo Bill bestrode the boards and ap-
/ peared in such startling scenes Of West
ern life as could be compassed in an
expressive title Ike The Red Right
Hand. in which Indians were indiscrimi-
nately slain and one white man was
! accounted on par with q dozen red sons
Of the plains the Round Up" stages
I a realistic battle scene between ApaChes
and soldiers. but aside from this, which
| is a consistent part of the plot, the
| play presents some vigorous types Of
/ Western characters. and withal copes
with an interesting subject from
/ dramatic point OF view. and has some
touches Of breezy humor
/ Strangely. the love story OF The
/ Round Up" and Classmates has much
1 in common. Dick Lane and Jack Peyson
are trusted friends. but the latter proves
recreant and marries the girl whom Lane
| loves. through a deception. He confesscs
! his perady when facing death at the
/ hands Of a band Of cowboys who believe
/ him implicated in a murder. Lane goes
/ into the Arizona desert discOnsOlately to
| 70 seek death, and Peyson, in a mood of
repentance, follows him to atone for his
/ treachery. AS they meet they are attack
/ ed by band Of Apaches on the warpath,
and both fight side by side. Soldiers
come to their rescue, but Lane is killed
and Jack CUES back to his wife.
/ This is the meat in the dramatic cocoa
nut The zest is impaired by the charac-
| ter OF Slim Hoover. the sheriff. played by
ArbuckIe in his breezy comedy manner.
/ that makes him stand out with unquali-
/ fed distinction. There is much drawing of
| pistols. though fortunately less OF blood,
and the craftsmanship betrays a marked
[ 4or inst 4f,ea
/ spiritual operations of human nature. but
! the play manages to hold the interest
through clever expedients OF play-car-
pentry and the striking freshness and
vigor OF its characterizauOns.
The cast includes Julia Dean, Florence
Rockwell. Or1ne Caldera, and Wright Kra-
mer, ell excellent
| These are the dramatic events of the
week that come within the range Of my
/ letter. There are a number OF openings
scheduled for this evening, which must be
| considered In my next. At the Empire.
John Drew begins his engagement in
new play, MY Wife," Frances Starr be-
gins her second season In THE Rose Of
the Rancho" at the Belasco, and Henry
Miller and Margaret Anglin theirs in The
! Great Divide" at Days. The latter have
abandoned the Princess, where they put
in the season in this play last year.
Monday evening Virginia Harmed begins
| her New York engagement in Anna
Karenina" at the Herald Square. 1.-THE
Orchid" with Eddie Foy. being trans
ferred to the Casino. as the successor of
Fascinating Flora" which is moved to
Philadelphia. The Hippodrome opens to-
night with the programme of last season,
''Neptune's Daughters and Pioneer