The Detroit times., 1910-06-22
i. . LOCAL
The y LAYHOUSES
oARRIck.

ter and the New Theater company
will do tor the American stage. II will
not be many years before the Ameri-
can drama will be able to stand COM
parison with the drama OF Germany
and France. The Niger" Is reaI
American play dealing with living
American problem but-more I'M
portant and unusual-it is written In
a thoroughly artistic fashion.
As might be inferred from It's
name, the play deals with the Negro
question. with q phase of II that Is
somewhat ugly to be sure. but with
phase that must be considered. Philip
Morrow. of proud old Southern lam
lily, is sheriff OF Westbury county AID
just as he has agreed to accept the
nomination for the governorship nc Is
called upon to face a mob bent ON
lynching one OF the Negroes upon mis-
plantation. Regardless OF the effect
on his chances In the convention, lie
determines TO do his duty and prot sct
his prisoner, who has given himself
up. He is prevented, however. by Ills
| friend, Clifton Noyes, who has tenucf'
ed the nomination. and who not only
as tribute to Morrow's ability. Dat
also. as president OF the Moves Dis'
tillerv works. because he is the mos
likely candidate to beat the prohioi'
ton nominee. The howl OF the mob
as IL takes the Negro from the depu-
ties effectively closes the first act.
The second act Is laid In the s,v-
ernor's study. A race riot Is raging
In the capital and Morrow Is doing
everything In his power to Quell the
disturbances. He becomes convinced
that too much whisky Is the real
cause Of most OF tho outbreaks and
decides To sign the prohibition bill
which Is before him. instead nj -eto-
In. IL as lie was expected ID. he an
nounces BIS intention to Moves, whc
attempts to dissuade him by appeals
10 his common sense. his Sratit'de
end hi- ambition, but Is astonished IT,
find that Morrow Is firm. Az last
Noyes produces letter which shows
that there Is Negro blood In the gov
ernor's veins, that NJ has no right TO
lis estates, his position or MS name.
Morrow .efused to believe the story
hut his old Negro NANNY" adds
evidence. under the cross examina-
tion OF Ntves. that establishes It's
truth, Morrow Is stunned by this
revelation, bIt despite tho threats 10
expose tini he will not give up his
resolution TO pass the prohibition Dill.
He does, however. SEQ that lie must
break his engagement with Ge1rgiana
Byrd and The scene when follows Is
perhaps the most intense In the play
The third act opens with discus
sion OF the race problem between the
governor and old Senator Long. the
father of the prohibition bill. While
this has a dramatic purpose. as
contrast with the interviews that fol
low, It could be considerably shorten
ed and attain the same effect. Fol-
lowing him into the governors Of
flee comes Moves with last appeal
to Morrow TO veto the prohibition bill.
He heaps insults upon the governor,
insults that finally ring them to blows.
Noyes leaves with the promise 10
print the whole story Of the family
in his paper Then follows strong
scene between Morrow and Georgiana.
Her love has proven strong enough
TO withstand the shock and she comes
back to him willing to become his
wife, but he succeeds In convincing
her that they are not for each other
The play ends as Morrow goes out to
tell the cheering throng that has
gathered to pay him tribute for quell-
ing the riots, that he. himself. belongs
to the Negro race and that he intends
to devote his future to uplifting the
black man.
The acting was entirely adequate.
Every role was we'll taken. The work
of Guy Bates Post as Philip Morrow
left no room for Improvement, while
that OF Ben Johnson as Clifton Noyes.
and Miss Annie Russell as Georgiana.
was almost in the same class. Lee
Baker as Senator Long. and Mrs. II.
Otis Dellenbaugh as Mrs. Byrd, also
played their parts well. The charac-
ter work of Miss Beverly Sitgreaves
and Reginald Barlow as old family
servants, was excellent. All the other
minor parts were capably handled.
The play is exceptionally well con
structed. The dialogue Is generally
natural and much Is added to this eff
feet by the introduction of plenty Of
strong language where the situation
requires IL. There Is very little that
is superfluous, IL keeps closely to its
theme throughout. On the whole THE
Niger" must be considered one OF
the InOSl nOldDlc uiduudS Vi lSCCHe
years.
"All on Account OF Eliza" Leo
Ditrichstein's clever comedy, will he
the offering of Vaughan CHASER and
his players in the Lyceum next week.
In order to get the locale. Mr. Ditrich-
stein spent his entire time, while he
was writing this play, in a small vii
lage not far from Rochester, n. Y.
Every character Is said TO lie true to
life. There is a pretty little love
story running through the play and
what has been described as one of the
rrettiest scenes ever Witnessed takes
place in the second act where twelve
children are shown reciting their les
sons in the village schcolroom. Mr..
Glaser will have his second dialect
rart this season as Franz Hochstuhl,
president of the board of trustees,
who is naGly infatuated with the
school mistress. The townfolk are
trying 10 crive her from the village
and old Hcokstuhl insists that she re-
main. Many ludicrous situations are
evolved from this story and the piece
is appropriately described as one laugh
from start to finish.