New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-11-25
THE LONDON DRAMA.


frRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRIBUsR.I
LONDON, Nov 9.-lhere WAS first night In the
theatrical world Saturday last not, perhaps, very
important to the future of tho DRAMA but not WITH
out interest of o certain kind. Tie comedy OF
Masks and Faces" by hessrs. Tom Taylor and
Charles Reade was revived-the technical but not
very apt wOrd-at the Prince Of Wales lheater.
This theater is one 10 which the public may fairly
wish good fortune. If 1t never did anything very
great il has done well the principal thing 1t at
tempted. Robertsonian comedy, to which for 80
many years it was devoted, will not perhaps per
manenly enrich the dramatic literature OF England.
1t is product OF the age. and may perish with inc
age. So is opera bouife. Robertson aud Olienbach
are cotemporaries, and the praise due to Robertson
is that when half the theaters in London were sur
rendered 10 pieces of doubtful morals. ho kept the
Prince of Wales supplied with plays which gir.s
might 20 TO see and which nevertheless filled the
honse. When Robertson died the management still
kent "Schoolr and "Ours" and Play" on the
boards and for time they continued to draw. But
in time also they ceased to draw and there was MOTH
ing 10 replace them with Robertson lett no schooi
nor successor, and his pieces, clever as they
were, arc pitched so monotOnously In one
key, and framed by methods of construction
40 uniform that change from one to another ohers
little variety The company at the Prince OF wales
had been got together play Robertson, ana robert
son had written his plays TO suit the company III
was a machine thrown out of gear. What
could be done to keep mp the popularity OF TINS
pretty little theateri Sundry experiments were
tried the "School for Scandal" the Merchant of
Venice" and BuweI's Money" The first was
splendidly mounted, and had certain rum though
IL may be doubted whether Shcudan's brilliant play
WAS ever wnlse acted. The second again, was pro-
duced with great splenChr, and with even more dis
astrouS result 1t could not be doubted ut AL that
the acting If it had never anywhere been so pad
The public stayed away and the piece had To be
withdrawn. money was pnt on for want OF any
thing better and to carry the season through for
this Winter Masks and Faces was selected;
modern comedy. no doubt, for both its authors are
living. bat its action belongs to the same period as
the School for Scandal" and there is as yet little
evidence that Mr Bancroft and Miss Marie Wilton,
his wife, and Mr.. Coghlan have got out OF the Rob
ertson groove or are likely to get into another cen
turyod The company has been Reinforced to be sure
by Miss Ellen Terry actress whoqutJed the stage
many years ago. and who has found admirers on
returning TO H. but who seems to moro oyerrated
BY the critics than anybody about whom they write,
though unmeasured panegyric is far too much the
rule in the newspapers. Her admirers stroSe bard
TO persuade the public that the Merchant of Ven
icep at the Prince of Wales was worth seeing for
the sake of Miss Ellen Terrys I0rtid. Comments OF
n similar kind may be read and heard-though more
read than hcarl-on the same ady's mattel Zane IN
Masks and Faces You are called upon To APP
inland her grace and wOmanly charm, her Attitudes,
her power Of facial expression, her power OF depict
ing pathos and know not what else. Miss Terry
in short. has party but cannot see that she mas
much else. 10 youth or beauty she can make no
pretense her riumphs, If she wins them are won
without their powerful aids and ought. therefore,
TO be the more genuine. Grace of "a certain KIND
may be conceded to her; more than would he
looked for from the pOsSessor OF an excessively ta
thin and angular figure. She has two expressions
of face ; one Of exaggerated and oyorstralned de-
light The other Of exaggerated and o'ersfalhcd us
tress In nothing she says or does or looks
is there the least hint of true pathos. In
Mabel Vono there is room for much and
disnlay Of none. Mrs. Bancrofts IL true IA
far rs il goes and is To be praised because 1t IL
deyelopment of q trait she had not been called on
before to cultivate. Miss Tcrry's great opportunity
is the passionate entreay TO the portraas she sup
poses of Peg Wellington in 1rpets garrett. She
makes distinct effort. Voice aud feature and body
are strained but the hardness Of the wOmaus nature
cannot he lid and the scene is failure. She fails
cou,lly in the previous act where she surprises her
husband at a supper party in his London house She
has nothing to do Int be simple and natural. habet
is a couutry-bred girl lady-likc and wOmanly, full
of love for her husband. full of sweet natural
touches. In Miss Ellen Terrys hands she is medley
of mgcine aicctatiops. Mrs. Bancroffs Feg Dofiag-
Ton is performance Of some strkingmcrs, bat it Is
not Pea UoGng'oa. OF Mr.. Bancroft's Iripiet tho
same may be said Both are clover actors attempt
ing parts out If their line. The merit Of the play,
ils sipcmlaTly neat construction and polished da-
lngue may keep il some time on the stage. But the
Prince of Wales company has not yet found its mis-
sion anywhere outside of the one Mr. Robertson
created for it,
MIR. Charles Mathews made his ast. and bIr. To0le
his first appearancc On the London stage yesterday.
Only this statement mus not he taken too strictly.
IL was Mr. Charles Mathews's last appearance till
he appears again-a.icr his visit To India. 1t was
Dir. Tooles iirst appearance since his return from
America The double event took place at the Gaety
Theater. One performance Blr Mathews's farewell,
was given in the afternoon the other, Mr.. Toole's
welcome in the evening 1t might be difficult to
say which Of these two popular fayori;es greeted
more heartily. Mr.. Mathews played once more the
new piece of his own, my Awful Dad" which has
filled the Gaety nightly for six weeks. Not few
of his friends think this latest impersonatOn at least
equal to the "Afable Hawk" which has 50 long been
Thought his masterpiece. Perhaps his farewell
speeches rather numerous though they are, az he
himself reminds us. among his best efforts.
People Use less pompOus phrase here. All the de-
parting actor promises is that he will say IA few
words. Nothing could be more modest than that
Mr.. Charles Mathews is further of opinion that
good deal depends on what they are, maintaining
that fewwords with ones sweetheart worth a
weeks talk with mother-in-law. He has long
contemplated the trip to India indeed three
years ago nearly accomplished it, and got as
far as Ceylon, but his foot slipped aud bo drfted
over IN Australia whence he iouIneyed 10 the Sand