New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-05-09
THE DRAMA
wALLACK's UNNECESSARILY THIN

gested by It's title. IL produces nd deitaf appeDdsg
and 1t makes no reference to the 81 akespeanan sailor
who was wrecked as homeward he did come There 4.
witchery in it, but not Of a material kind-the fb,nA
whereof it treats being entirely fguIatiye. landau l.
rascal who passes lis time in deyisng and ,,-
suing schemes for the dishonest acquistion u,
wealth. Buckhorpe enforced accomplre,-a man
Of amiable temperament, but weak character-i.
az tie old phrase goes, "under his thumb" This 20
aton arises from the fact that Bt,ektorps believes
himself to have killed man. breads arrest and trial ~,
murder and knows that Randall no is acquainted with
the circumstances bring him into trouble and danger
Accordingly he seeks his safety by his tyrapt
The particular scheme in which this par Is seen :.
be engaged in the drama has reference to an heires
named Edih Temple, whose aged aunt. lately deceased
has left her thirty eight thousand pounds. Randall
with view to the establishment OF false claim that he
Is the surviving husband Of the deceased aunt and
therefore the heir TO her property-cOmmands BveL
thorpe to pay addresses TO Edi and from her TO derv,
some requisite information concerning her relative
This the thumbfearing BueLthOrpe not as yet knowing
the name of the lady, undertakes to do; but presently
appears that he and Edith have been plgb:ed lover.
and that their hearts still cherish the tie OF old affection
The consequence Is obvious. Bucktorpe, whose chief
fault seems to be misfortune, repudiates RondaH,
scheme, and defes his thumb. Some complications
arise but In the climax Randall Is seized by the police
for forgery the person supposed have been killed by
TO BIO alive; and BuekthOrpe and EdiA both Of whom
inherit large sums of money, are safely and happily
betrothed.
This story, amplifed by numerous minor incidents,
garnished with comic accessories and surrounded
by picturesque and romantic attributes H. in the drama
skifsy told in three acts. The the present day
The place IL English seaside resort called Bleaching
ton The action Is carried forward by ten prominent and
three subsidiary persons The piece requires but
hotel garden, the other BIT Of rocky sea
shore The dialogue is smooth, fluent and frequently
bright The dramatic and scenic effects deity welded
together. The action rapid II will perceived that
speak of a well constructed play The talent it de-
notes is that OF experienced dramatst. The motive il
dscloses is the familiar Of shop. Randts Thumb"
evidently made for market; or In the real estate
phrase was built to SELL There is Of course no res
son why plays should not be manufactured this way
so long as they are nOensiye morality and taste Their
arfu mazes Of circumstance first suspense and
then relieve ita process dear TO the ayeraa mind and
generally beneficial 10 the theatrical treasure But plays
SO manufactured have way Of pretending = be sterling
dramatic literature and herein they mtOstures for
there is permanent truth in them, and they out
Of and lite speedily and as surely as conundums
that have been answered The duty Ef criticism,
therefore, is to state their true character hey DO not
call for censuTe but merely for frankneSs hey are 10
be kept their ground and met therf SO meeting
with Randal's Thumb" greet IL Oniof the most
symmetrical Of the dramas that paint actual
life in the interesting coors Of improbabit It's super
OF story rests certain assum ions OF fact
that quite unlikely, without Of course leing at ali
ideal The pretense in all such works isreaity but
the tissue that supports it is MISREPRESENTATION
Allowance has always TO be made for TINS
incongruity In this particular case allowance has also
TO be made for the fact that the implied analysis OF hui
man nature is rather shallow. Once accepting " RandaPs
Thumb" piece Of theatrical realism Wfh peppered
with extravaganza. take 1t for precisely what II s'
and estimate it as an excellent drama Of common kind
While however the order OF work TO which 1t belongs
inferior a distinct and unusual felicity OF literary
mechanism in this particular specimen lifts above the
level OF ordinary stagecarpenter plays. " kanaals
Thumb" is The production of pen that must be baDu
ally adroit and graceful The author is Mr. w. $ Gilbert
who wrote 1.-THE Palace OF Truth" and ages Ago
works in which imaginative feeling and fancul inVen
ton have labored with the best results.
bringing the piece forward here Mr. Lester Wallack
has made some saluary changes and CONVERSATIONS in
its text and incidental business Thus the climax VI
econdattaned in the rising Of the tide around the
rocks on which the lovers OF their associates
are isoated-was made much sharper and stronger in
last nights representation. than it To be in the
printed of the play. That representation was ygor
Gus aud sparkling. The happiest idea in the drama is
that assocating contrasting pairs Of married
peopleMr. and Mrs. FiambOys and Mr. and MrS. Scqne
btr-who live under innocent false pretenses that are
very amusing One pair, only just married assumes to
have been married for years, and affects Indifference or
antipathy. The other, married for long time, assumes
to have lately welded and affects state Of sent-
mental rapture Mr.. MarlOwe and Miss Germon and Mr.
Gilbert and Mrs. Seton embodied these matrimonial
types, and made them natural and funny. Mr..
Gilbert, in particular, deliciousy drol, and
this part OF the performance was keehly en-
joyed Mr.. stoddart played exceedingly well,
also, as Bdn0ies-an eccentric old gentleman, whose
brusque ways tempered with wistfulnes cover, but DO
not conceal, romantic temperament and tender
heart. There good characterpaintlng III the Mss
Spinn of Miss Messenger. All the parts within easy
reach of the players. Randall, Buekthorpe, Edh, and
7roteay were neatly portrayed by Mr. Fisher Mr. Ring
gold Mrs. Jennings, and Mr.. flanagan. particularly
fine feature the performance the rising OF the TIDE
and the gradual advance Of waves upon the beach,
beautiful stageeect very skfully done in act second
" Randalps Thumb " will be played every night until
further notice and-n view Of the very emphatic APP
probation with which last night receiyed-we can
not think that the necessity for that notice viii very
soon arise-Mr. wallacks play Of Roseda.e' Is In
readiness to succeed Randalls Thumb
NIBLo's GARDEN-KIT.
To those who watch the current of theatrl-
cal enterprise in this country 1t became evident 'ome
time ago. that American Frontier Life was the new ana
fresh field for the PLAYWRIGHT; the one that ought 10 10
titled and the one that would inevitably yield uoun
full crop of remuneratiye popular dramas seNefa ei
forts in that field have made by Mr. Edward spen-
GER with reference to whose play OF Across the Pia'
our readers may chance TO recall some discussion ''
recently found place in columns That piece nA'
never been done in NcvYork but, from What we n''0
heard Of it, we Judge that. while devised WIN we"
please the current taste for sensation stageFAe''
framed somewhat in accordance with higher principles
Of literary art than are usually respected by s'empo
rary wrights OF the stagecapenter class Anohe'
and kindred piece from the same SQUIRE "
brought out last night at NlOio' "1iuo"'
under the title OF Kit or the AiN'",
Traveller" This drama, as originated
SPENCER was. we are nkormed entitled "DoWh the MS
M ,ylnln work wa. IEAAtnLtu