The Charity Ball

Charity Ball, The (1889), a play by David Belasco and Henry C. de Mille. [ Lyceum Theatre, 200 perf.] John Van Buren (Herbert Kelcey), the rector of St. Mildred's, has kept his promise to the dying father of blind Phyllis Lee (Grace Henderson) to take her under his protection, unaware that his aggressive brother, Dick (Nelson Wheatcroft), once told the young woman he wanted to marry her and then despoiled her. But Dick is so determined to rise in Wall Street that he has thrown her over and proposed to Ann Cruger (Georgia Cayvan), whose father is a powerful Wallstreeter. When John learns the truth he confronts Dick and forces him to marry Phyllis. In time John comes to recognize that he loves Ann as much as she has always loved him. The third act, in which John learns about Phyllis and confronts his brother, was considered one of the most powerful scenes in contemporary drama, and was in large measure responsible for the success of the Daniel Frohman production.