New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-04
English Actors Production of
Historic Pageant-P Play.
''DRAkE" BY |. N. PARKER
Tableaus Among Most Beauti-
full and Stimulating Yet
Put on the Stage.
by Cable TO The Tribune.l


London, Sept. 4.-"Drake," produced
at His Majesty's Theatre last night is
one of Sir Herbert Trees greatest tri-
umphs, triumph Of conception and i
triumph of production. AS the man
who designed the play, Louis N. Par
ker has done his work nobly, while the
various stage tableaus are among the
most beautiful and stimulating ever
seen on the modern stage.
This is a history play and a pageant
on the life Of Sir Francis Drake, and
is a wonderful picture of the stirring
times of Elizabethan adventure. but II
is something more than a mere spec
tacle. Behind all there is the true pa
triotic thrill.
Mr.. Parker has laid down his lines in
the simplest possible fashion. There Is
no clever theorizing, no attempt at q
new point Of view: just the familiar
scenes of that famous old life pictured
with all Sir Herbert Trees skill and
lavishment. We get glimpses of three
of brakes achievements. First comes
his voyage to Panama. with the attack
upon Spanish mule train and the cir
cumnavigator's first sight of the South
Sea.
Then We have the famous voyage
round the world, when we see him in
his cabin on the Golden Hind, with his
silver plate and his musicians Here
there Is little touch Of true drama in
the incident OF the court martialing
and sentencing TO death Of his traitor
Gus friend. Doughty, the two drinking
a cup together before the execution.
Last OF all we have the Armada, the
never TO be forgotten game of bowls
on Plymouth Hoe as the Spanish gal
Icons sail into view. the tableaux OF
England watching" and OF the crew Of
the Revenge boarding Spanish gal
Icon in a smother OF smoke and in the
din OF round shot. At the finish we
have the gorgeous procession to St.
Paul's and brakes speech TO the peo-
Pile: From this day forward an Eng
lsh merchant can rove whittier he will
and no man shall say him nay. Sec
that ye hold fast tho heritage
Though Mr.. Parker does allow a GER
tain little love affair 10 crop up here
and there, the actors rose to the spirit
OF the play. II was a thing Of large de-
sign and they acted in a large manner
Lyn Harding looked Francis Drake
to the life and made him live. He
was the plain man Of affairs. the
homely man OF Devon. the inscrutable
man OF destiny. There was nothing
accomplished or exaggerated and
nothing theatrical. II was great
performance. and one that should win
Mr.. Harding a renown in the profess
sion even wider than he enjoyed be-
fore.
Miss Phyllis Nelson Terry surprised
us as Queen Elizabeth, for she gave
piece of finished character acting which
few actresses OF her years could hope
to accomplish.
As Elizabeth Sydenham Miss Amy
Brandon Thomas won personal
triumph From her flrst entry TO her
last scene, she was the bride who
would have brought away any Drake
sailing round the world against all his
foes, Spain or any other country. II
was altogether a remarkable perform
ance for a young actress, and Miss
Brandon Thomas fully deserved all the
congratulations that were showered
upon her at the end Of the perform