Sanford's American Players.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 2, 4 January 1904, Page 2

Sanford's American Players.

" THE STKUOtiI.E OF LIFE." On Saturday night the talented and entertaining Walter Sanford l'layers pivseutKl " The Struggle of Life " to a good house at the Theatre Royal. It was a totul change from " The Power of Gold," hut was splendidly interpreted, The play overflows with quick action, exciting situations, strenuous scenes, pathos and romance, duJy seasoned wvlh plenty of humour. The piece intmhjced several characters und types iki.v to us, hut which abound in the slums of the Old World, and which were so ably de-pii'U-.l a.!i ti> commend themselves in their varied lights to the audience, who applauded fivquently ami heartily. 'ilhe sce-ne.ry was splendid. Mr UrilliUt Wray's portrayal of Whiskey Hill," a pitiable sjavimen of a drunken wreck, wus one of the 11< latjs oi the lovtnim'g, be'UVgi almost too realistic. The versatility of Mr Wray is remarkable, lie having supplied the bulk of t'Ji<) laimour itn " The Power of (J-old" on the previous evening. Miss Laura Wall made an excellent Madge Wilton, having a true conception oi' her part. i\lr Sanford mude a manly Edward Broetor, and showed great force in the many strong scenes in which ho appeared This actor we cannot, praise too strongly, his playing being a real treat. Mr Henderson as the villa;in : Mr Kunkel, as a New York thug- ; Miss BarL'r, as pretty iVeliio Duncan ; and Mr Hart Wallace, as mi leishwoman, were remarkably good. *Jiss .Vdelaido Boothby, as the street gamin, saved many a situation in the drama, ami was soon nia ; do a prime favourite with the audience. " TEMPEST TOSSED " Will bo staged to-night. This play is an absor'./ing story of life among the lislvor-folk. Ilichurd WentworlJi, a you,ng man from the city of Boston, while stopping 1 a fchorl timo in the limiting village on the coawt of Maine, secretly wods Nelly i'reston, sister of a lovely fisherman. lie af'terwarda learns tluit his uncle has left Mm a foi/tujio, on tlie condition that he iw_ to marry the daughter of a former partner, whom he had defrauded of his money, while they were in partnership, ttichwd discover that his pai ti\jer, 1 formerly known as Jadx>z Garth, is now living in the santo lirfhing village, ujj'dei* -the name of Jftte Haggard, where he has dropped to the level of a 'drunken fisherman. Richard trtfjs to got ri*d of his witfe, iNel- ! lie Preston, by employing Jabez ITaiggtiixl to take her to ?ea and drown her. Jabez agrees, but instead of drowning Nellie he hides her ajid i extorts blackmail from Richard. In the meantime Riclhkuxl attempts to make love to Mary Haggard, tho daughter, who repulses liim, she being in love with Tom Preston, tho brother of Nellie. In the third act, in a fit of fury, Richard beats Jabez until he is apparently dead. Afterwards when Tom Preston is found standing over the body, Richard accuses him of murdering Jabez. Tho next act shows the return of Nell'ie, tho Recovery of Wajb-ez, and the attempt on the part of ilichard kill Tom I'rtoilon, by blowing up tho lighthouse where Tom is confined. This is the great ftfcene of the play. A mechanical change presents tho explosion of the lighthouse and shows a wreck on the open sea, with the rescue of Nellie by. Mary and Cy Long. The story is told in several strong scores, and some beautiful stage pictures are shown. Tho comedy vein is very strong, and is furnished by Cy Long, a country lout, 7].ichary Pegg, a one-leggod sailor, and Polly Perkins, tho port daughter of the village in-keeper.