The New York herald., 1872-11-07
OLD COMEDY.

Vheatre-ssThc 1ncOnsfant."
The fourth play OF the old comedy revlvas at the
Fifth Avenue Theatre was produced last evening.
1t was Farquhar's famous comedy, "The Incon-
stant''-flrst produced In 1882. No piece now on
the dramatic stage begun under more adverse cir
cumstances and yet lasted so long as fav0rite
acting play. 1t was with difficulty saved from con-
demnation In the beginning, but it is to-day the
best and almost the only picture Of English society
and manners two hundred years ago holding Q
place In the esteem OF modern play-goers It's sue
cessiu presentation last night is only another proof
OF Its singular merit. This win be the last OF the
present series Of revivals, excepting "The Merry
Wives OF Windsor" which Is still in preparation.
The whole has been q popular success, and,
but for the crudity inseparable from hurried
change from new to old comedy, an
artistic success also. In the selection OF
the plays for this season Mr.. DAILY exhibited rare
good taste and judgmeat. 1.-THE Inconstantn pic
tured the very odcn time. "The Road to Ruin,
and "Belle's Stratagem" occupied the middle
ground between the beginning OF the eighteenth
century and the ago caricatured In Sterling
Conye's piece OF sterling fun-"EverybOdy's
Friend" No better selection could have been
made, and none embracing wider range OF char
acter and acting in the somewhat confined field Of
English comedy. And IL had another advantage.
namely, that in single fortnight 1t enabled the
manager to exhibit the full strength OF his COM
pany In parts where the merits and faults OF his
leading artists could not be overlooked. Mr.. Fisher,
Mr.. Davidge, Mr.. Grinith and Messrs. Clark. Lewis
ana James oil had excellent opportunities, and the
ladies Of the company, Miss Fanny Morant, Mrs..
Gilbert, Miss Clara Morris, Miss Davenport, Miss
Deitz and Miss Jewctt appeared In parts suited to-
their talents and ambition.
II the present season Of "revivalsn at the Filth
Avenue Theatre was the beginning of o represen-
tation OF old English plays by Mr. Daly's company
the performances Of last week In ssrhc Road to
Ruin" and "The Beliefs Stratagem," and this week
In "Everybodys Friendn and "The Inconstant,n
might be considered remarkably successful. But,
seeing that this is the fourth season OF the kind,
and that from the production OF sTwefth Nightn
IN 1859 to the expected representation OF ''The
Merry Wives of Wintlsor' as the crowning glory OF
the sronaes comedV s IN ths yc
are compelled to withhold part OF the commenda-
ton we should otherwise bestow: Mr.. Davidgc,
Mr.. George Clarke, Miss Fanny Davenport and
Others joined the company at Its formation, and,
with the exception OF the acquisitions l0r this win
ter, Its members have al had an important
share in Mr. Days achievements These have not
been by any means meagrs, for both the manager
nized as earnest and intelligent Servants Of art.
Still 1t does not follow that they have established
. standard OF acting or that they are to be ac-
cepted as the uncrring eXpOnents OF society and
manners In the present and the past. II this were
the case criticism would be useless and the actors'
verdict.
What is generally regarded as the standard
drama is In itself Of much less worth than people
are apt to attribute to 1T. The comedies Of the last
quarter OF the last century are cumbrous and
comp complicated; Their Literary merit is oi an inferior
harmonizng with modern taste. The same in
congruous elements for the society oil this age-Sir
BENJAMIN Backbite. Goldanch and Flutter-run
through all OF them. Old Dornton, the forgiving
father is quite as impossible now as his spendthriit
son. Doncourt differs in all things, and especially
in his atiectati0ns, from the young Englishman or
the young American Of the present day. widows
more or less is the sole difference. Because OF
this neither Mrs. Gilbert, as the Widow Warren,
nor Miss Fanny Morant, as Mrs. Rackett is taxed
as the other members Of the company have been
diTersnce % between the the Mrs vandyoke, ;sdse,
Miss Morant in 'The Bellies Stratagem.U We are
not surprised therefore, to see them played alike
widowhood. The same thing is not true Of mere
glrlishness Nobody expects to find in Sophia War
e VIE y F Se II
into the pleasures OF London society," anything like
the "lady' Of New Yorker taking the lesson pre-
paratOry to becoming Broadway pad The young
gentlemen or the last century differ In manner aud
address, In sentiment and In thought, from the
at the Fifth Avenue Theatre Is based upon the
thorough disregard by the actors Of this Distinction
piete in its excellence as Mr. George ls' Carke's i,n
Flutter we shall continue to condemn 1t Us falling
below the domain OF high art.
one and point out either their merits their de-
merits. Miss Fanny Davenport and Miss Deitz
from these faults, which seem inseparable from
youth and vivacity we have no more promising
are not the sum OF Mr Louis James offending. He
is an actor full OF mannersms, and these often
destroy the charm OF his best performances. In
1.-THE Bellies Stratagem" they were especially
noticeable; but as we pointed out his deficiencies
at the time we need not dwell upon them now.
AS whole. the performers and the performances
were worthy OF the American stage and the lead
ing place held by Mr.. Days company. Much could
adopted at this theatre, and we could dweH with
especial pleasure oh such exquisite bits of senti-
ment as Mr. Ringgold portrayed in the first act Of
"Evcryb0dy'S Frend;" but as 1.-THE Merry Wives
OF Windsor may be expected to show the very
best phases OF everybody's friend in the company
long-expected piece is produced. All that remains,
then, is to summarize In the fewest words
Mr. Griffith played the part OF Old Mrabel, and he
played II tacceptab,y, though he lacked somewhat
Young Mrabel Of Mr. George Clarke was also an
acceptable performance, but 1t was deficient in
force and carnestness and cannot be compared
in old comedy. Mr.. b. 7. Rnggold was too inane
for an onicer Of the Burgundlan Guards No. l,OOO,
and he fell far below the exquisite bit Of act
ing for which we SO heartily praised him in the
part Of iceblook, IN "Eyerybody's Frend.n MISS
ans he nnms hsr
scription OF her acting The part as interprets
It, is thoroughly bizarre, and though she does not
thoroughly individualized character The iaut OF
the performance was throughout lack OF the
sincerity and earnestness which alone can make q
play as old as one OF Farquhars perfect per-
fOrmance, and 1t IN this respect
that Miss Clara Morris as Oriana showed her supe.
ror art. The feeble plots of the play ana the COM
plete transitions from one mood To another which
can alone save them from betraying the badness OF
the tricks, required very great command as well as
very great talents In this Miss Morris was perfectly
successful, and she gave by her acting roundness
and energy to the performance without which IL
would have dragged as heavily as when the Eng
lsh playgoers OF ITO years ago were inclined to con-
dcmn the play. She brought to bear upon the piece
q sweet and natural elocution and showed q
training 80 thorough and culture refined as to
make OF the part character wholly her own.
There were In 1t few OF the faults OF which We
have had occasion to complain In other per-
formances Either her reading OF the times
when Miss Fanny Burney evolved he