New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-01-07
TIE DRAMA.
RISTORI,


Madam Ristori will play Queen B'isabeh' tonight,
A. tho Rench Tbeater and viii repeat that perform
Auoe at matinee, on Wednesday, when her present
engagement viii terminate. She then departs into
tho West.
To-norrovy evening, at Steinway's Han, Madam
Ristori win give her long promised Recitation from
Abe French and Italian Poets. The programme in
elndas four selections: Les Pauvres Gens" by Vic
tor lingo; LA Madre Italiana," by Professor Botta
LA Para" 10y NJ Fehce Blsazza, and the fifth canto
Of " The Inferno" Mr. Grau has prepared pamphlet
containing these selections which will be of service
70 persons unacQuainted with the French and italan
languages It presents the original text side by slue
with trsnslation-as in the pay-books The rem
derIng OF Victor HugOs poem rs printed anonymously
The other trnslatiOns have been made by Miss haIe
Field, Joseph Rooehetti and DR.. I. ". Parsons o.,
Gamma IS not to be repeated until Madan nl3-
tori returns hther to play her farewell engagement,
That will be IN April Meanwhile, her PeIsoIia'ttSVn
of the heroine of that tragedy will Ilnger III .lo
memory of those who saw it on last Friday eSelg,
a companion picture to her sumptuons auu 5 S
portrayal of Judith Ii impresses the nina anu pow
erfny thrills the emotions by its lmag lDs
deep feeling, its fiery energy, and lts eilIe hotHo
from the trammels of artfice These are us eaileIlt
qualities. Gamma rs made widow py tle acI vi an
assassin The murderer then wO0s her, Keeping ms
secret Rat an intnit;on enables her to divine the
truth, and she plans and executes leifDIe seIo
of vengeance. To cOnceal natIeu anu Jury No lIe
Lii him by poison at the nuptial altaI-tbat is her
eelfimpOsed duty. terrific conflict of passions is
tion here indicated The story is extant in
Plntareh aud has been often employed, both
on and off the stage, 10 Illustrate tho pos
able grandeur of wOnans virtue aud the intensity
of her devotion. IL does not appear TO good al
Vantaqe in SignOr MOntanebs tIagedy-tor WINE
SITS spirit makes y Impressive us incidents naF0 IL
as an abstraction: but fine distractions often lose
their weight and worth 10y being garnished with par
toulars- Gamma though ptiable at FIRST rapidly de-
parts from human sympathy. we are sorry l0r her,
S. loving widow, cruelty despoiled OF her lord but
we tear and shun her as an avengng fury mere
are many minor details III the tragedy, also, when
tend 10 dampen the ideal and cool the reused synpa-
thy. Tins the dIuidical paraphemaia is ludlcr0Is;
the character and conduct OF the assassin are utterly
unnatural: the = bard, like Orpheus in "Medea," Is
q classical bore, and the accessories of time and scene
tiresome But Signor Montanelh deserves the
credit OF having constructed his play rs to give
ample scope 10 Gamma. Madam Rlst0u left no OPP
ToTtnity for good acting unimprOyed. Al tie Out
eet her serene dignity was touching and winning
the first act she hears of the murder Of her hus
band, takes an oath to avenge him, and intultlyey
recognizes the assassin Her acting at eacn Oh THESE
points, was electrical. The lighting mp OF her conn
tenance when she exclaimed MY victim is here was
moi alone thrilling, but II finely illustrated one OF tDe
great qualities of her aeting-vtaiy The spirit Of
fury seemed then topOSsesS her, and thencetOrwaTd
10 the end nc never left her. CLEANS OF human feel-
ing D0g and then glimmered through the balefui
n1rkiness o. Der tempestuOus fury but she no more
seemed human being, The inearnatio9 o. syengng
la abe gtered and swept on 10 he climax On rctll,
button aud DEAN me scene that closes me sofi
act-that wherein Gamma wins from he' nY22oI ~ az
avowal Of his crime Madam Ristorls acting SIS
simply perfect. We have never s6eh rage so fearful
cnoeted under so time an aftectatlon oi
COMPOSING and even s GI e SaS ineressiyelS
embodies an impossible and repeant ideal OF Chaf-
aoter The death affected ms as beng 100 Ohg
drawn out; When execution y once 99ge % Wv Nv
CROW Commas spirit as soon as possible DEAN Is
never good subject for tableauX. MadaIn klstoilS
dresses in this part especially beautifua luxury
20 the eye and picture 10 the memory Inc 1rst'
pure white and gold is exqustey simple, and sals-
ies the cla sic STANDARD OF taste. The barbara M
efnct OF richness finds fceer expression IN the others
Over the second dress, Madam RiStOrl wears black
gauze mantle thickly studded with silver crescenis
Her last robe is of white, embroidered with golden
moons and cresccnts, aud confined by a st0macher
that has all the seeming OF massive gold set with ru
bies and emeralds We have only tn add the sugges-
ton that when Gamma IS again produced, II womb
he good plan to gave some attention 70 Iehems!Is
and stage effects. The piece cannot AFFORD O dls-
pcnse WIN eAOrsneouS anus hot snouu l'"o i n'o
tori be hampered by the hunders and SHORTCOMINGS
Of iTleiiicie1t sNu0i1inates.
- BROADWAY TnEATER.
Nj Owens enters tonight upon the last week oi
his engagement at the Broadway Iheater. Bouc-
canlts "GrmaIdi or the Life of an Actress viii be
revived on the OCCASION and Mr. Owens will appear IN
new part In the Of the week he is to appear
az Or, PopgIoss in The Heir at Lava part in
which lac Is nneQualed-and as Scion Shiagle Last
Monday evening Tom Taylor's comedy of Vie
tins was presented for the first time this
season, together with substantially new piece
untitled "ChlorofoTm, or New-York in 1907
The former play is familiar Its pungency,
as a satire upon false or foolish persons, who
fancy themselves to he victims while in fact they
are making victims Of all their friends, has been
heretofore recognized in these columns-and, there
fore we foTbear to reiterate wei worn moral lhe
eomedy--which is, in fact q high KIND OF tmceTWas
prOduced with less efficient east than n HAD last
eeasOn. The representative OF -Wtnfcd crane me
strong minded female, was less satisfactory than MIS-
FIND. whose excellent PRESERVATION ot that unique
part will long be remembered. Miss Celia Logans
Mrs fGsherb0f, on the contrary, was the best
that has vet been seen upou tins slage-tO Whlcn
Victims is almost native. Mr.. owens Played
.Tosked Beti6rbg in his customary style, combining
keen characterization with unctnOus hunOT. The per
sonatiOn is not by amy means m the actors highest
vein vet il ranks with good pieces of farceactng In
respect the seni-new play of Chloroform OF New
York 1861 there no occasion for more than lew
passing remarks. IL is farce IN one act. il was
originally played in New1OIk some 10 years ago, but
it has been Ievamped 70 apply to the present day
its plot rests upon the idea that, "a lS6 Aew-lork
l9adekman--4miRidQb Si0OiH, played by MI, QWels-
took cblQTofQym at dentists office and fell into
sleep which lasted 100 years. The circumstances OF
ms deep and bis emereenee theTefrOm IRE described
AT the outset Then, looking pTOphetically INTO the
fnt1re, the dIamatist beh0lds and indicates The
New-YOrk of 1861, IN which this somnqept
old gentleman is supposed TO return 70 conscious
ness. The idea of The piece Is manitesty happy
We have not patience to euumerlte the various
absludities that this president dTamatSt mas lore
seen. prettyIstage effect was introduced mo me
piece, called the llelllit, scdNe dhu o wa,
indication of fancy in its workmanship on OF care IN
ITS production. The dialogue is weak Some OF The
tests coarse The acting was only tolerable Mr.
Owens merely aimed to make sport, and often sue
ceeded. Miss Celia Logan was nncommonly graceful
and pquaut, in the part OF PINK Patter, a female
editor of the good time that s-always-cO She
displayed indeed q genuine talent for comedy. The
WorTeI Sisters have been engaged 10 succeed Nj.
Owens al this theater and they viii appear on Mon
day evening next.
OLYMPIC THEATER.
The drama of The JIupueuOt Captain - will be pre-
sented Tor the last time tonight at the Olympic