New-York tribune., 1871-04-14
THE DRAMA.
wALLACK's THEATER-THE LIAR.

performance that play IL Foote's LIAR Ihcse eie
ments being absent. the pioce, remarkable thonghH
for good writing, would be almost nothing-for IL .
transparent as moonshne and light Summer cloud
The which envelops and pervades 1t Ia OF NJ
uniform color quality 1t IA too fine for farce ana oVe
exaggerated fOr comedy. The persons VINO are Ihtro
duced are. for the most part native to the lstter DOMAIN
while the Incidents that are employed appertain with
here and there exception to the former Closely u
sean the structure Of the work IA, therefore, 70 he
bothered with of ncongruity Well played how
ever the piece dazzes by s brlliaDce, ana does not III
ye analysis II Is u; the things indeed that are to be
accepted simply because they oycrwhem the brain with
an toIication OF mirih The fesaquaer OF champagne
does not pause 10 anayze the golden liquor that be-
witches his thoughts II he did perhaps ho would not
drink It, The mind that IL stepped In enjoyment OF re-
fined nonsense may wel-and naturay-be quite for
bearing. FOote, who wrote The Liar taking 1t, in
part from the French Of Cornele who had derived 1t
from the Spansl-wls a master OF this OF lux
ury and literally drew upon IL for his uses. I'VE
mean refined nonsense aud not fore gn dramas) He
wrote The Liar" for himself, and the original rep
resentatlve OF TOpsg Wiidibg-one hundred and nine
years Stage annals Instruct Us that it was first
acted, at Covent Garden, In 1761 revived from disusc
two generations Later, and acted at Drury Lane In 1870
and, finally, res'citated in somewhat amended and
decidedly improved form. by Charles Mathews, at the
| London Olympic five years ago. Last evening It was
brought ont al WaacS's Theater, and Mr. Lester Wal
ljch lf~OnatCn tue carHfter-that OF lOUhg NNHlHJ-
I'm which FOoe. Ellston, Vandenhof and other famous
| farceurs OF Old, were wont TO charm gay
crowds OF earlier pay-coers, whose laughter
| ia ~ silent now the marbles their graves. He
was brilliantly successful in the character and he made
the revival an unaOyed triumph. Everything needfu
done for the piece. The timo % The Liar" Is 1850
the place il London. one represents uxuriant
grove near st. Jamess Park; tho other represents a
room in the mansion Of Miss GodJrey. rich old maid.
Six pcrsonagcs-with the subsidiary AID OF couple Of
| scrv0utS-eOnduct the action. That action concerns
Itself with the adventures Of Yoig Wiidng. who Is the
Of rich father: has Just from college to the
city and possesses positive genius for telling lies. Ho
lies himself into scrape7, and tries TO lie himself ont or
them; but, eventuayn part by the miscarriage OF his
own ioa ond part by the mischeyous cOntryngs OF
the heIOinehe gets into such "knotted and combined
snsr that open confession IL forced upon him-and so
the climax is attained. To detail all these falsehO0ds
and specify the several entanglement7 which ense,
would he weary the reader with ifcless catalogue
Prose cannot reproduce either the lustcr OF gem or the
odor OF = flower For the despair OF
ycying a really adequate idea OF the polished grace
| and spontaneous animation that yvihcd Mr.. Wallachs
acting and lt mp the whole rfOmlucc. Il
fort to u.aet this comedan more IN the sparkling
and picturesque world Of what may perhaps venture
to describe as odcomcdy ycivlzailon There is raro
charm about the Odtiuc and oldNOTd phases OF ma-
ucr ga shown suggested in the old plays. The bIG->
tone HAD got into them. Their sage-ilustrat0n adj
nit. - bright color and various and unique aduncs,
aud teir spirit aromatic Of dust and ases. The
opportunity J cheerlulncss was improved last evening
brighter pair OF cmild rot he wished than were
set cor Uiidipg to hustle I'M and he hustled in them with
most esbillrans alac-ty. Btdbsg part that pre-
ci-elv suits Mr. Walllcks constitution of MUD ana tenn
permanent actor II il that ~ dashns gay. light
hearted fellow fail OF sport and reckless Of consequence
fertile in cXpcens of fan; and yet. wtha, anabc his
mischief. 1t was completely embodied and when we
ftt.n gl.ftT ffr
the first ime there il additional reason for accredtpg
him tn extraordinary success He had the very vaua
be support oi Mr. Gilbert as Od NHdng and he perfect
earncstncss, the huoly-Elishod method and Tho superb
dressing this thorough actor emphatic point ard
color to the performance Mrs Clara jennings dressed
Miss very ta-tcfuy and richly, and impaired
to her portrayal the character that nir Of glitter which
rcuugs 60 the GIo lady OF Old com0dy aud which sh'
has attained al uncommon skill in reproducing Ther'
WIS ouet r.cc I'm Mss Mesavers performance of Us
aod'rey which upon our liking, and seemed to give
i careful aLd talented actress new title to popular
esteem Mr. Williamson added to the merriment OF tn
| occasion, a.. IOpiioH. and Mr. Marowo persOnatod SH
J0jue. LHigt with becoming dignity and force; Tue Oh
tire representation was received with ayor Laughter
and applause rewarded II. it passed and caused the
litul OF the curtain the last sceGe-Mr BrOugham
in hi. capital personaton Of OCa,agha", in "His Last
Lcg,. closed the evening, III a wbirl of merrimont.
UNION LEAGUE THgATER.
On Wednesday evening a performance by
the Amateur Dramatic Association lin aid Of the
Church of tie Holy ght and its Home FOR the Blind
was given at the Union League Tbe1ter. The goodness
o; tho cause Was sufficient eytenuate the faults Of
much representation than was witnessed ON this
occasion We are Therefore, tempted 10 pass by with
general wGld OF non-cOumittal appreciation; but pet
han, such udehnitencss would be considered less COM
plimentary than criticism. The play "London AS
suf,pce" whch was Handsomely mOGIte. and had the
! important accessories OF sonoI0us orchestra ana
n.se brilliant, fashionable, and amably disposed audi
tory The volunteer actors struggled against their nvo
uutnry nervousness and thelI treaoherou memories md
nauif,stiy eAorted their power 10 the utmost. We
conscicniiosy acqt them a OF the suspicion Of hiding
any dramatic talent. The Sisters Higgins cyineed-n
spite OF their crudcness-scintillaon OF ability Mr c.
g. Shaw ir as Meddie, was nOticeaDly well diess6d and
mn in his pil and though wanting in point aud crisp
ress, was drolly ;hVmQrQgs Mr.. 7 HarGenborgh's Sir
H,ynou.t Co,vtiy and Mr.. II. j. Harienbergh's' nd1
! Harkgvay we're cgyetpl!y played Mr. David se"lts
Doly Spaker Sas happy iu conception and not nofect
i've; but Mr.. o. W. Maurisc's Dds-le proved fiat and
potess and Alr. A. A. Andersons Charles CouytB was
deficient in every merit but zeal and good Intentions
Ms III yeins's Lady Gog spanker mid dilntion Of
the bnoyan original and Miss warren's Gruee Harta
,cy WA, tame and characterlcss. Miss Lucy Hgglnss
Pert WAS neat natural and telling. ind, by force of con
trost appeaed xceptionaby good. The performers
vera rewarded with ndugont and hearty applause Inc
| most interesting fact connected with this anair rs
| thst IL will considerably benefit the Fund for the
supoo OF the Home for Blind IN tue Church OF the
| Holy Light.
MUSICAL NOTES.
4 series OF four concerts Will be given III
Apr and May at the Church OF the Heavenly Rest for
,he benefit of the House OF Best for tonsrtives the
hin, .f.ea nlrf Wst