New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-09-07
THE DRAMA.
eARpEv-"rHR oHARLArAs."

WINTER GARpRN-" TIE CHARLATAN"
Mr. j. W Watson's drama Of" The Chahatan" has oe,n
thrice presented at the Winter Garden, but was WIN
drawn on Thursday. II Is romantic play compnsed 10
prologue aud three acts and is written IN prose IL IN
PRODUCES p chaacers-oT rather persons lts aeon
masses chiefly In the city OF Pans Immediately before ana
during tho time Of the great French Rcvoluuon Its
purpose twofod 70 deneste the character OF Caos
tro aud illustrate touching story OF love ana loss ana
sorrow We able to testify bowcy0s that 1t iulnls
its purpose In either respect with dramatic power ls
hero Cagosfo, Is not endowed with qualities OF mlno
that command respect in an especial degree nor is there
aCgh either his ordinary way OF lie ms occupation OF
sorrow or bis performance of duty that strongly appeals
20 human sympathies His experiences, while thoy are
nos commonplace yet presented with comparative
taIneness Altogether whatever he may have been In e
he falls very far short Of bong heroic parsonage In this
NAV The prominent facts In his stOrg, rs the dramatst
has sproostd H. are briefly theses In his youth he wOoed
the niece of Cardinal Of the Church or Rome meeting
her at convent the disguise of one of the saints The
Young LADY bore him chd-a daughter The Cardinal
discovered this unpleasant business, and banshcd hs
niece 20 ecusion IN Peruga The daughter was put out
TO nurse and aerward stolen The lovers OF course
were separated Time stole on according TO MS CUSTOM
ay propensity for theyng, and the young lady maured
into dssoue matron, while Cagiostro waxed ilt as
professional chaatan. b. and by chance throw these
persons again together. Caglostro discovered the
lost daughter and COnfded hor 10 tho mothers care
Then heavy villain pursued her. end incarceatel ooth
mother and daughter in the Basie. Then The french
Revolution came along, and Cagllostro leo the party
of citizens which stormed that fortress. Inc
heavy vlain-an aTistocrat, OF couTse-Was .olh
were Tescned An accidental shot however had struck
the mother. Her death ends the play, wnlcR !osVes
Cacliostro and his daughter bending over the de9d
yomans BODY In tho course of these incidents CaS-
ostro appears in his masquerade as charata ana IN MS
natural somblance afflicted father In tEe later ca
pacity he is for while interesting In the former ne
merely udcrous His chicancry would not command inc
respcct OF fourvear-od child and the stuff that he alks
about man. and life and the crimes Of society ana tle
absence OF all honesty and virtue IN even his wod, Is
wrochedy shallow aud senscoss, beside being turgldy
expressed Moreover il is for the most part quite EVIL
dent that he does not feel his philosophy One may
believe in the cynicism of IimOn of Athens, OF even
Chde Harold but that of CagNo3tro wiz never 20
While however, the dram8St has not depicted the chAa
tan in brilliant light. he has, IN some sense nauo .h9
father an object of cOmmiseaiien. Herein Ii the merit Vi
Tho NAV such as tits The scenes in which parental love
is the predominant emotion, are, IN damauc beuse'
good The of tho play VIII not bear critical scrutiny
"The Charlsan' in It's present FORM at any rate can
never take q place in dramatic literature. We doubt even
If can maintain footing upon the stage Yet TINS latter
description Of success might chance 10 be secured 10y uu
cous condensation. The prologue ana large portion oi
the first might be Topped OIL 70 very great advantage
At least hour in the representation Is occupied III
stating the preminaries upon which the action Oh tne
piece is subsequently to proceed. Drcay conversations
also arc given in which several gentlemen talk that
most wearsonc of oil twaddethe twaddlo OF gslantry
To mind there is nothing more senselcss than aoi
thewOrd philosophy abb at women we nave not sP'ce
however here 10 specify all that could be spared Nor is
there necd The author Of the piece will undoubtedly Proht
bv the lessons of its representation dyesod OF every
thing except what relates TO the story Of Anneas abduc
ton and rescue "1he Charlatan' viii remain tOeraDy
effective acting play Otherwise 1t must sink by reason OF
overwhelming weight OF tedious ucccAhos
might perhaps be done also dignity and render moro
pathetic the character of CagOso: lie must assnTedy
lay aside his CHEAP msanthropy The world IS 100 Ola to
idle sneers at honesty Life may DO tangled web OF
different hues but many Of its threads are white and no
mans troubles- indeed he be worth thinking Oh az gu
Ever blind him to goodness 1t suffering virtue, and
not suffering vice. that awakons Pathos-and pahos ought
70 DO the basis of blr. Watsons play. But VIC unger
too long upon obvious truths Let us hasten TO say that
the drama has been produced with some good scenery
notably the night scene on the Pon Neuf ana the scene
of the burning Of the Basilc-and that its fortunes were
favored by the acting Mr. Gohod personatod Cag osro
He with dignity and repose, roaos exceedingly wen
Though occasionally erng in prOnunciatlonl and deals
alphabetically with the sacred emotion of parental love-
That the charatau is not impressive individual no
fault Of his For the rest, Mr.. Davdge-one of the
clcyerest of low comedians makes some fun as French
MARQUIS; Mr. Andrews is agTeoably light and pquant as
Count UOstqhs; Miss Annie Lowering and Miss Hattie
Thorne ore varously pleasing mother and daughter
Mr. Mason awakens holy awe, az the cardina ana Aii'
Donaldson makes q very dSagrceabe villain
OLYMPIC THBATBR.
Mr. Jefferson IS 70 play here for two months and not
two weeks merely of the types caused US 10
say on Wednesday.