The sun., 1919-04-23
Race Horse, Mortgage, Fcud
and Other Celtic "Props''
Figure in Comedy.
Dark Rosaleen'-At the I,eIesco
Theatre

David Belasco last night peopled the
stage OF his own particular theatre In
West Forty-fourth street with unfanil-
lar FOLK. To other stages they might
not have seemed so strange. but they
were surprise to the public that viewed
them In their new environment as figures
in Dark Resale Il comedy by w d
Hepenstall and Whitford Kane recently
an admired actor on this stage Tie
fancied scene OF the new drama IS an
Irish town in the year before tie war.
The men and women who populate the
three acts are seen only in the grocery
shop and public house OF an ancient Citi-
zen Of the town. There is another such
establishment owned by an interloper
from Ulster. He has dared to enter the
ground sacred to the publican OF Nun
stsr.
Thus there IL a feud between age and
business. between Ulster and Munster.
But one would be as useless as the ether
for the purposes OF the theatre vera
there not also younger generation 20
love or to hate. The feuds OF the Mon
tagues and the Cspulets were drama
tized by the young lovers OF Verona. 50
there was a daughter OF the man OF
Ulster to be loved by son Of the mouse
Of Munster. With these dTdnati; cle-
ments under their control the play
as expertly as possible thr rough the ac-
customed grooves-indeed the grooves in
which the stories OF BouCicault pro-
crossed
Lawyer and Horse Race, Too.
Mr.. Kane has been associated with
the Abbey Theatre in Dublin and other
dramatic enterprises of the Irish literary
societies. But he was not contemptuous
In
of the achievements of his famous com.
patriot. so there was the lawyer--he
was. yes, scheming-and there was.
moreover. the impending horse race
which might bring fortune back to the
daring interloper from Ulster. And
above all there were the race horse
secretly trained. and then the Jockey
who was to ride her to fortune. Who
would ever suspect. gentle reader, that
the scheming lawyer should have heard
of the fast little pony that the girl
owned and should tamper with its pro-
posed rider? Any playgoer of such
acumen would also be keen enough 10
suspect that the son of one clan should
suddenly feel himself equal to riding
his sweethearts pony to victory? The
discerning theatregoer has guessed right.
These werc Just the desired things that
happened. SO the mare Dark Rosaleen
disc ppeared as the curtain fell on the
second act with its owners lover astride,
OF course there would have been little
avail in the use OF the dramatic mate
rial that the stage Ireland of Boucicault
provided had not Mr.. Kane used some
share OF that playwright's skin. He was
ca pable OF tina. task and with Mr.. Be-
lasco made the play Accordingly inter
| esting in its serious moments. Then its
comedy OF the Irish types played to per
lection by the actors Mr.. Belas had
trained kept the audience in constant
laughter. There was some excess OF
this matter in the second act. which was
too long But its elimination will re-
move all that might stand in the way OF
, the plays enduring prosperity.
Mr. Kane has not only devised enter
| tanning studies of Irish character He
has put the native wit into the mouths
of the quaint men and women that fire.
quent the store. Then the knowing
brother who returned from Chicago with
the American ideas of progress was a
real inspiration OF the author. He sue
ceeded indeed in every case in departing
| from the familiar formulas OF stage
humor. So Dark Rosaleen' was
unique in this respect az we'll as for the
picturesqueness which NJ. Belasco had
impaired to these men and women.
symbolism In Plays Name.
There was of course the obvious sym
| bolism Of Mr.. Kane's play not only in
calling the mare that was to unite two
| families OF north and south the legen.
/ Diary name of Dark Rosaleen" but ia th1
| blending OF the orange and green and
! the general significance of the struggle
! for a united island. This purpose did
not obtrude itself to the cost OF the
! dramatic interest, although it did arouse
| the audience to occasional outbreaks
OF the most patriotic enthusiasm.
! Eileen Huban. a type of Irish beauty
black haired and gray eyed, played the
| heroine with sufficient dramatic power
as well as an acute understanding o.
the humor of every situation. 1t is per-
! haps as a Coincidence that she is most
satisfying, although her talent is still
! somewhat battling in the effort TO CLASH
| ~ II. II is most of all immature just
now. But Miss Huban is original She
| il voice and not an echo. So her
future development will be watched with
| interest
! Walter Edwin and Dodson Mitchell
were the warning fathers. Henry puffey
| the young lover and Thomas Mitchell
the enterprising native who had been
/ to Chicago. all excellent within their OPP
portunities Beryl Mercer was perhaps
most distinguished on the distaff side
| Every actor in the usual manner of thi!
theatre contributed to the success OF
the new play. which delighted its frs
audience. Drama and comedy are mos
skilfully blended and Mr.. Kane has
shown that political interest is so great
| in Ireland that even the horses talk oil
Parnell. At least, the owner of "Darl
Rosaleen" said that her mare did.