New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-01-05
LAURA KEEEE'S THEATER.


the game; he had to use an original figure of speech
been carefully weighed in the iticsl balances and il
was found that the great success II Still Wsters Run
Dep" was compensated by the ponderous failure of
Victims" and the beam was about level. Perhaps.
on the whole certain other less pretending plays and
parts of plays. of his which have been acted with
more or less success left slight balance in h favor
II 80 the item Of commentator which is to be passed
to his credit on account of his drama which was
performed last light for the rs, time in this city, will
augment that amount to q tolerably bulky balance
The play is called An Unequal Match aud Is q
possible story of domestic life, domestic life may be
when two people have made mutua. ard irrepsrsble
mistake bv marrying each other. The fact that the
p,o is possible aud that the characters seem not only
of this sphere and of this tme but that they are so
sane as to speech and action that they may be COM
pretended under the term remarkable beings, gives
the whole affair air of quictness, that Is not in-
compatible with intense interest although by nomeans
up to the pitch of dramatic blue blazes which is not
unfrequently demanded BY the dear people.
Mr. Taylors powers of careful observation
serve him much better purpose in the con-
stmcton Of his plays than his magma.
ton, and when, as m Still Waters"
he brings number OF fictitious people together by
means of train of fictitious incidents that might hap
pen, and makes those people conduct themselves a.
real-liie persons in similar real circumstances would
conduct themselves, he constructs play that pos
sesses the unusual charm of naturaness and it
| ceeds. But when, as in Victims" he tumble.
crowd of msfttNg characters into scene without the
slightest regard to the possibilities and tries to make
those persons who repel each other at every point,
xork tremendously together toward the dcvel-
opment of some kind of consistent catastrophe, he
either sinks their several ndividualtes Is the play
draws to conclusion, he brings his work to an ar
brary and inconsistent end, and takes himself of with
out stopping to reply to the indignant demand of his
audience to be informed why and so rs so. That
| is to say Mr. Tom Taylor is good social historian
and begrapher, but bad romancer.
| The Unequal Match is domestic storyoia coun-
try girl who marres nobleman, who il afterward
ashamed of her country manners, but she by wonans
wit at last turns the tables upon him. and makes him
ashamed of himself. Arnclfte Mr.. Jordan, as an
artist woos Hester Grazebrook Miss keene), the
daughter of the village blacksmith. Before the court
ship is finished the death of arelave makes him Lord
Aucfe and puts him in possession of large estates.
He still continues true TO his love- and mar1ics Hester
and takes her to his home. Here he is constantly
shocked by her rustic manners and her entire ig-
| norance of all the forms and cOnyentionatts OF
Society,"" and his constant lesson TO her is TO restrain
her impulses hide all her emotions under the mask of
fashionable impassbity, and in short to make her.
self as artifcialy elegant the ladies by whom she
is surrounded He introduces into his house certain
| Mrs. Montressor' Miss Wells As a model of pro-
| priety and "depOrtment,' under whose careful III
struction he expects his wife to take al the requis
tie wel.bred-sms. 1t happens that Mrs. Montres-
| sor had once schemed to win Arnclffe for herself
L l.. ,1,at,,
against the blacksmith's daugherwhO had borne away
her prize Hester is made to feel her spite, and
in addition to numerous sights and surs aimed at her
defenseless head by the amable Model, becomes
Jealous of the point blank attentions leveled at her
| husband by that delightful female.
Arnclife, who is afflicted with hereditary disease
the existence of which he conceas from his wife, is
| ordered by bis physician TO visit certain German
springs alternative to speedy death. Of course
he goes Mrs. Montressor also ordered by her phys
clan visit the Springs OF course shegoes. She
tries to get up Irritation and to achieve eopement
with Arncfe, but he is deaf to nsnuaons and proof
against maneuvers. She, meantime, is carefully
watched, and all her operations communicated to Lady
Amcliffe by Doctor Botcherby' mfr. Jefferson),
who was a village lover of Lady A. when she was
Hester the blacksmhs daughter, and who is now the
physician to Mrs. Montressor.
During all this time, Lady Arncliae is carefully
studying the fashionable models her husband was 80
DESTROYS of having her initiate, aud having at last
learned to smother all her impulses and emotions and
be az impassye as the most icy among them all, she
resolve. to pay her husband a visit Accordingly, she
surprises him at the German Springs where he is de-
lighted to see her. And now she turns the tables on
him. She repulses all his advances with the utmost
aba with thp
politeness and replies to his circumstances by quoting
his own words with which he urged her TO acquire this
very fashionable and frosty manner. Having teased
him to her satisfaction she forgyes him. but not until
she has thoroughly revenged herself upon Mrs. Mon
tressor BY series Of artistic feminine sights, most
keen, cutting and characteristic.
This il a slight sketch of the main thread Of the
story, and Of the two characters around whom the
smaller lights revove. There is aristocratic man.
servant admirably acted by Mr.. Peters, and trans.
planted country girl trying TO put all the airs OF
city lady s-maid, who is played with sprighty grace
most bewitchingy by Miss Josephine Manners. -Four
or five other fashionable people are mere hanserson
in the train of Lord Ancife, and have nothing to do
with the plot "GrazebrOok, the blacksmith, falls
to the share of Mr.. Burnett. He gave On admirable
sketch of the rough and hearty mechanic, and was
particularly good in the where he denounced those
who have changed his daughter from the simple coun-
try lass to the affected, fine lady. His acting in this
scene loudly applauded.
Mr. Jordan has very quiet part, which he played
with discretion and good Judgment There is no OPP
portunty for strong acting the great feature OF the
part being in several distinct "make-ups,' in which
Mr.. Jordan very happy.
Mr. jefferson, as the physician, has some excellent
scenes which he handles in his best manner. lie II
an admirable actor and seldom mistakes his character
liz he shnnlh NOT snnak h. pantOmne would tell the