New-York tribune., 1908-04-07
THE DRAMA
NEW PLAY AT THE GARRICK.
"The ROYAL Mounted"

play called The Royal Mounted" by
Cecil B. and William c. De Mile. brought
last night at the Garrick Theatre. and Mr.. Cyril
Scott actor of pleasing personality and consid-
erabe experience, appeared in it, Victor
OByrne. a buoyant. intrepid hero of stirring ad-
venture amid scenes of peril and in the environ
ment of the wilderness. The scene Of the play
is the northwestern frontier of province called
Alberta, in Canada, and the story of IL illustrates
various experiences some martial and some anna
tory, of young officer of the Canadian Royal
Mounted Police. Life in the lumber region of the
American continent has of late been made interest
ing readers OF fiction by Mr. Edward Stewart
White. whose stories, called The Blazed Trail,
The Partner etc. are picturesque with character
and color and lively with incident That
theme mas been expected TO reach the stage
and it has arrived there. Lieutenant victor
OByrne is such q Celt might have emerged
from the pages of Charles Lever-a cool, resolute
daring youth, dauntless in the face of perils, gay
jsunty, and. of course Irresistible. His vocation
in this drama, is the pursuit. discovery, ana capt
of criminal The action begins at Police
Headquarters. Calgary. and proceeds and ternl-
mates in the forest The situation customary IN
such cases is provided-duty calling the officer
one way and love calling him the other a man
named Brown has been killed in the Forest
OByrne incidental to his quest of the murdered
visits lumber camp. and, presently, becomes
lodger with a trapper named Larabee. While HV-
ing with that person O'Byrne falls in love with
his sister Rosa. 1t is Larabee who has killed
Brownie his sister from attempted out-
rage. O'Byrre finds the body of Brown. and near
TO it the empty shells of cartridges with
which that miscreant has been shot Almost
at the he declares his love to Rosa the
discovery that those shells fit Larabees revolver
and other in the region indicates the trapper
the guilty man. Putting love from him O Byrne
arrests his host then. learning the cause of
his prisoners righteous Iiberates him, insures
his escape and surrenders himself TO brother Of
fcer. living in disguise. among the lumber men,
he ol-a,
ters. under arrest for treason, the identity is es-
tablished of the late Brown criminal for whose
capture, dead alive, the government has Of
fered reward. Thus. Larahee in killing Brown
had only killed criminal upon whose head price
has been set he has committed no crime There
fore. as O'Byrne has only liberated innocent
man ne has done no wrong and he is released,
to wed his sweetheart and seek domestic secluson
In an Irish ancestral home The details all
nicely arranged to the authors require
then1-and as they could in life. The play
is fabricated Of alternate explanatory collOquy
and situation. The situations are all old but
eral of them effective. The dialogue is
times felicitous with piquant phrase and Irish
paradox. The scenery is good and it will be bet
ter when 1t has ceased to appear freshly
painted. Mr.. Scott and Miss Clara Blandck,
who represented Rosa, both pervaded the Cana
dian backwoods in some of the newest apparel
that probably, ever seen in that region
The best performance-best because most con-
sistent to q clear ideal of character and most
fluent in expression Of that ideal-was given
by Mr.. Brigham Royce Joe Hammer a rejected
suitor for the hand of Rosa,-a dangerous
scrupulous made verta BILE by sincerity in the
assumption. In Mr.. Scott's performance of the
blthe Irish soldier there appeared to be attempt
at impersona ton. His attempts to speak in an
Irish brogue-when he remembered to make them
were melancholy in the extreme. But Mr.. Scott
is an agreeable person. and his audience appeared
well satisfied to have the actor play his vell-bred
self,-to stroll easily and speak with nonchalance.
There could doubt of the plays success with
the very friendly audience. After the third act
Mr.. Scott, in response many calls. made a brief
speech expressing thanks for his warm welcome
and intimating the usual-and needless -soliciude
concerning the views of the press.