New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-01-05
wNhACK'S TnEATEE-wAE.


Another OF Mr. RObcrtson'S dramas has been
successfully presented TO tie local public and has been
received with crclt deal OF mcrted favor "War was
produced at Waiacks Thcater Tuesday evening, III
the presence OF great tronS Of Interested spectators;
and al gilt another w-represcniatve oi the cui
aud fashion OF this cOmfnunty-eaNe IL another
eordia greeting and hOroTcd IL with hearty ana I'M
ennfVocal approbat0n We are glad to chronicle TINS
resnltor War is q very pretty little play SOUND IN
texture Symmetrical in orIn and pure in SPIRIT ana II
the,uuglly deserves success All Of MI. EOperisOAS
a,-s tIet have been acted peculiarly delicate
.dcoce artistic mechanism. They present scenes that
.res ble in life that is real. Those scenes reproduce
rs ID dramatic and pathetic points o. contact
and contrast in human experience iAey are
arTan M likewise in natural sequence, so That they tel
. col. mt and compact story, parity Dy picture ana
rartly = straightforward always without redundancy
ofany IT. They sympathetic, also, with noble and
GENTLE Thought and feeling They do not obtudc moral
nv out their moral influence is invariably good. And
they art crisp aud bright III style 1t would he lde, oil
5.rse say they al OF equal merit NO writer
can he forever and invariably bright and strong-uSt as
no bird can p0ise pcrpctuy at the top Of his Hight
Int IsdeTed the main. Nj Robertson WORKS seen"
n ms ~ deserve almost unqualified critical Appreciation
as the Vest that been added To British comedy since
the DAYS OF Sheridan. "War" is slender piece III CON-
usrison with caste" and "schooi." nut its mate
rial is good and its manner Is delightful IL
tensin three acts. and by means Oh hVe
.i,.,,.,srs and few incidental perSonaGes-a
pertinent story Of today which, though local anu
contemporary is yet OF general application ana peiha
nent Significance. A play that aecOmpslts TINS result
.s not common production. The desire 10 hit the taste
Of the moment doubtless had part in Mr.. Robcrtsons
motive But he is not follower of popular caprice and
fe does nos deal in cheap literary photography He can
NOT only seize the occasion but he can use it. He can not
only give the public what they viii look at and admire
but be can make 10 tributary to their bencit-o tholr
aS:ncemcnt that Is in taste and culture ana right fec
gF.o ion af he
var be has in this ltc drama, addressed the current
appetite for war topics bt ne likewise painted war
In its true coOrs, and shown to be crnel wrong OAR
barrie hnd abhorent. trite lesson, some Will
sas; but It is none the less true one and one
shat needs to be stcrniy enforced. And, in thus
placing fairly before the minds Of his public the horrors
OF r as contrased with the beauties of peace, he has
incidentally suggested rather than told sweet ana
touching story Of domestic lie.
The fret act Of "war" shows the bctrotbal of
two lovers. The youth, himself soldier, Is The
con OF a Colonel in the French army. The maid
is the daughter Of honest old German gentleman,
resident in England. The scene is at this gentle
mans house. in Inc beautiful Kentsh country News OF
the outbreak Of war between France and Germany inter
4upts te berOhal feast, these young lovers III
their hour Of bliss and plant, an enmity between
their respective misrepresentation Of The hostile
nations. TIE reader will at once perceive that Mr..
Richardson has used his old, familiar expedieDt-
uses it with a dramatic skill which even
that great master did not possess On the
oue side are the brOkcn-hearted lovers; the
other the Two old men wranSins about Glory and
Fatherand The second act shows the field of battle
after period Of carnage In the foreground is ruined
church Near by are dead men and dead horses, and all
Che tokens of urlcrous cOnGct-slent now. under the
s,.sh Of night And here VIC come again upon the old
French Colonel and his gallant sOn-both wounded well
nigh unto death. Presently the old German father ap
proaches. with his MISUNDERSTANDING relief to the
,vo,,ndedond 40 The lovers meet again Once more the
5yer Of contrast exhibited From the French Colonel
a delrous aYosirophe TO Glory aud France. From the
ce.an fatlcra ferycut, solemn appeal for FatheTland
In hotl-strfc. blood, From the loverS-the wall
of pain aud the liked and settled aspect OF
Jes1,ajr These last are married, thOhSh' IN
shattered church ON the field ofratlc-and there
the poor young bridegroom is left; FOR dead The tmId
act takes again o:the happy English home-no
Longer happy where the youthful widow If mourn
ing for the victim OF We nccdnOt pGdsc upOl the
climax. II will readily DC perccyed-as likewise Will
the similarity oi this last act TO the last act Of Caste
Tocbng thus upOn the incidents of tcOry, shadow
forth the significance OF the drama. Those who il
viii aud its manner touching than It's matter.
They will be charmed with the perfect distnctness Of
tle several Municipalities introduced. They viii admire
fhe intrepdity Of the literary artist who has been true
10 each his persons giving power and bold prom
fncpce Ia different orders of mind different states
And they will be hard 10 Wclso If tAc competence or
tue language does not all points, satisfy their literary
taste The drama has been set upon Naacks stage IN
q complete admirably picturesque torrn and the
leading parts IN IL supeThy acted This was very
ueeessary 10 the Success OF the piece which, as we have
sas is slender IN substance, and which, "e may add,
wOse have been killed by Indifferent getting and
poor Evncry. The battlefield scene act second, Is
nue. sJerfDen OF the imagination and taste Of Mr.. G.
Eranf Tie other scenes delicate hits OF painting
10y that master Of color and poetic treatment ia this art,
Harry Sherwood The chief parts in the drama Eve
give tho entire east bo0N) acted by Mr. Fisher,
Air. Giibsat. Mr. BrOuciIam, ST.. George Clarke,
and sIiss Madeleine Henriqa1s. Nj. Fisher de
HfiOus seem. Oh the b1tic ed, Is GEM
ef powerful ard pathetic acting. NJ Gilbert depicted
the sturdy but Wis. just and eeDteslfied German IN
fhe fogn and eoOrs Df life. Mr. BrOugbaH. albeit not
quite sufficiently nautical, expressed tls nature Of
kind, swec delicate. tender, humane scnil' mon TO
tSseb cyfTy heart. There q tone OF gnuiHe mGh-
ia Nj Carke PRESERVATION OF The young lover, and
peeair swesness in the embodiment OF gshuOd, In IL.
nssies hour, by Miss Heur!qucs We have seldom
e0Useay ~ Ea0ytlb aud evenly pa)ed, or 81 WlEm}