New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-05

D
by the Charles Frohman company at
the Empire Theatre.
rHs CAST
Colonel woIcot' ............ Bennett s1u'ha-i
Colonel Barnard .... ........-. Richard Bennett
Bill He-hf ..-...- Pre-, ID 'aillci
Dr. Carson ..-.-.. .ffa'cis " y ct I'D
Va. ................ ..... Lila Fisher
Lieutenant Ellsworth. ........... Calvin Thomas
M Lane ........ Amelia ila..i .f
NaO- Lare -----. d o'iI VI ~ aif
sue Meadows .lcrLrl-f ls .'A
captain Meadows .-....-- NARnn IA. Z
Mexican ........................ Juan Nllasaf 4
Troooer Redmond ................... John w.rick
safis .............. R.s Martin
Dcr,1-'. ASSISTANT. .............. George vila.ans
Dr. Morris .-.-.--.-.-.. iheodof Won h4.@
Rio Grande" does what it aims 70
do. 1t sets out to be rousing, gun
firing, thrilling melodrama. and il must
be duly recorded that it succeeds. OF
its popular success there is not the
least particle OF bt-theatrically. 1t
is quite as sound as Mr.. Belasco's
Heart OF Wetona" and Mr. Thomas's
own ARIZONA" And IL contains, IN ad-
dition to its thrilling power, consider
able first class humor and plentltude
of good acting by number OF popular
players. Such a combination, when con-
sidered along with the fact that Angus
tus Thomas is the author, cannot fail
10 bring crowded houses. But one who
desires to set down both sides OF the
case must also state that "Rio Grande'
is unlikely TO add a great deal 20 Mr..
Thomas's reputation.
Mr.. Thomas uses "Rio Grande' as a
reminder. Il is as though he remarked
70 the huge flock OF successful young
playwrights Of the present day: Tut,
tut. you young fellows. Because /
wrote The Harvest Moon and Indian
Summer you thought that this good
right hand had lost us cunning did
you? Far from it. II has been on the
public pulse all these years, and /
could have written Rio Grande' at any
time during the last decade II l had
wanted to-"
Not only could wr. Thomas have
written Rio Grande" az any time since
ARIZONA but he could at any moment
construct smother play equally efec-
tive Il the desire took hold Of him.
/ Describing the various phases Of sci
ence and philosophy which mark some
Of his less popular dramas, Mr.. Thomas
has used his sense Of the theatre and
! mis- fine technical skill 70 build a play
that is intended solely for the stage
+ n melodrama as purely theatrical as
John Galsworthy's Justice is unthe-
atrcal.
To set off his story effectively Mr..
! Thomas has furnished 1t with pict-
uresque and interesting background
that of army life on the Mexican Dor
der. There are the of-stage bugles
and all the other army trappings that
I always help 20 heighten the effective
: ness OF play OF this sort. SO far as
/ his story alone is concerned, It is the
tale OF a girl and two men-a tale that
depicts conditions and emotions not in
themselves indigenous TO army life.
But, as "The Heart Of Wetona" and
many other plays have illustrated. an
elemental story thrives better when
set against an elemental background
Although Mexico is but a step away
/ in Mr.. Thomas's melodrama, the play
/ does not aim 20 deal with the condi-
tions of the moment True, there Is
talk of a possible Mexican invasion,
and in the third act. as his domestic az
/ fairs are approaching a climax. Colonel
Barnard sets off at the head Of his
] regiment 70 drive the greasers back.
/ In its discussion of the Mexican situa-
ton the play makes a frank appeal Tor
/ the Republican vote. II one Is 10 take
/ Mr.. Thomas word for il and a num-
4 Der Of army officers aided IN checking
/ the detail of the play-otiicers on the
/ Rio Grande were accustomed 10 speak
/ freely concerning their dissatisfaction
with the Administration.
One scents good melodrama in the
/ first act. when Mr. Thomas goes TO con-
siderable lengths for the sake of future
situations. Colonel Wolcott. stabbed
| by Mexican, gasps a dying wish that
/ his daughter should marry Colonel
Barnard. who is a score of years older.
/ There is slight necessity for such a
wish. and still less for the girl TO obey
/ il. Apparently she Is in love with a
certain lieutenant, and il is unlikely
that the delirious ramblings OF a dying
man would have had much weight. But
in the end 1t makes for good rlelo-
drama. so nobody seemed to care.
Before Mr. Thomas has finished with
his story ne exhibits two murders, a
suicide and a near-suiclde, and from
each Of them he extracts the maximum
Of theatrical value. Between thrills,
furthermore, one is treated 70 humor
of a much higher quality than that
usually furnished with me!odramas OF
the kind They're probably only seek
ing shelter" remarks the colonel,
when he hears that the Mexcans are
about 20 cross the border; but nope
we get a couple Of shots az them De-
fore We find that out
/ An exceedingly good cast assists Mr..
Thomas in his.mission OF getting the
most out Of the story. Richard Bennett
might have stepped right out OF the
army. II the knowledge derived from
watching a couple OF Fifth Avenue
parades enables one 70 Judge. RAM
I Campeau, who. despite his WORK IN ne
Virginian," has had but little cnance
on Broadway, was so excellent a VII.
Iain that one regretted the brevity OF
,La role, Robert McWade. in typl--
eally McWade part, furnished most OF
/ the humor. -
Lorors among the women with a por-
,rsval that was splendidly human. Lola
B Fisher. as the colonies daughter. was
P occasionally satisfactory. and al times
B less so. She did her best work IN the
A biz OF condensation IN the fourth
or. might improve matters, but other
wise "Rio Grande" has nothing to fear.