New-York tribune., 1867-02-05
THE DRAMA.

A DANGEROUS GAME AT wAILhcK,s TlrEATER.
An American adaptation Of VictoIien Sardous
"Nos Bons Yiageois," by Mr. A. w. Young was
brought out last evening at Waacks Theater before
large and brilliant audience. 1t was well put upon
the stage and well acted, and It's popular success
will be considerable The piece is comprised IN
four acts-wbich need cutting and condensation
and is called "a Dangerous Game.D That this title
is opposite appears in the fact that the comedy shows
how lover played dangerous game 20 win awife,
and what befell him in the playing Of it, The
comedy is neatly constructed and the work OF trans
lation and adaptation appears TO have been carefully
done. To- render French plays into English IT Is
essential that the translator have wit OF lis OWL
as well as keen faculty for the perception OF Gallc
wit That requisite has been, 10 some extent though
not sufficiently supplied in the present instance.
The dialogue of "A Dangerous Game" might
be livelier, especially in the first two acts but
It's sketches of eccentric character and petty he are
amusing There are m0reyer, passages IN the comedy
which appeal to tho emotions and realize certain
mOmentarily effective pathos. Judged as work of
art however, "A Dangerous Game Will not take a
high rank II suggests, indeed, that NJ. Sardou is
brilliant-a fact that was pretty well understood
before--but il also shows that he ~, as an artist
unscrupuous in the pursuit of success The principal
elements of his play are farce and melo-drama;
and it if notorious that these are lar more directly
and widely and deeply appreciated by theatrical
audiences the world over, than are the higher aud
far more inaccessible elements of comedy and tragedy
in illustration of this remark we need only point 10
which are visited upon the Mayor by his cnYious
and contemplate fellow tOwnsmen, aud 10 the
highly and somewhat spasln1aic pasSaees III
rebuke. NJ Sard0u has designed, IN TINS piece, To
satirize provincial contrasted with metropolitan
life i'll Trance and his satire has not missed lts
town and country is appreciated here as well as IN
Paris and so the force of the satire may chance o be
appreciated too Bn the detect & 9l 3ns sGhmeGy % Is
lDcal pecuaities than with the attributes oi unlver-
sal human nature. Comedies of this cla glitter mo
mentarily and then fade away. Let thein not be
undervalued however for that reason. They rebuke
folly: they present lively, II limited, pictures OF man
nefs and they anlse the leisure hours o llle that
il full Of care and fever and haste. - Dangerous
Game" served, last evening. 70 Introduce once mort
to this stage actor whom Ncw-l OK can III afford
at any time 20 spsreAlr, James W. Nallack The
powerful imagination, the quick srnslblty, the
humOr. the gentlcness, the fine nndct-cnrfcnt OF
manly feeling which constitute the basis OF Nh.
Walacks excellence * an actor, found expression
though far from ample-in the character OF baron
de VHeprepr. But the part Is inferior 10 the actor;
Miss Hcnriques rs GeHeru6, acted, win Eood deal
of sweetness, an ngen"e part which Is well suited 10
her talents and her temperament lhe farce
parts of the grocer and the ar0ihecafY were
filled. with easy huln0r and ecceltllcliy, by
Mr.. Holland and Mr. Young Ms. Jennings
whose reappeaIaDce after u considerable asencs was
cordially greeted, played the Bdt0aeSs de tWtWe"f.
She is actress who never fails 10 eNlhce real lce
ing and who throws herself with % sanestnesS s % nt2
every character that she assumes The part oi Hear
fell TO the lot of Mr.. Robinson. IL rs ,e"iOs part
and did not display the actor III the best possible
and tenderness M old Mr.. Morrison. Mr. Young, the
adapter of the piece enacted the meddes0me and
pompOus apothecarv and largely contributed Ia the
pleasure OF the performance a Dangerous Game"
will be acted every evening until further notice
ours" by the way will be acted at the Brool Ign
Academy Of Music on Friday evening OF TINS week.
In respest TO the production OF "Ihe Merchant oil
Venice" at the Winter Garden, we have already spo-
ken at length, and it would be premature to revert
inst vet IN that theme I ct ms record however the
great popular success of the enterprise Large audi
ences have thrOnged the Winter Garden, from the
very long career 1Onote every improvement that Is
made in The acting of it will be TO us pheasant duty
The Bird of Paradise which has taken wing ut
tho New YQgk Tleater, IL cyeajuI9 Vt yery pGstty