New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-10-19
TIE DRAMA.
BOOTHS rHEArER--MARr wARxxa.

BOOTHS THzArER--nART wARxxR.
large audience assembled at BooshA rks-
ster as night to witness the first Representatives. ae a
the drama of Mary Warner" and TO greet Mias Bate
man IN character new TO the AnercsR psblo rhs es
oas"n seems almost needless 20 SAG. very pleas
ant tone OF thought refinement lingers ahout Al,
that is doue at this house. Mary warner. which do.s
nos require very elaborate scenery was put on the saxs
WIN esefy needfui accessory. IL Is domestic pisv
IN iour acts written In prose, and illustrative
y. characters ana Incidents tho conuson
le OF the English capital In quality it resernbles The
Iicketof LeaveMaa," but skill OF construction ana
Vgor OF movement 1t decidedly inferior to that more
spontaneous and therefore genuine effort of ,ts
author Tom Taylor wrote the piece expressly for Miss
naleman' whose Leoh he had carefully studied and
whose nature he has very successfully fitted wla sym
patnetc and appropriate character Mary Warner the
heroine' is the wife OF mechanic. who Is wroncfuiy
suspected Of rOboing his employer She assumes tbs
cfiue' believing him guilty. and suffers the penalty He
believes that che really committed the theft and thu.
barrier OF sorrow, shame, and cruel msapprebeuson ia
rsised up between them Both undergo great suffering.
-ti at last their Misunderstanding Is explained away
by the confession OF the real thief. and the vito
and husband are reconciled. This plot IA very
simpe. The audience 10 acquainted with 1t from the
outset aud foresees its elimination Interest eentess
therefore, wholly upon the which the truth
viii be revealed and two loving hearts, estrangcd by
terrible blindness, made again There Is nothing
strongly dramatic In that manner aud Mary Warner"
Is. on tho whole, rather a weak play. But &c
contains several uncommony fne situations
The best of these is In the second act
wherein Warner visits his imprisoned wife, aud tho
two converse through the prison bars Another is In
the third act, when Mary Warner released from prlson
comes TO offer her services the bedside
'hd OF the whose crime had blasted her happnesa
This wretch and his wife and child very poor
miserable, as Mary herself and she gives her wedding
ring to be put in pawn for their relief This ia the beat
touch OF pathosan the payexcept perhaps Marys aoc
dental meeting with her child I'm the last act Ala
these situations display human suffering in such way
TO touch the heart And the lesson Of tho drama good
because it is the holy lesson OF charity toward the
wretched We cannot say however that this instance
1t has been urged through powerful dramatic mediua
Mr. Taylor appears have been mainly DESTROYS pre-
vding certain of circumstances which Mis-
mans temperament could find the reest expression That
very natural ambition has resulted in rather sad
sOmber play, in which a sweet womans true love first
hardens under the blghtng influence Of doubt and inus
tice aud then softens under the melting influence
truth and restored affection Miss Bateman acted de-
ghtfully. In the opening scene she was gentle and
winning to extraordinary degree. In the prison
she expressed extreme depth Of devotion.
the agony Of outraged heart and the simple grandeur
Of magnanimous fortitude. Her acting In the Later
scenes. when Mary is wandering Outcast, showed
deep ntuitive knowledge of real,miserythe hopeless
ness and hepessness OF poverty and despair The part
ing with the weddingrng and the recognition OF the
child were points worthy Of true artist. Miss Bate
several times called before tho curtain Mr. Jor
dan acted perfectly well the character of George Warner.
and Miss Virginia Francis, who made her first appear
here, Mty Ri00, though unequal to the scenes
requiring display Of serious emotion pleased by her
vivacity and quaIntness. Mr. Fenno and Mira France
contributed little the element Of fun by their per
Torrance of Turks and Hrs. Floyd The drama may
be recorded respectable success but not great one
There is nothing great about It.