Life — May 10, 1900 — page 12: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A Novice’s Work With Some Good Points. CCIDENT has much to do with the success or failure of plays. Writing immediately after the first per- formance of a play called “Borderside” at tho Lyceum, it is safe to predict that its production was an experiment, und that the pleco is not likely to be heard of after an Inglorious forced run of a fortnight or less, And yet the samo play, thoroughly rebearsed, its crudities and amateurishvess pruned down by skilled hands, properly heralded by press agents, and with a cast whose names were familiar to the writers for the daily newspapers— this same play would bave been chronicled as a success of naturalism and humor. “ Borderside” made the mis- take of being born at the end of the season and without special heralding in advance—two things which invite the flippant or sneering criticism that magnifies the faults of a production without giving credit for its merit ‘The authorship of * Bordorside” is credited on the programme to Mrs, E. F. Riggs—a lady unknown to wide fame, She prefaces the play by the following note: Borderside is the homestead of one of the best-known families in Garrett County, Maryland, and was famed for its hospitality in the palmy days of the South, The authoress has drawn ber characters from real life—people whom she knew and associated with in days gone by. Some of. them are dead, some are living, and all of them are well known to the many who have been enter- tained within the hospitable walls of Borderside, Fow dramatists bave the ingenuousness to admit that they havo portrayed thelr personal acquaintances in their plays, which fact will go to show that Mrs, Riggs is a novice in the business and will, perhaps, account for the crudeness of some of her devices, A more skilled band would have used something better than premature greyness to excuse tho mistaking of a son for bis ther, The huckneyed mortgage on the old homestead would also havo been discarded for some more modern encumbrance, such as an investment in Mr. Miller's flve hundred and twenty per cent, syndicate, for instance, The modern dramado move, and the fault of your amateur dramatist is that he or she—and it {s usually @ she—is afraid to got away from tho good old traditions. It may bo the fate of “Borderside” to bo re-written and re- christened. It contains enough new and good material to mako this worth while. Tho main motive—the winning of a girl's love by a man sho supposes to be her father is certainly unusual and novel, It raises the uniquo question of whether it makes any difference to a woman whether her love is filial or romantic. The sheot and pillow-case party bas all the dramatic valuo of the mas- quorade without that expedient’s hackneyed accessories, Tho types represented by a lovable deaf woman, who can understand only by aid of the lip language, and two young sisters, who quarrel as only young sisters can, aro new and well drawn. Worse plays than “ Borderside” have been whipped into pros- perity, With a little re-modelling, and with the puffing the Theatrical Byndicate can command for its productions, this piece might have been made a success, The accident in this case seoms to have been that the promoters of this enterprise did not under- stand the proper methods of dealing with the New York public. WHATS MINE 1S MY Owy aa : a ee “POR GOD AND ST. GEORGE! HE Fifth Avenuo Theatro this weok ceases to be a homo of drama, and is given over to that pecullar industry known as “continuous performance.” To emphasize the decadence of the house and symbolize in a way tho whole condition of the stago in the United States, tho doors of the theatro which open this week on a varioty show, lasting continuously from noon to eleven at night, closed Saturday ovening on Jefferson, with his classic Caleb Plummer and Mayor Golightly, Mr. Jefferson may not represent the best things ever known to the American stage, and from certain points of view his careor may have been a niggardly ono, but at the samo timo ho stands for somo {deals which aro fast disappearing. Jefferson leaving tho stage and continuous vaudeville taking his place {s pathetically emblematic of what {8 happening to dramatic art in America, ° * * T has become the fashion of late for certain subsi- dized critics to speak of those who advocate ordinary decency on the stage as sticklers for “cheap mo- rality.” If the value of commodities is governed by their rarity, “cheap” seoms hardly the adjective to use in this case, Metcalfe, LIFE'8 BULLETIN OF THE THEATRES. The American.—' Lohengrin,” a dainty trife by one Wagner. Here sung in Engilsh at popular prices, Broadway.—"* Ben Hur” keeps on catching the pennies of the pions. Academy of Music.—* Way Down East," # bucolic drama, with real cows giving real milk after the performance. Fisth Avenue.—This week falls from its high estate Into the province of continuous vaudeville. Daly's.—" A Runaway Girl" will not run away until the town gets too wart for her, Walack's.—" Sapho” is still giving nightly proof of the value of yellow. Journal persecution for advertising purposes. The New York.—“ Quo Vadis," giving a combination of spectacle and sacred history at bargain prices, Herald Square.—Another version of “Quo Vadis" calculated to inspire Christian fortitude in the audience. Garrick.—Giliette keeps on trying to make Sherlock Holmes get even with hts foe, Dr. Moriarity. Garden.—" Mearta Are (still) Trumps," but only for the next fortnight, when the melodrama proceeds to Chicago ou ® missionary venture. Empire.—* Lord and Lady Algy ” continue to cater to the matinée girl, Knickerbocker.—“ The Bostoulans ” In thelr excellent rendering of tuneful “ Robin Hood.” Critcrion.- James K. Hackett, in bia picturesque tilustration of the strentons life called “The Pride of Jennico.”” When it comes to strenu- sity, Governor Roosevelt isn't in the competition with the Oghting Hackett. comicbooks.com