The San Francisco call., 1909-12-07
RACE PROBLEM IS
THEME OF NEW PLAY
"The Niger Presented at
Theater Devoted to Foster
ing Higher Drama
Annie Russell Is the Leading
Woman in Production Full
of Tense Situations
By C. c. CARLTON
Special Dispatch to The Call


NEW YORK, Dec. s.-'.The Niger
is the title Of play that was presented
Tor the first time last night at the New
| theater. The play was written by Ed
ward Sheldon. author of salvation
Neli, In which Mrs. Fiske made such a
MT. Annie Russell, heretofore Frohman
star, is the leading woman in the play.
Unlike The Clansman," there is moth
ing In the piece calculated to brew a
race riot in New York. unless it is the
title of the play itself. 1t has, how
ever numerous stirring incidents, in
ciunlng iynching, race riot and a
southern political campaign
Phlllp MORROW, the central character
In the play, is a candidate for the office
OF governor in southern state. His
campaign manager is Clifton Noyes, his
cousin, and president of the Noyes dis
tillery works.
Byrd, a beautiful young southern
woman, and expects to marry her at the
close of the campaign. The develop
ment of the play begins Immediately.
a negro employed by tie candidate has
committed crime, for which he is
pursued by lynchers to Morrow's es-
tate, where he secretes himself To turn
the negro over to the mob would mean
the political death of Morrow, but the
than betray his Office he will forfeit
his political ambition. At this moment
Moves delivers the fugitive into the
hands of the mob and he is lynched.
With the election won Morrow is
brought face to face with another
crisis. A prohibition bill has been
passed by the legislature, and he comes
to realizing Sense that the measure
is just one and necessary to the well
fare of the negroes of the state. He is
about to sign this bill when Noyes,
who would be ruined by such a meas
ure, declares that If the governors sig
nature is affixed to the statute he will
expose. him by publishing to the public
that Morrow has trace of negro blood
in his veins, and proves the truth of
his statement. Undeterred by these
threats, however, Morrow signs the
prohibition bill and releases his fiancee.
As the>curtain falls he resigns the gov
ernorship to take up his work again,
bravely, for the negro race.
The role of Philip Morrow was
played by Guy Bates Post; that of
Georgiana Byrd by Miss Annie Russell,
and that of the campaign manager by
Ben Johnson. Miss Beverly Sitgreayes
was Jimmy, Morrow's Nanny; viii
liam McVay was Colonel Knapp, Jacob
Wendell Jr- was the governors private
secretary. Mrs. Dellenbaugh the mother
of Miss Georgiana Byrd. Others in the
cast include Lee Baker. Howard Kyle,
Robert Homans, Pedro de Cordoba,
Robert Vivian, Reginald Barlow and
Oswald Yorke.
Nat Goodwin who has had recent un-
fortunate experiences in curbstone
slumps in mining stocks, is looking for
one in New York theatricals. He thinks
there are too many theaters in New
York. Notwithstanding the fact that
other theatrical men, looking forward
to still greater growth of the city have
theaters in the course of erection and
still others are planned.
Dillingham's Globe theater in Broad
way, near old Long Acre square now
known as Times square, will soon be
ready. The Davenport theater in Sixty
first street is completed to the second
story.
The "Rialto," which at first embraced
that district between Fourteenth street
and Herald square and which moved