Identifier: playersplaysofla02strauoft (find matches)
Title: Players and plays of the last quarter century; an historical summary of causes and a critical review of conditions as existing in the American theatre at the close of the nineteenth century
Year: 1903 (1900s)
Authors: Strang, Lewis Clinton, 1869-1935
Subjects: Theater -- History Theater -- United States Acting and actors
Publisher: Boston, L.C. Page
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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rural drama, and as far asDavid himself was concerned it was satisfac-tory to an exceptional degree. Inasmuch asDavid was practically the whole show, therewas so little left with which to find fault thatone felt no need of fussing about it. Everyone of the country characters was excellentlywell done, and it was a pity that the city folks,of whom fortunately there were only three,could not have been treated equally as well.Not one of them, however, had an iota of hu-manity in him, and the love story in which theywere concerned was literally spoon victuals. Further than to extol its character studies ofcountry types, there is no call for undueenthusiasm regarding the play. It mightjustly be said that the whole was saved by itsparts. There were bits that ranged high ascomedy — one of the best the horse trade withthe deacon ; there were other bits that werebrilliantly farcical — notably the effective ta-bleau of the deacon in the thunder-stormbelabouring with might and main the obsti-
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WILLIAM H. CRANEAs David Ilarum The Dramatised Novel 255 nate horse that would stand without hitching.Mr. Cranes portrayal of David Harum wasone of the few instances where a pronouncedlyeffective book character has been transferredto the stage in a manner entirely satisfactoryto the readers etherealised notion of what thecharacter should be. William Gillettes Sher-lock Holmes was another instance. DavidHarum suited Mr. Crane perfectly, and in ithe hid his own personality most surprisingly.Moreover, he succeeded in being pathetic with-out a hint of mawkishness, something thatonly rarely had he previously accomplished. BESIDE THE BONNIE BRIER BUSH The dramatisation of Ian MacLarens Scotchtale, Beside the Bonnie Brier Bush, wasdone by Tom Hall and James MacArthur, whobrought forth from the struggle a none toostrenuous melodrama, with little originalityeither of plot or development, but of decidedpopular flavour in the matter of sentiment andof much real interest in several of its char-ac

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