The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-04-27
CHARLES CHERRY TN NBV PLAY
MELODRA!MA AND COMEDY IN
"THE SPITFIRE."

the NISture Proves Coed ana nAalel
FrshmaaS staging 20 TN Yachtnw
Play aelps % Go aacccas-A Wrer& 20
Wind - FOuE Bee0A Aboard snip.
Edward Pepls. who vas q candidate
pr the dramatiss's laurels only a week
ago at the Belasoo Theatre. came forward
again last night at the LycsIm Theatre
As the author of Tho Spitilre." described
a. a nautical. melodramatic comedy =
Mr. People has again ct 90 WORK. a. he did
m the case Of The Call Of tho Cricket. =
WITH one eye on the Young Person and
the other on the star for whom the play
was constructed.
Tins happens in the present case TO lie
charles Cherry He was called upon IN
l.. Young engineer who had been robbssi
81 his valuables and papers. saved from
drowning and then made an object of
s-pcion 20 all on board the Yacht that
had rescued him.
She was callei The Spiifire- and he
hugei 20 a rich American. 80 the nautical
character OF the comedy resided in that
fact a. well a. in the passage Of the first
thre.' acts on hoard this vessel. Mslo-
drama was supplied by the theft Of the
jewels with which the play began. the
spurious orders 20 sail the yacht from
CALAIS to New York. and the storm which
shipwrecked on the New Jersey coast the
discredited engineer and his sweetheart,
who was also the daughter Of the absent
owner Of the yacht.
The comedy was always on the surface.
With these more serious elements appear
ing only at intervals. Naturally it was
the conflict between the young woman
and the man she had been led TO believe
should he treated as a common sailor
that brought out the strongest humor
cf the drama. IL was Of course inevita-
bic that this suspected hero should win
the love Of the young woman who was
misled into treating him so badly and
that he should show himself worthy Of
all the affection she ultimately gave him
Whether u was IN his comedy or his
melodrama, Mr. Peple met with complete
success in The Hpigflre.' The comedy
81 the first two acts never failed Of 10
eject and with the picturesque setting
Of the sea a. background and an adj
mirahle reproduction Of a yachts deck
a. the scene. there was Only deli Rht for
the audience in the development of the
love between the young woman IN charge
Of the boat and the pasaan ger over whom
she was able to tyrraniBe.
NJ ,r rsp.e sP p,c5 w.se wel wrl,, ,
incidental episodes A. the healthy scrap
between a bully Of an officer and the
gentleman temporarily under his control
served TO stir the blood Of the audience
when the necessity arose for more drama
tie attion 20 animate the polite comedy
that dominated the mood OF the play
before the third act.
Perhaps there might have been greater
Cl~Arne-s a. TO the relation 81 tho char
acters when IN this third a"t-played in
q truthful representation Of luxurious
yachts Cabin-the serious elements grew
more tense. There was momeniary
weakening Of interest IN the epiaodcz
leading 10 tho shipwreck that were i'm
RNCiietely forgotten. however. in tho
thrIllinS IHcture Of III" shattered vessel
add the rescue ~ the heroine by her
suspected lover. This closing Of the third
at. moreover. gave the right note 81 con-
trast to the play ard completed the
measure OF success which cane IN such
abundance TO all conccrncd
There was about the performance the
inevitable cachet of artistic effort that
- 20 he looked for in a production by
DaaRl ErohmAn. Charles Cherrv's at
tractive personality and excellent diction
entitled him To tho chief honorS. while
his denotement Of humor was none the
lees elective because a. was polite and
kept within the bounds at sentiment
Then his patent leather hair - still i'm
peccable. y. J. Radcliffe made a very
mekodrAmAtic villain in a very improb-
able situation seem plausible, while
Daniel Collyer's broad fun a. his assist =
ant contributed it's value 20 the comic
scenee.
Ruth Maycline never seemed more
hlond nor more lovely TO look at than
enc did last night. 80 u would be captious
90 wish for a little more variety and less
- -. -
willfuI heiress IN command of the spit
fre ora WAldrop she OG the suphOni-
o'Is name-acted vivaciously and with
her accustomed pecularitieS of staccato
speech. while Rosa Rand was IN I'M
prs~sive chaperop u was their particle
ration in The SpitfiFe- that helped it 20
such success a. few recent comedies have
achieved