The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-06-09
The Dramatic Season or 1898.


have studied the drift Of thought in Spain.
The Dramatic Season or 1879.
The dramatic season of 1928 may now be
said to be closed-no novelties except Summer
pieces being offered at any of the theatres.
Without being q notably brilliant or success
full one, the season has been enlivened by so
many episodes that it will not soon be for
gotten. The appearance of Mr.. Charles
Fechter in ''Monte Cristo," and other charac-
tiers ct the Grand Opera House, and Of Miss
Nelson at Booths, will long be among its
treasured recollections. In the former we
have an actor Of great reputation and great
ability, whose impersonations become a
memory. The latter came to us as the
accepted Juliet of the modern stage, and
though she fell short Of the force and pathos
we expected from her in great tragic parts
and failed to please US in sentimental love-
making, she showed herself thoroughly
trained and skilful artist, and captivated by
her art quite as much as by her beauty. These
are the only persons we may regard as
strangers among us, if, indeed, we may still
regard Mr.. Fechter as q stranger. Mr.
Boucicault is too much citizen Of the
world to be looked upon in that light and
Mr.. Sothern laid the very foundations Of his
fame in this city. Speaking Of Mr.. Boucicault
reminds us that the plays produced last Win
ter-'Daddy O'Dowd," at Booths, and
''Mora," at Wallack's, by the author of
''London Assurance and ''Old Heads and
Young Hearts," had little merit in COMPARE
son with the pieces of his youth. His artistic
successes now are as an actor, Mr.. Boucicault
being compelled to 60 back thirty years for
| the pillar of his fame as 0 dramatist. In
"Kerry" he gave us a very frail and not
very original dramatic sketch but his acting
in the part of the honest faithful and loving
old Irish servant was developed with such
wonderful richness and sweetness that it makes
one Of the episodes to which we have referred.
1t would have lifted younger and less prom
inent actor into on enduring fame at single
bound But Mr.. Sothern's success at WAL
lacks was even more remarkable, for he made
eccentric comedy prosper for whole Winter
Though ably supported by company which
has for its leading cold man" an actor of such
rare ability as Mr.. John Gilbert, it was to o
great extent owing to Mr.. Sothern's unusual
gifts that the season ran through from Novem-
Der till June with the production of only four
pieces, none of them being new to the
New York stage, and as plays, part of the
| worlds dramatic history for the year.
In the production Of new plays the season
| was remarkably barren of success. Mr..
Towards Diamonds" at the Fifth Avenue
| Theatre, was the only American play which
can claim even fair good fortune. Miss Olive
Logan's Business Woman" ct the Union
| Square, expired without struggle Mrs.
| Sheridan Shocks without Heart could
not have been called an American play, even if
| it had been success. Neither were Mr. John
Brougham's two failures American in any
sense of the term. 'sThe Lily Of France"
which Miss Helen Temple travestied at
Booth s, was only o rehash of the old story Of
Joan of Arc, the mythical heroine being
allowed to die instead Of being burned at the
stake, while "Atherly Court was as full of
lords as an American novel, A number of new
foreign pieces were produced for the first time
| in this country, but only one of these will be
especially remembered as worthy Of dramatic
art-Mr Frank Marshalls ''False Shame"
| Owing to the misfortune which befell the
| Fifth Avenue Theatre on the first day of
the year the popularity of this delightful
little comedy could not be fully tested This
| is all the more to be regretted because great
| triumph for piece SO sweet and pure would
have been a better tribute to the taste Of our
| theatre-going population than the success
which attended the production of "Agnes''
and ''Nixe" and 'Madelein Morel." With
out at oil entering upon the question Of
morality which is involved in these plays, we
could wish that French comedy, like French
opera, had seen the days Of its prosperity. It
is about time that the new Magdalens be
allowed to suffer their few years of wretched-
ness and misery without their griefs and strug-
giles being SO frequently portrayed for the
public dedication. No one cares to be con-
stantly reminded that there is salvation in
the strawberry and that the peach once was
poison. Most of the standard plays, it is true,
are quite as indicate and immodest. The
screen scene in ''The School for Scandal
is broadly suggestive of impurity. What is
now wanted ore plays full Of action snd. lit up
by the sunshine instead Of being darkened by
the shadows of human experience.
| When We come to discuss the claims of par
ticular artists for recognition on account of
work performed during the season, we open
up very wide field Actors and actresses Of
established reputation cannot expect us to
dwell particularly upon their achievements,
and, though they were no better and no worse
than before, repeat the praises Of years past.
Mr. Edwin Booth, for example. might have
established fresh claims upon our gratitude if