The New York herald., 1922-06-11
I775 Met 1922 in
Players RevipG!L !LC
of The Rivals
Worthy Effort of Club to
Keep Alive Stage Classics
Meets With Success.
HERE was a modern as we'll as

the present day American and
the old time and modern European
stages with the revival of THE Rivals
by the Players Club in the Empire
Theater last week as part of the in
augiiration of the clubs annual pur-
pose TO keep alive the spirit OF de-
votion 10 classic comedy. The custom
that obtains in many English and
Continental theaters of charging
patrons for their programs was one
Of the two modern phases. The other
was Norman Bel Goddess scheme of
stage settings All else was faithfully s
true TO the best traditions OF Sheridan
II was no innovation in New York
theater customs that prompted Fran
els Wilson. Daniel Frohman and Louis
Evan Shipman, forming the managing
committee of the club, to take the pro-
gram privilege from the usherettes
and place it in the hands of special
custodian behind table in the outer
lobby with 25 cents as the upset price.
The intent was merely to help swell
the clubs revival fund and make SUBJ 4
stantial the 10 per cent. share in the
profits for the Actors Fund.
Furthermore. the fourfold programs.
printed in ancient form to suggest the
original of the first performance In
Covent Garden Theater, London. on
January IT. ITS. formed fitting SOU
venirs showing the notable cast Of ten
of Americas greatest players. Printed
ir red and black type on rough yellow
paper the programs had all the ap-
pearance Of antiquity and. It is safe to
say, have been added to many hundreds
o. portfolios of theatrical "reminiscences.
Accompanying each program was a
reprint, exact In its ancient form, OF
the Introduction to the original acting
edition of THE Rivals" 1t forms an
interesting bit of dramatic history and 2
reads as follows: 81f
Ancient Record of Play.
1.-The Rivals was brought out at Cow
ent Garden Theater on January IT, 1775.d
and was written when Mr.. Sheridan was
in his 23d year. 1t was not a success
at its first representation, owing to the
bad acting OF Mr.. Lee as Sir Luctus,
and also to its inordnate length. After
n change in the cast and a proper con-
densation. it was played with consum-
mate success, and rose at once into the
high region OF public favor. From the
iivoliness Of its plot. the variety and /.
whimsicality OF its characters, and the
humor. Of its dialogue. 1t is one Of the
most amusing plays in the whol> range
of drama, and even without the aid Of
its more splendid successor. The School
for Scandal would have placed. Sherf-
dan in the front rank OF comic writer's.
Some of the characters seem to us
! more like professed wits than genuine
flesh and blood personages. Nothing can
| be more ludicrous and laughable than
some OF Mrs. Mdldprop's Interpretations
of words. In the character of Acres we
have another instance of the attainment
of humorous effects by epigrammatic
! Invention rather than by genuine touches
| ofsnsture. The scenes between Sir Au-'
thony and his son. Capt. bsolute, are
richly and genuinely dramatic. Fo0,
Lucy and Sir Lucius are constantly
amusing. Fn1 wears his masters wit as
| he does his lace. Fdulkldnd is thought
by Leigh Hunt to have been suggested
by some tempers of the author during
his own courtship.
"Hazlitt says that the whole tone OF
this comedy. as we'll as the locale and
scenery. reminds the reader of Huna-s
phrey Clnker. There is scarcely a mors
delightful old comedy than The Ri
vals.'" ''
One member OF the first night au-
! dience at the Empire, with accurate
knowledge of the history Of Sheridan's
great comedy. was heard to say: vhs'
IF John Craig had been a contem-,
porary of Sheridan and had been dele-
gated to play the role OF STR Lucats
O'Tri00or ir the first Covent Garden per-
formance. the charge Of failure would
not have been brought against the play"
History records that Mr. Lee" the
original Sir Lucius. was so dull in hiso
Interpretation of this very essential part
OF the comedy that the miscarriage of
| the first presentation was laid at his
door The result was a recasting of the
play. with the subsequent success that
has lasted 10 our day.
The star Cast of 1922. 81
To complete this historical record. II
is in keeping to repeat the cast Of the
1922 revival and the original cast of the
comedy. 4sg
The cast OF the revival from June 5 to
| y, 1922. in the Empire Theatre:
4