New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-02-17
THE DRAMA.
A NEW AMERICAN PLAY.

Hrs time II had been awaited with eager anticipation.
and 1t was welcomed with hearty favor. There Ia not
within recollection theatrical night more agreea-
bess tho fulhlment Of rational promises and hopes-
than tho ono made memorable by the advent OF this
purely American drama. The Jhroefold Tor
it was that OF scenery-whioh Ia a pageant; that Of
piay-which IL q sharp and brilliant presentment
OF tho substance OF fno historic novel; ana
that OF actng-whch is intelligent and competent at
points, and. in several aspects and particulars
SUBTLE delicate, natiye. and strong The vast oon
course Of spectatorsuck to foei and to acknowledge
the charm of this combination OF meritsset upon it,
with unbounded good WILL tho seal OF popular approba
ton. "Leatherstocking' accepted by the public
aud 1t may be regarded safely launched career
Of prosperity.
Tho play lis comprised In three scts. The first contains
four SCENES second three, and tho third hVe Two
Of these however are duplicates OF Others ana
therefore the stage pictures which the play s sot are
limited to sn Tho most important OF these represent
y military Damp at Fort E1ward; at the foot OF
Glens Falls; view OF Fort william Horny aud Lake
George; the massacre succeeding the surrender and
destruction OF that fortress; and Indian village on
the skirt Of American forest. In Autumn. Twelve
persons are introduced. exclusive Of miscellaneous
soldiers and One character. Sergeant Rooney
has been written in by the sdapter. Tbs others
which will be recognized faithful reproductions
FROM tho boOk-sre Hawkeye. UBoos Magus Hayward
General Munro, Cora, Alice Montcam. Gamuf. Ching
achgook and Tamemund Tho TEXT simple straightor
ward. and homey prose-. whereof the current IA
interpreted with sentences from the original narrative
and with occasional flashes Of native humor and fancy.
The actonwch proceeds rapidly and Is full OF inter
and pictorial effeot-cOncerns tse az In the novel;
with tho capture by Indians and the subsequent rescue
OF little band OF travellers from Fort Edward 70 Fort
william Henry the surrender OF the latter fort and tho
dreadful OF its betrayed and butchered garrison
the abduction OF Mnnros daughters by the saw
1nfN ham "
Ha,okeye and his party the adjudication OF 7amemumd:
and tho final catastrophe. when Uncas and Cora are
slain by Maga and that redskinned rufan falls before
tho rifle of the Leatherstockng.
The sole material departure that Is made 10 the play
from tho exceedingly simple line OF Coopers tale IL
marked by the incident OF the the island at
the foot the falls. There IL In this DISTINCT but
necessary, and therefore allowable. sacrifice OF proba
bty to theatrical effect At other points the dramatic
construction Is without flaw. The incidents OF each
compressed within single day. and period OF
three days croumscribes the entire action. Each act
rises To climax: each succeeding climax Ia stronger
Its predecessor: and the total result is finished
story completely told The spectator Of Leatherstock
ing" unacquainted with the "Llst Of the Mohicans."
will not indeed. derive from the play an adequate con-
ceptiono Interior charm OF the novel; that charm
is undramac, subtle. and not to DO translated in action
but upon the other hand he will be conscious OF no
vagueness and insufcienoy; he will not need the novel
glossary to the DRAMA That art surely Is success
full aud admirable which. in the theatrical adaptation
OF q romance, presents distinct and complete
dramatic picture, pleasing informing. exciting. aud
satisfying the mind. however radically it may fail TO
reproduce In the copy. the nsmeess light of magna-
and tho bewitchns literary grace that hsliow and
adorn the model.
That Mr. Rowe's play fails In the particular thus
denoted not TO be denied 1t 10 be denied that
fails adequately to display under the irradiatng light
OF dramatic circumstances the granfness and the mani
fold lovely traits OF the nature OF Leathersockig 1t
play OF action and spectacle. and it subordinates
even central character to ts single purpose of pre-
senting round aud distinct story. To those accord
ingy who expected that the piece would bring Leather
stocking wholly and as distinctly on the stage as Rip
Van Wikie for example has been brought before him,
It will prove disappointment But II ought to be con-
sdered that what may be called the cabinet study and
treatment OF this subject is really undesirable, because
it would result In dull and impractcable play.
Leatlerslocking 10 hunter and a mau OF &C.
tion and so far he can be made a hero OF the
stage. But In the Of his character he ia
AN idylc moralist, aud therefore to be contemplated
rather tho SILENT pineclad mountain, dreaming In
the afternoon sunlight, than as the eager. tortuous
torrent eaping from rock to rock An approximation
to Coopers ideal-an actual parsonage, in whom the
active attributes shall be exaggerated and the passive
ones the most and he best that stage
art can reach, dealing with nature morally grand
and profoundly simple.
IL ought also TO be considered that the Inherent
spiritual charms apperaning TO different forms Of art
are not The best Greclans agreed
that something yet remains in Homer which translation
has never graspei. The characteristic magic Of
romance will not lmpart its thrill TO a drama. In this
particular case accordingly those who should expect.
In any play. a reproduction OF the soul OF Co0pers
genius would inevitably DO disappointed. = Certain
dramatic elements hts genius and his stories do indeed
possess; but the essential quality OF them Is the
evauescent spirit of romance, and that lean no
more be cramped within stage grooves than
the notes of tho wind harp can be prisoned in
brdcage Often when Cooper is imaginative, his mind
revels spaces alike the trackess wilderness
and on the trackess ocean-foress that darken half
continent, and tremendous icebergs that crash and
crumble upon unknown seas More often he is descrp
tive and meditatiye, moraliziDg like Wordsworth
rock and and the tokens Of God In the wonders OF
creation His highest mood OF feeling is that of calm
eyed philosophy. His highest ideal OF virtue is
self sacrifice. His best pictures too broad in
scope and too vouminous in details for illustration IN
theater Neither JdsDsr's whitewinged descent upon
the Indian ambuscade, the flight OF Huners ark
Chngaegook singing his nor the mysterious
Pilot steering his ship in night and tempest through
perous chanue and thousand dangers of DEATH could
ever be shown in scenery His highest figures. more
over are types OF the action that passes within the
the heart OF passion that Is repressed OF what is suf
fered rather than OF what is done. He never
painted better than when be painted the
Pathfinder vanishing the dusky edge of the forest
after the parting with Mabel and In this lovely and
pathetic incident in many that kindred with It.
there is not particle Of dramatic effect. Salient
features are alone available for the purpose OF the
ramatst and It is not salient features that the spell
Of Cooper's genius resides.
II these views sound, Mr.. Rowe has succeeded as
thoroughly any one could reasonably be expected
succeed under the peculiar conditions OF the case The
most that could be exacted is that the sdapter Of
Leatherstockng" should choose the representative
story the SERIES bring out the strong points, suggest
ohar Iaar,