The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-09-08
MANHATTAN OPENS
WITH MELODRAMA
"The Story Of the Rosary"
Played by Actors Who
Speak Good English.
PLAY NOT OF DRTRY LANE
It Has Old Fashioned Grip
Story Of War-Scenic Dis
play Is a Feature.
PLAY NOT OF DRURY LANE
''The story Of the Rosary'-tt the Man.
haitian Nnern IInnsc-

| Philip Roman. .............J james Berry
| Capt Hildebrand. ...... Ernest Leicester
| Major Hellenbro. ........ Arthur Walton
Lieut. Peterkln. George Desmond
| Prince Sabran. ......... Clifton Anderson
Father Theodore ...... Christian Walker
| Wilhelmina. .........,..... Marjorie Day
The Mother Superior. Laura Hansen
! Venita Sabran. ......,.......A Annie saker
There was more London melodrama
last night to open the Manhattan Opera
Houses season and to recall the most
prosperous days of that theater's career
as playhouse. which came when Com
stock Gest brought over THE Whip"
from the Drury Lane Theatre. The
same managers imported tho play seen
last night from London but Il did not
come from the famous home OF British
melodrama. 1t was acted at the Princes
Iheater for a long time. The difference
In the place of It's origin will account
for the points which distinguish The
Story OF the Rosary from The Whip"
The melodrama seen last night 10 not
. great spectacular succession of scenes
each with It's separate and particular
spectacular feature, leading to Anal
punch in the shape of an unusually
thrilling episode. all illustrating an ex-
pAnsive plot. which may DO dragged into
this direction or that according to the
pictorial demands OF the impresario or
'he extent of the stage managers imagi-
nation The Story OF the Rosary" Is,
OF the other hand. rather Il conc rated
molodran a. keeping its one thsr1e Of IN
terest in view. treading. OF course at
the slow and deliberate gait Of all Brit
i4h melOdranl h,t moi H..
during its progress.
Its scenic frame Is more than ade-
Quate. even decorative within limits, al
together appropriate, but not in the least
the end and object OF the production.
Reltes on Merit of Drama.
The Story OF the Rosary" relies alto
9ether on Its merit rs drama Luckily
II u excellent melodrama Of its type-its
old fashioned, stencil type.
In Its lack OF explicitness as TO when
ana where Its incidents are taking place
The Story OF the Rosary" might be a
carefully censored despatch from the seat
OF war, There is legend that the action
once passed in Austria. which IL another
detail TO make II different from the
ordinary Drury Lane brand Of the same
kind OF drama, Now the scene Of tho
play is laid in some stage no mans land,
which. for all we know, may be Ruritanh
lts atmosphere is military, its scenes are
concerned with the conquest of one coun-
try by another. and IN every particular
this Is a war play II ever there was one
It's progress IA accompanied by the calling
and the incessant obligato OF martial
music, which ceases only to allow the
music OF The Rosary" to recall the love
theme Of the play. Ethelbert Nevin's
song often recurr.
In this unknown land which Ia ono that
must have possessed climate especially
suited to the natures OF well known stage
types, there was a beautiful princess with
n bad old man for a father. He gambled
and lost and otherwise involved his I'M
happy daughter In unsupported economic
difficulties. Even the pearls about her
neck we're pledged pledged. moreover. to
the rich young officer she does no, love
When war is declared he asks her for her
hand. His cousin. poor and consequently
beloved OF the young princess also wants
70 marry her II Is the deception Of the
rtoh cousin that leads his rival TO give up
hope: for he has told his less fortunate
cousin that the princess has bid him
await the end of the war and then there
may be hope
!
Lover Rush~s on 70 War.
Tho call to war sends of the troops to
some other mysterious land where the
scenery bore a slight resemblance to
Switzerland but before that the princess
and her poor young lover have gone to
the convent 10 be married by the good
father there then. as her lover PUSHES OF
To Join his fellows, she is taken into the
caro- OF the dear mother superior, who
once In her youth had lost her lover by
taking the veil Just because she heard n
false rumor that her lover had been
killed. In the convent she stays. while the
two cousins fight against their common
enemy and ever plot against each other,
49,. a,,I Ira. H., 4
the other with the same slyness that led
him to deceive the cousin he In reality
hates about the love of their princess.
While she is In the care 81 the good nuns.
every day growing more and more hope
less that her husband will come back from
the var. they are at the front II Is the
false report Of her husbands death that
lads her almost into the coils Of the
eioistered nuns whence 1t would never be
possible for her TO enter the world again.
B.t her husband comes back from the
war dusty but safe, her rosary In his
hssh; and there Is happiness IN that
happy. happy land where melodrama has
its sway.
walter Howard. who wrote this play
has other successful dramas OF the same
k..d to his credit, He Is an actor. playing
very well one OF the characters last night
ana this Is In every respect an actors
play. That In always the sort OF a play
.n whlch the appeal to the emotions IS
ever more vital than the appeal TO tbs
Intelligence and the semblance to litt
must pc exaggerated out OF all real pro
dpctva OF the original. Mr. Howard
Kpowv when TO have the incidental music
sway and sigh or grow gay and MARTA
with vne sentiment OF his scenes and there
10 not another trick OF the actor as play
wright that he does not reveal in THE
Story Of the Rosary" So audiences may
be sure of filling and satisfying eve.
ming Of mel. drama at the Manhattan
Opera House.
Mr.. Towards actors are most sklful
Nothing could have been more delightful
than their manner OF speaking the Eng
fish language. They delivered the com
ronplace lines Of this melodrama with
niOre distinction than thu average actor
y capable OF !mpartlng TO the language OF
shakespeare, And with tho acoustics OF
she Manhattan Opera House treating this
unuUal privilege with the respect II de-
serves the voices OF the players In "'rhe
story Of the Rosary" ara by no means
one OF it's least attractions. Annie Saker
and Alfred Paulmer were soon high In
tae affections OF the audience last night
As the parted lovers and James Berry
vas sufficiently manly MS tho evil cousin
10 De almost forgiven. he was such a
gentleman about it all George Des
no "A