The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-02-09
NIRDL LINGER'S NEW . PLAY PRODUCED AT
 THE LYRIC THEATRE
"The Turn of the Cards" in Absorbing Romance of
 Old Naples.
Member of Popular Stock
 Go. Create Characters For Playwright.

I ea h =
 "The Turn of the Cards Charles Nirdlinger's new play had it's pre- niere at the Lyric Theatre last night. An exceptionally well told love story of the triangle type sets in beautiful old Naples is the theme of the play which extends through four acts.
 The play centres about the Prin- cess Tea and the Duke Otho del Drago who have grown up together and into a. fervid attachment Be- cause of money troubles, they could not marry and the Princess has be- come the wife of Gianntno Gaddi, a peasant who has made millions through the discovery of oil wells The time of the play Is set two years brought to Tea that del Dragos whom she has not seen since before the wedding, is in Italy, also that his engagement to 8 wealthy American girl has been announced.
 Money, which is owed the Duke by Prince di aCosimo, Fea's father. is necessary for the Duke and Fea tries to get it without asking her husband for it. Through the Prince, Gaddi learns of the want of money and is determined to supply it but in a scene with Fea discloses that he knew of the previous love affair and com handed del Drago at the time of the marriage never to see Tea again and to always keep the sea between the two of them.
 However, at the villa of Lord and Lady Erskine, an English nob1eman and his American wife, concerning whose marriage there was consider able scandal, there is accidental meeting between Fea and del aDrago in which both learn that they still love each other and Fea learns that the American girl has broken the engag gefnent because of some scandal which she had heard concerning del Drago and the Princess that the Duke could not deny.
 The third act shows del Drago at Fea's villa with the jealousy of Cad di increasing rapidly until he is prac- tically insane and there is the sug- stion of a plot to kill de Drago. There is splendid worked up scene in which del Drago and Fea confess their love for each other but swear. that they have been true. The Prin- cessis fearful for del Drago's safety and gives him her pistol before his departure After he has gone a shot is heard.
 The fourth act is at a hunting lodge. Gaddie comes in and later Fea and her father looking for del Drago whom they have arranged to meet there. Word is brought that del Drago has been found accidentally shot by the pistol which Tea gave h1II1, which was Q1Scnarg0Q when ms horse reared at a sudden flaming of the distant Vesuvius. In spite of the plot Gaddie had no hand in 1t, 1t had been ordained by fate because, as he says, 'TThe world could not hold Drago and you and l."
 The closing scene between Fea and her husband is especially splendid. Gaddie promises that the shadow of del Drago will never stand between them and that his love for her will be as great as ever but Fea in a mad speech, declares that she will remain with him but that her every thought will be of del Drago.
 lNird1nger has given us play which is unusually beautiful in word-s 4 ing and setting. His main characters are strongly worked up and each leaves a distinct impression upon the mind. The main theme of the play is determined and well outlined but so much strength has been given the love story itself that some of the minor threads of the story are rather involved and indistinct and several of the characters seem superfluous.
 Pavlo, a young musician, and ap- parently an idealist, is a rather nays terious character about whom one is continually expecting some relevation as to his fervid devotion to Gaddf. There is a suggestion of an under plot concerning the ruin of Pavlo's sis ter of the Prince di Cosimo which does not materialize and likewise the lending of the money and the substitution of the family jewels is rather indistinct and does not add materially to the plot. These loose strands of the play serve to retard
 She action of the first two acts.
 The setting of the play is exceed ingly beautiful, Old Vesuvius and the bay of Naples form the back ground, while two acts are staged in Gaddi's villa, one before the home of Lord Erskine and one in a hunting lodge Nothing has been spared to make the setting suitable and luxurious.
 The performance was an unusually finished one,- going through without the slightest hitch and quite as though the stock company had spent