New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-11-19
THE DRAMA.
UNION SQUARE THEArER.
THE WICKED WORLD.

THE WICKED WORLD.
Nimble fancy. playful satire, sober-hued
morality. and drol humor tho constituent eiec"'s
OF the comedy which Monday nlsht was ao'eu a"
the Union Square Theater. under unconmonp oinia".
circumstances. and in the presence Of numerous ana
delighted assemblage These elements are among inc
delicate attributes OF literature ana tue "oh'
which they compose are only spprecable' 10 tne
point OF endearment, by minds OF unu''"
seDsibity. Everybody perceive the ooarSo
fragrance Of bergamOt; but 1t requires NICER
than Is common 10 discern the evanescent ouor vi
the jasmine. The Wicked World" may not-and prooa-
bly, will not-either very deeply very long impress
the miscellaneous public OF pay-goers but " Is de
hcous piece OF work, in the style of what may DO caed
romantic comedy; IL Ia permanent addition ana an
honor to dramatic literature and the production oi "
at the Union Square Theater reflects rieh ulster o
credit upon the taste, judgment liberal enterprise an
worthy purpose Of tho manager OF that establishments
II should have long and prosperous run and such
rcsultfor which, however. are not sufficiently san
gune TO h0pe-w0uld be honorable as wen as in0noV1
ually profitable, to this community.
"The Wicked World" was written by Mr.. W. 8. Gilbert
OF London the author Of Pygmaon and Galatea' ana
1t was produced at the London Haymarket Theater
under Mr. Buckstones management on the fth OF Jahu
ary 1873 1t characterized by its author as an en-
trely original fairy comedy 1t Is comprised IN three
acts Its action proceeds in fairy land and Is supposed
to be crcumscribed within a period OF twentyfour
hours Its text Is blank Its persons are
twelve In number - nine fairies and three mortais'
II Is dlfused through single scenic pic
ture, which represents beautiful landscape,
supposed 10 upon cloud in the celestial realm OF
the fairies The aspect Of this picture only varied as
the play proceeds by different bird'seye views OF the
word-thls wicked word Of oursseen through rt In
the clouds At first Is displayed far OFF in the nebuous
space medieval city. Then a mountain range fades
away in the blue and dreamy distance. Lastly, the
solemn waste Of ocean glimmers through the rack
These preserve illusion that the fairy realm
Is floating in the arand such Illusion is very essen
tlal 20 the complete enjoyment of story that Is as
fragile as gossainer and ~ faint as moonlight.
That story premises that fairybeing has coun
terpart of lower grade upon EARTH aud that when
ever fairy descenGs 70 this inferior sphere its counter
part can be raised into the fairy realm The machinery
thus suggested then set in notion Seiene the queen
OF the fairies, common mortal TO her estate Oh
happiness peace. and beauty, and there lnVoluhary
endows him with ner love. The instant that this is done,
jealousy and dssenson s0wn throughout ier mon
archy Two other human beings are summoned, one oil
whom Is the srewd and comic servtOr OF the morta!
hero An intrigue against the queen is undertaken Oy
one Of her sister fairies. The sprcs in general suspect
scorn, and presently depoSe their once idol
lied ruler The beloved mortal proves false
and base. The heart Of the sinless queen
is torn and distracted with new and terrible
her love, and falls into the frenzy and weakness OF
passlontortured creature Of the earth Al last the re-
turn Of the absent fairies copes the departure OF their
human substitutes and the cruel spell Of this wicked
world IL broken. sadder. but WISER the lmmorta cake
TO their hearts the OF this experience and learn
through the degradation va mortal passion mas an
fused upon Them and through the hard roOuke when
their acknowledgements has snfered-that human love
il unworthy Of celestial and that there is not
So vide gulf between
The humbled wretch who, being tempted, falls,
And that good man who re9rs an honOrcd hoad
Because temptation hath not come to niln'
Upon the score Of invention this comedy merits no
especial praise The plan Of conveying mortals into
land OF fairles-to subsequent perplexy OF both
casses-has often used before, in serious works.
and has been made very familiar in the buresQues the
spectaclas, aud the p3nt0plDes. Tie deeper pan-of
showing what havoc is wrought upon frsid spiritual
ideals of pure life. by human love aud its attendant
passIons-has also been previously employed. and
with greater ability ard To better results than IN Mr.
Gilbert5 play. Tue reader Of Tcnnys0n's poem
OF THE Princess" will not, we fancy, dissent from this
opinion. Il the treatment of his plans that Mr..
Gilbert excecd in the delicious atmosphere that he
has thrown around the comedy; in his scarcely more
than suggested analysis OF the feminine nature; in mis-
delicate contrast OF celestial purity with mortal base
ncss in his occasional Oftnea of thought aud continual
tenG rLess OF sentiments In his exaltiOn Of unsclds
which he has extracted quiet drollery from
the contact OF persons who miscOnceiye each
other; in that deep delight in his own
work which has enabled him to impart
steady interest 20 story about nothing; his fire.
duent ely cuts 80 human folly; and in his many felci-
ties Of style. Upon the OF treatment accordingly
this comedy justly be commended without reserve
It's worth is genuine; its reputation will endure and IL
cannot fail to deepen the respect in which It's author Is
hold tha imavv Ought IN ark fhafif
is not likely to tighten the intellectual estimate
orally prevalent, OF Mr. Gilberts powersfor those
powers are not shown in this WORK TO be either
higher In capacity broader in scope than they in
its predecessor "The Wicked World" ia simply the
counterpart OF "Pygmalion aud Gaatea." The same
types character appear IN BOTH and both incucate
the same moral lesson by kindred means. and in the
same style. The difference is that in celestial
being decenGs to the EARTH while in the other mortal
beng ascends heaven Both exhibit angelic love
bafiied by mortal deceit aud nsensibty Both teach
us the impossibiily OF identifying this sn-bur-
dened state Of with the srcadian elysum.
There may be human interest In the
latter piece than the former. Its passion Is
vital its color is lavish and brilliant, and it
contains four passages-those embOdying sciences de-
scrpon Of love- her ayOwal OF it, her imprecaton upon
the false Eth0is. and her duplication 10 him, In the
moment or parting-which transcend. to eioquence
and feryent ygor anything IN the text OF the earlier
comedy But all is summed up in the remark that this
author hasin essential spirit and drif-very cleyerly
repeated himself, He has ne mind but 1t is limited
in scope he Is Of talent, but not OF genius
he Ia a poetca writer. but not poet.
We do not forget either the one imaginative light OF
the comedy, the meodious cadence Of It's To
depieJ superior intelligence serene in the happy fields
OF heaven and broOdng the far-of, sorrowladen
world, was, OF course, to ill the mind with grand
image But the image s not and 1t does not belong
to Mr. Gilbert IL may be found-to go no further
back-in the LotusEaters" Of the Poet Laureate in
Matthew Arnold, and In Emerson. AS TO the verse,
something more, surely than grace OF form is needfu