New-York tribune., 1873-05-05
THE DRAMA AND MUSIC.
THE DRAMA.
MFR. sorurRN As SQUIRE cuUcxLEs.

sstnrdav evening for the first time on the American
staSe and was seen with interest and pleasure by a
large assemblage. The house, in fact. crowded.
This niece was originally brought in London. at the
Haymarket on the 18th Of May, 1871, and was then
called AN English Gentleman" That title was not
fully apposite but 70 indcaec-as the new one does
pothe central idea OF the drama 1t has been changed
we presume, with view 20 divert attention from the
British character Of the composition. There was no
need The chord that struck Is the chord that ybrates
TO the touch Of refined simplicity; and IL is sounded
not with faultess skill az least with an excellent aus
tnctness Of sect that r. Just appreciable IN America
as in England The purpose is 10 assert the De@uV
Innate genteuess as Icontrasted viththe deiory ~
innate commOnness IN human nature; tolemDellsn ms
with drollery; and % rebukg sOrdd motives anu SCI
seeking in the conduct OF hfe Any0ouy
can understand the meaning so eonVeyeui "nu
II there be a better purpose Which INC t es
can pursue, IN these Gays Of rampant seilSino -,
greed we should be glad 10 know what II Is t,,h.
OF the play recognized with sympathy anu go
md we may add thatit is long time since 50 iuu1N go
sot,nr has been seen In one representation as was sen
IN the first performance Of The sQures Last Snii-
ling" -, -, 70. .or.
Upon the piece ITSELF aside from the purity oi i SCI
timent the variety Of its Characters anu 'o
brilliancy OF its text no great vaue can pe pinCo
oo ts materials are tre and the conduct OF Is piot s
,,nnatural l. shows how gentleman was dlspoase'seu
OF his uroperfy in what may he called the 1"lnAs -
one eve and how. subsequently, he was reposses' - "
An what NAV be called the twink1ng OF the Other oP
tators Of il must reflect that things fall out IN stories a
tbev never do in life rather, they must not renee
.. al but Weld their imagination and senslDly 70 inc
eu of iuprobable but satisfying felton, and ENJOY 'ne
sne,tscle OF sweet nature cheerful, croii' ana uuiq
amid vicisitude the most abrupt and experience 0
most extravagant. That is the gist OF the uIaul@
we would reten its stOry-but sketches OF piots
are always stupid; and besides we printed sAo'0.
of tbis one shortly after the piece was prouuVeN
fin London. Il dila;es upon the behavior u 'f'"'
Cb,sekIes-plaved by Mt. sOthern-when IN prospeiIy
when turuer rom his home and reduced 10 MS l"s. ~
trg and when restored 70 ms own. Nobody IN II mas
committed adultery or expects TO, or is suspected o ~
- o,.,,,y dresses like a head-waiter in a hotel The
srst and second acts are nearly perfect Whe1her cou
sidered as literary dramatic art. Inc VAilu "0O 10
extravagant and lacks concentration anu impetus
The fourth act is weak. one character b"'o' Soe0
Euperiuous: another R0drick Gresham Is ulsorleu' III
fbe development for the purpose OF dramatic eAecOi
fbird Dard Brandon. Is indefinite in substance ana
IRRATIONAL ID conduct still another, Jabez GT'Haroa an
old scoundre is made 20 presage more than DC IiiS'
let of without retrbution. And the loveiest ana
best female character in the piece RdeheI GrtaTOd-a
sort OF Liz-e HeIh0mis burdened with dIea0lul JuS
tice suffering and q broken heart ana Is IN no way
relieved or rewarded. Liberal as he was IN Ine
bestoyya OF his kisses Sqlre ChucslcS failed TO re-
create this lady with even a solitary Oscu-
Iston-notVithstandng that she 4" loved nun
dearly. II would be hard, seriously SPEAKING W
been 80 cruelty wasted in this instance But hcuon
has its privileges and one Of them IS that its defects
shall be tenGerly viewed, not viewed at all. Ihe
blemshes all through, balanced by shining merits
The delicate contrast between ChuceS and Gresham as
70 hDepess and coarseness Of grain; the almost equally
delicate contrast between the pathetic Rachel and the
sparkling Polly Grerale the dark perfdy Of Brandon
and the sene cunning and caprice OF Jabe= Grndrod;
eho exquisite blending Of nature and nonsense IN Lady
LoCloood the bit OF manly feeling. sense and true
celcacy the single allotted TO Farmer Hodges
and the quiet satre tart epigram, and comcaity OF
phrase all along the current Of the diogue-hese are
beauties that may well distract our gaze from melo-
dramatic attributes and perversioDs Of probability
Then TOO the piece beautifully dressed and mounted
Ar Isherwood's country scene being gem OF stage
landscape and Mr.. J. Watsons squaid atuc compost
GOn OF remarkable strength and significance II we add
that t after act third, the incidental music matched
the feeling OF the play and helped it TO its result we
ahau Indicate that the presentation had everything
needfu accomplished FOR IT, And the effect was eleetr
ca When curtain fell the scene OF the sqres
expulsion from his home there was unwOnted tender
ness in many hearts and there were tears IN many eyes
Mr sothern carried the piece with consuumate power
and with derhtful ease. he Is hner-to our taste-n
sgnre Chuoles than any character he has vet as
sumed The reason is that the part fits him. without IN
the least particular. oyeraxng his powers, and that IL
Is nature and not carlcature The spontanoty' tne
grace and the skill OF the persOnaton are perfect But
The individuality felt TO be genuine, and 1t refreshes
Ehe it charms. There is nspidty in the goodness
B the man. and there is neither too great hight 10 MS
intellect nor TOO great depth his heart. He is Just an
tmable English gentleman, TO whom vrtuOus living is
natural who is dutfu without vaunt and just without
parade and whose whole line Of involuntariy cor
kect honorable conduct there plays lamDent Aght
n folly and delicious drOlery-the luminous ex
HdatiOn OF his character The comedian was appauded
with joyous yehemence at many points in his perform
hnce, and several times called before the curtain
The cast OF parts with which The Squirrels Last Sh
eng" was acted may be read below. 1t Is a cast OF
hOtable worth Miss Katharine Rogers gave new eVl
EeDoe Of the brancy Of talents and the exception
Ally passionate intensity Of her intellect She embodied
TIE wasted life Of Rachel Giadr0d, and Indicated deep
and lust perception Of the suffering and bitterness Of an
Imaginative, ardent, gentle temperament crushed IN
ye and IN youth by injustice and harsh experience in
aspect in demeanor, in feehng-whether manifest or
Vaed-and In enuncation o. the text this lovely
0Ork OF art. Mt. c. B. Bishop, comparatively new
LcOr here portrayed the chaerng miser IN spirit or
Intelligent fidelity 70 nature and the author; but there
sub-tOne OF semicOnsciOus cOmicay In the act
ing, that slightly marred its earnestness. Miss
Rermon impaired all needful sparkle. but not all
needfu refinement 70 Polly Greriue. Madam Ponisi in
fused much eccentric humor into Lody LOgOOOd, and,
actress OF starched method unusually ductne
and free. Miss Vandyke, making her first appearance
here conveyed the impression Of cTudeness medOcrity
and tight boots. Mr.. G. +. Browne filed the sketch OF
Hodges neatly, and spoke the farmers manly protest
against snobbery and oppression in OF telling sin
ceuty. Mr.. J. W. Carroll, In the ungrateful part Of
BrandOn, made meO-drama really impressive, by his
sarnest zeal and energetic action. Mr Polk ndis-
nnct in voice and colOress In action GreSha1lbut
Ebe part Is only foil and tins fact made sufficiently
evident. In general however, the acting evenly
good result-and this result is very rare-iD