New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-01-09

Woa0cHp Tmeoeo9s tE
An interesting peculiarly Of tbs average cousS,
o. modern society 10 its entire failure TO repressn,
by language, Incident or action, anything resenhl;
the ac nal scenes or personalities With which d.,I.
It's lords I'd ladies beings Of its own wb;oso.,
creation bs> ing no existence beyond the limit. .,
wings and sats, and its passions and emotions ara
such Is could ou,.v b. inspired by an abnormal hs..
Of fooiligdts and ioseIed chandeliers. Society
viewed through lie medium, is like q pro.
eession seen through an inferior quality Of
window.pane, which dis,orts and dshevels the
picture beyond tho chance Of human recogu.
ton. The modern comedy, however, 10 popu.
lara fact not due 50 much to i,s own value q.
to TIE easy faith OF audiences, who creduloasly
swallow what is yet before them. dgestin9 the good
and bad alike, without so much as ever quessonine
which is the bread and which the stone.
"A" The Irish Heiress,' presented last Tuesday VI
Walacks. is fair specimen of the class Of plsy Of
which we speak. It pretends to represent possible
picture of English life-to satirize certain vices and
expose certain foes as is the function Of respectable
and wel.regusted comedies in all time. 1t contains
a lord and a lady, aud baronst and major in the
army, with one or two ornamental and high.brsd
young people of either sex thrown in ~ make the
mixture thick and slab. When we say that all those
persons are snobs OF the most thorough and efficient
pattern-and that, too, without any apparent insea
ton TO that effect on the part of the author-ws
rather compliment them than otherwise. That they
are almost all pretty bad people is 40 serious objeo-
ton to their favorable reception by an sudience
but when the aggravated qualities Of stupidity, mean
ness and ignorance are Literally iDterspersed ~ in
the present case tseems 10 take for granted rather
too eager public appetite for the disreputablo. OF
the leading characters 10 The Irish Heress," one
is good-hesrted young pinny; second young
niuny without any quaiihcation third
knave with title and bad temper; .
fourth fool with a title aud an elegant
temper; fifth lady with bad manners and Q
sound nature; sixth lady with fine msnnen
and no nature ut Gil land 80 following. For Q
comedy Of modern life, it does not appear to thai
these are precisely the materials required. Fora
farce, or any sort of extravaganza, they might b
better OF course the character and disposition Of
tue various persons represented is much determined
by the language attributed to them, and this in the
present case 10 as far from VIVA. any reasoning being
would pronounce appropriate, as can we'll be I'M
agined. The dialogue il well written enough and
is sometimes brilliant; but il does not suit the oc-
csson and it leaves upon tho consderate spectator
only the impression that if people holding generally
the stations supposed to be represented in The
Irish Heiress," talk and behave in the style hero
indicated, society ought straightway to be lsded
back into the original dish, and little more common
sense and honorable feeling stirred in for the benefit
of the worlds best classes.
The representation Of "Tbe irish Heiress" 50 far
as the acting Of the several parts goes is excellent Ut
Wallack's; bat the manner in which 1t is put upoA
the Stage does not do much toward helping away
the convictions of its unreality. The drawing rooms
chambers &C., are not apartments which people u
comfortable tastes would like 10 inhabit. The
second act. for example, 10 q reception room, o.
drawing room, in nobleman's houte. As guestz
assemble, it presently appears tbss there are rot
chairs enough for them all to sit upon, in conss-
quence Of which they stand erect, and in line.
abreast the footlishts like set Of pos,s at an en-.
trance to park, and converse at regular distances
Of about three feet from one another So far as our
observation goes, this is not the way 10 which per-
sous of average sanity meet and comport themselves
in drawing rooms; but it satisfies the stage trsdi-
tons, which managers shrink from uprooting, 20
long as thu public does not frown upon them. We
might 20 further, aud show that one Of the stage
views in "The Irish Heiress' is exactly suited to
the requirements Of the scene; but one Illustration
on this point will serve as we'll az dozen.
The acting is clever enough. Mr. Lester Waiiack
gets plenty Of meried applause. Mr.. Charles Fisher
presents an idealized Lord Dundreary with capital
eff CT Mr. Gilbert gives life TO the s,ad philoso-
phes aud moralities Of Lord William Daventry.
charming piece of acting is the little repentant
scene Of Miss Fanny Morant, in the beginning Of
he second act. Mrs. Hoey personates the heroine
and Mrs. Seton gives a vigorous pic
lure of n broadly drawn woman Of the world. Last
but in no sense least. Mr.. Foyds representation Of
the valet, Lenoir, is singularly effective BIT Of da-
ect play.
Mr.. Wallack pours his horn Of dramatic plenty
with lavish freedom this week. pauline" and
" The Irish Heiress" were both nsw to this season.
Last night there was third successful revival, THAI
IF "A Bold Stroke for a Husband" This evening,
- The Irish Heiress' will DO repeated, and to-mor'
row night, Pauline
Winter Garden.
Mr. and Mrs. Barney Williams take, this evening,
g. Al = ~ l. IL.