The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-03-15

Fechter ms "RuyBIaso

duce his effects without fear that the expecta-
tions of his audience will require something of
him outside of the limits of his particular line
of art In this as in all the rest of Victor Hugo's
works. there is fine humanitarian idea that APP
peals in the strongest manner to the sympathies
of any audience, although the points upon
which the dramatist insists most decidedly are
appreciated more heartily in Europe than In this
country. The wrongs against which such plays
as this protest have scarcely shadow of an exist
ence here and to theatre full of Americans
Rug Bias depends for success quite as much
upon its romantic story and strong stage effects
as upon the fact that it is the glorhcation of a
man above the spirit of CASTE and the pride, in
science, and rapacious cruelty of that rotten
system of social organization that eliminated
In the bloody protest of the French Revolution.
1t is the ehumanitariansm of Victor Hugo's plays,
however, that gives them their vitality and
elevates them above the level of mere romance.
They never rise to the dignity of tragedy, as we
are able to define tragedy from the
study of the works of the great masters of the
art, but they are rnelodramas of the
highest class, and under ordinary circumstances
they are more satisfactory in presentation upon
the stage than better works. The reason for
this it is not difficult to determine. In Shake
speare's tragedies many of the audience go to
derived from attentive and critical study of the
poet, and they find that very few actors are
capable of expressing modicum of the meaning
that there is in the piece they are performing.
Actors, too, stand in certain awe of Shake
speare, which embarrasses their efforts and pre-
vents them from moving with the same freedom
that they do under ordinary circumstances. 1t
is well that this is so, and that there is high
ideal in dramatic art that can at all times be
considered as a crucial test of merit. In the
melodramas of the French romantic school of
which Victor Hugo is the head, there is none of
the fine character painting that we have in
Shakespeare, and none of the lofty and impas-
stoned poetry, but there is usually an interesting
plot, broad, obvious, and picturesque stage
effects and characters that represent certain
types of men sketched in bold and vigorous
outline. There is something left for the actor
to create and he is able to give form and color
to the sketches of the dramatst without being
perplexed by metaphysical subtleties and the
superabundance of material. Works of this
class appeal strongly to the emotions, and they
make but slight demands upon the intellectual
resources of either actor or audience.
In Ruy Bias Victor Hugo has made pictur-
esque contrast with the "Queen," the noble, the
vagabond, and the lackey. The noble has the
soul of lackey beneath his gold-laced doublet,
and the lackey, ennobled by love, shows himself
to be a man and a gentleman worthy of the
affections of queen. The vagabond "Don
Caesar is the better element of feudal no.
bility perverted and made an outcast from So
ciety by the evils of a false and cruel system
and in the 'Queen" we see a warm-bearted, true
and loving woman crushed beneath the elabo-
rate artifcialtes and the burdensome etiquette
of the Spanish court. With such material as
this all the best qualities of Mr. Fechter's style
have ample opportunities for free play. His
earnest and impassionate manner secures
the attention of his audience and
carries them with him through the developments
of the play with unabated interest. The over
powering but respectful love for woman
beyond his reach is vividly pictured to the
audience, and in the two interviews with the
''Queen" Mr.. Fechter plays the lover in a
manner that we have never seen surpassed. The
striving for mere picturesque stage effect that
was SO Objectionable in some portions of his
'Hamlet" is not only not offensive but it appears
both appropriate and natural in "Ruy Bias" In
the great scene with which the play concludes,
Mr.. Fechter reaches the climax of melodramatic
art, and nothing can be finer in its way than the
manner in which he turns upon 'Don Salluste'
when the latter thinks he has both the Queen
and her valet lover in his power. The attitude
of the actor when he eXclaims 81 was
your lackey, now | am your exc
cutioner," is superb. Mr.. Fechters personation
of sRuy Bias" is in many respects superior to
any that has ever been given in this city, but
even in this, one of his finest, If not his very
finest part, he does not SO far excel the Ameri-
can actors who perform this character that he
can be ranked as eminently their superior. Mr.
Fechter is undoubtedly very fine actor, but
he is not the successor of Garrick, Keau, or the
elder Booth; and we do not understand that any
such prominence has been claimed for him IL
Europe, except perhaps by few enthusiastic
admirers whose enthusiasm is not tempered by
Judgment. The majority of the criticisms hi
has received in this country agree in all essen
tial points with the opinions of the most thought
full English judges, and it is evident that we will
have to wait still longer for the coming man
an actor who win be to the playgoers of to-da.
what we understand Garrick and Kean to hav
been to those of the past or what we have our
selves seen Ristori and Janauschek to be.
Mr.. Fechter was well supported last evening
by Miss Leclercq, who acted admirably as tn
stOueen" in all. the emotional scenes, although
in other portions of the play her style is ope
to criticism that can scarcely be otherwise tha
disparaging; and by Mr.. Bangs, who gave
spirited personation of "Don Salluste." MI
Walcot as don Cesar de Bazan" was perfect
his element, and he showed what he can d
when put upon his mette and when fitted with
part that suits him in all respects. Mr.. Walcot
was q very superior performance In all respect
and Il is to be regretted that the actor lost a
onnortunity and the audience a real gratihc: