New-York tribune., 1868-05-16
THE DRAMA.
WALLACK'S THEATER.

.hc,, . AZ, Iohr C,lert orain delighted the appre-
of the art OF acting oy MS anu hu
norous personaon Of Kh Cosey the town deYotee and
Mrs Verpon's rich quaint humor. and genuine human
feeling WAS again very effectively displayed in the char
meter of u Roree wednesday night given, for the
last time Masks and Faces" The revival Of this excel
lent comedy seems TO have made sensation. 1t was
first produced here the 9TH inst. when, despite the
rain it drew good house and it repeated Sat
,rday Monday before of the largest audiences Of
the season This shows the vitality of good play Some
thing the also due to the acting wherewh
has presented Mr. Fishers Tple for instance, is
IA sterling piece Of art-alhouGh the actor does now and
Ien from TTipets simplicity Of character by drop
ping iutO farce Not 10 this personaton though is
To- lose intellectual luxury Each successive
performance of the comedy has been better
than the first Mr.. Ringgod grows more
nOnchalant a PUmGlsdCr, and MI FOiA
nore ardent and graceful, as BTHestVaH@ Ihere
for this sort of growth Mrs Jennings as o"s'
Vane. and Mr Young, SrdTt, were however ~ @u'
niraby good in the first place that Improvement was
icarcy to be expected parts could not easily be
Us well filed Miss Eytnge, too has acquired more pre-
IsOn and ease than she had at rst ana she no" "ohs
cut her conception Of the character OF reg Hog"so IN
smoother and definite manner The chief quail
ties OF Peg WOfington'S nature however, DO not appear
iE this persoDation. Those qualities are ripe, reh
genuine heartness OF feeling and perpetual briancy OF
mind and manners Peg Wellington was an Irish woman,
endued with all the exubeance OF cordial feeling and all
the dash and user of thinking aud acting for which the
IRISH character it's genuine form, remarkable and de-
Ishtful what she life she is in the comedy
Bhe was dark beauty too while Miss Eytinge misre
Tesents her blonde. Charles Reade told
"A friend Of ours that ne prompted to write
"Peg Wellington" (that was the original name OF the
piece and Mrs Stirling the original Peg, by the fas-
Cuatug haunting influence OF portrait OF the actress,
that hung and still hangs. the walls Of the Garrick
Club IN IOndOnooking uuuttorable warmth and bril-
Iaucy OF nature through pair of the most radiant OF
black eyes Miss Eytinge would look the part great
deal better If she would wear no wig at ALL and she
would certainly, act 1t great deal better II she cOud
out give II vitality and sparkle. At present her per
bonaton looked at art. is little more than cold
sketch This is a fault Of the school OF what is called
natural acting" TO which this actress inolines In II
self school represents reaction From the extreme
of sgtiice and bOmbast, the new lights Hash over TO
the extreme Of simplicity and repose. The reaction Is
undoubtedly good II be not allowed to go too far To
walk about stage easy, natural" way, and to
speak the words Of dialogue in easy, natural"
manner IT, OF course TO be sensible and agreeable; but
is not to personae character Acting is beng the char
aGter you represent and not merely being yourself
galvanized suit Of Clothes If the clothes be neatly made
Is we'll enough in its way. but not actor Repose
in comedy often becomes mere stagDation. Everybody
remembers Garriek's remark to Bannister when that
tagedan thought and spoke OF wOOiDg the comic Muse
Stuck Go tragedy said the genius and w.t. you can still
Jake che town in that but comedy is serious business
So don't try it," There fifty good tragedians and
meIodramatc actors on the STAGE good COMEDIAN
comedian not made by adherence 20 the ultra
rigid principles Of the "natural" school AS Tennyson
says.
",Ts life whereof veins are sosAi;
Life life. not DEATH for which we pant
More life and iuler. that wahtf
Aud especially do want it in performers who essay
such characters Peg Wo1ington for these are test
parts An actress who play Peg perfectly well may at
take rank iat the head Of the profession
artist comedy No actress the NewYork stage
Rthe present time. The particular performer whose very
creditable effort has suggested these remarks has
great deal OF positive talent and dramatic capacity;
but IL to tend more in the direction OF melodrama
than comedy 1t would be pleasant by the way, TO
Mrs Lander Peg WoDin9OH; for though she might be
cold she would certainly be brilliant and she would af
ford beneficial model Of study to younger actresses.
Kate Reynolds Of the best RO0GH0Ons that have
bceu here Of late years
THE WHITE CoCKADE.
On Thursday evening. the 18th inst, before
crowded house. was presented, at Waack's, the long
promised drama of The White Cockade." 1t
L. neat and pretty little play. The reason is that
II gives the spectator Just idea Of the times in
which its laid. For those who like 70 study
The past land it is study Of the past that unates the
present. all plays are good that bring the past TO life
1t said though, that tins piece promises more
than performs To call up the stormy times OF l745 is to
summon period Of romance Much more might be got
out Of 1t than has got out of it in this drama The
Che secret service Of King George H. against another
nobeman in the secret service Of Charles Edward the
Pretendcr There 10 undeIplOt, wherein a low kind
OF spy. Flicker by name, is TO work against
manly fellow who is his rival in love. In the upshOt,
both plots are defeated King Charlie the water"
does appear in the Of all the four acts One
ges the idea OF thin story sketohed rather narrow
CANVAS SO far as 1t goes il wen but II does not
cite profound interest Its substantial merit is its por
tturo q character Sir Andrea SRrrt0n Is very truth
fully COOL polished elegant gentleman, inclined
laughing philosophy OF the French Regency (which
philosophy by the wsy, In England before it did In
FranceJ, who cloaks o secret purpose Of
geauce. under a mask Of glttering nonchalance.
Me. j. W. Walaek assumed. this part, and acted
II entirely we'll Mr. Stoddart played the low intrguer
and spy made everybody think Of Uriah Heep. He
dDOt disguise his nature enough however in the
the first act where perfect hypOcnsy essential Mrs
Jennings and Miss Rance played the chief female charac
ters The latter sung Scottish melodies Of the Stuart
Everything done for the piece that could
De done by the scenic artist MI Isherwood and the stage
carpenter Mr. Butler and the property man. Mr. TDony
moonlight effect In act second, attracted particular at
teatiOn. The clouds represented as on Summer
night moving across the moon, while on the placid
wstCrs OF the Thames gliMmered the "l0ng glories"
OF thss tender gentle, and mfschiev0ns planet Mr..
Folk. Mr.. Rnggold. Ir. Williamson, Mr.. leonard,
Mr. r.. Milton. Mr.. rope, Miss Annie Ward, and Mise
Mary Barrett appeared in the cast and ali correct
and creditable Chiefly have suggested the play
peAsss critical taste by Its picture Of the elegant plot
tang Boslenan-the Chesterfield Of treason Originally
the piece was called we believe, "The Hooded Snake"
IL designated by the Of what the sym
bo Sf treason in the days Of George H., I" The White
Cockade."
LOST At Fixes oPERA-HoUsE.
Mr.. +. g. Maeder's drama of Lost was
played Wednesday night at Pixies Opera House We
glad to observe sign Of life n that quarter For many
haah haen Mr. dqra