The New York herald., 1876-08-15

might have been q pirate in the srchipel-
ago, or WORKOUT yorng noblcman seeking
new adventures the wdo over, and every senti.
ment would have been appropriate It is in tho
play. The action tame and clumsy The characters
have shade, colorng. There is nothing beyond
occasional alluson 10 Persian worship and Chadean
prestcra that the legend OF the play belonged
strange, rich, poetic, almost forgotten agc-thc
age OF Medea and Babylon. When think OF what
Shakespeare would have done with such a legend, what
graces and refinement he would have thrown the
Assyrian age what perfectly human study OF charac
he would have made OF the generous kmd-hearted
vouptuary, how just is tho upon Lord
Byron's genius that lacked the clements of dramatic
creation. His theory that tho drama should never
sacrifice the unitics limits the movement Of his plot
As poem ''Sardanapalus' is very ine There are
passages IN t-especally in the development of tho
character OF Myrrha-which equal the best
things Byron ever We could imagine 'sardan-
apalus''. the hands of good reader
Impressive aud instructive work, just as "Man-
fred" was in the hands OF Edwin Booth whom
he that play before the Philharmonic Society
years ago But on the stage. under the orsnary
conditions OF dramatic art, the play would never be
Macrcady tried to revive "wcrncr," much
better play than 'Sardanapaus, but his genius and
knowledge Of stage effects gave tho work any
true life
''sardanapalus" however, iiSt fails sncceeds Will
have no effect upon the fame of Byron. Messrs
jarrett Palmer dramatic reformers. and they
gave 'Sardanapalus" last evening in that
would have impressed tho author could his lordshp
have IT, In the first place, the play.
hacked pieces Collcy Cibter cursed play Of
Shakespeares savsgey Mr. Calvert has cursed Sar
danapaus' We read of the gypsy child stcalers who
mead .h lyrrp md turn ham tptn
by rude surgery. Mr Calvert has done the oicc
for Lord Byron And from tho treatment OF
his last evening by the audience,
have doubt the carving Office will be applied more
rigdly. In the second place, the play moro
representation OF Assyran liic, 1t is supposed to
have been in the time OF Sardanapalus, than of
the Jarun Mabie or Moody and Sankey's
prayer meetings ut tho Hippodromc. What
had, from beginning TO end,
spectacle and ballet 1t was tho ''Black Crook the
"Whic Fawn," woven together with fragments OF
Byrons rhetoric Instead Of Zamic coming every now
and then out OF the stage with bound and uttcrng
some warning naledicton had Mr.. Bangs
sardaaaralus. Zamiol's duty occupy the stage
while tho lights were arranged ard the ballet girls
tucked in their scanty drapery. Mr. Bangs
similar Office. Ho is, OF course, much better
than the gentleman who played Zamel and is allowed
defamation and robes OF many rts
gemned and embroidered. He has sword instead OF
wand, which is more betting groat tragcdan, but
his principal Office in this reconstructed "Sar-
danapausn Is to I'll up tho waits between
the marching and the dancing and form central figure
in the tabeaux All OF this ho does with great ability.
His wig is wondcr-qutc ''Lohcngrn" wig--that
will well photographs His legs beauties in
their blue silk eDcasemcnts, while his gems look
they would pay tho national debt If We dwell upon
tha in tha ofN Mr. thc
exclusion of the intellectual aspect of the character OF
the Assyran King, it is because they really tho
only points that made any impression the audience
The play spectacle and Mr.. Bangs new
Zalniel to the revised ''Black Crook"
In point OF legs and agility, upon which the success
OF "Sardanapalus" will rest Mr.. Bangs was far out
stripped by Signor Ernesto Mascagno, a tragedian
from tho Italian theatres On the reformed stage as
illustrated by the cntcrprising manager tragedians like
Mascngno will perform important part This able
dclineaor OF Byron has good TACO, pleasant man
ncr and quick eye His force was In his legs
which were cncased in brown, and gave him sombrc
look quito in contrast with the splcndors OF the
Assyrian court AS jumper and a skipper
and spinner signor Mascagne ALI the honors.
There was one fine tragic burst when ng on his
toes he proucted the stage jumped eas:
four feet air which drew forth thundcrs of ap-
pause from the admirers of Byrons immortal genius.
1t is unfair the part Of Messrs Jarrett Palmer
give Signor Mascaeno all the opportunities Mr. Bangs
showed that no knew how jump in Marc Antony
and Mr. Collier has certainly much promise
in tic same direction. 1t IS. therefore, un-
just native talent that really good
actors like Bangs, Collier, Weaver and others
should be showed aside foreigner due to sgnor
Mascagno say that ho made the OF his oppor.
tunites. He covered moro ground in less than
h,va forr ma Ho
sisted by Mile Mavina Bartoctt actress Paris
engaged especially to illustrate tho genius Byron
Mile. Bartolctt-if we may say It without offence
showed unusual tragic power with hcr limbs We
should like to describe her costume, but there was
hardly enough to describe She entered into the sprt
OF Byrons work with unusual agility and grace
When she swung up in the Dir by
Mascagno and bent into anglo and
whirlcd around and around the admirers of
Byron's noble poetry fairly in their seats and
howlcd. Salvni in Othello, Booth in Hamlet never
awoke much enthusiasm. But much we admire
Bar,oleit tho blue ribbon of the evening was carried
OF by Nile. Stickel, believe who went around and
about like dumping, and skipped like rabbit. and
looked so plump and arch and coy and seemed show
such a deep knowledge of Byron's meaning that tho
believers the reformed drama roared again and again.
Never has New York paid such tribute of homage to
the illustrous author Of "Sardanapalus."
If our readers are impatient because do not dwell
upon the merits OF the play, they have read
IN Byron's works. We have only to say that no such
play was performed last evening The was slender
the English speaking parts all the force the even
ing having been thrown our Italian friends. Mr.
Collier performed the part OF Arbaces with
vgor, but in absent minded, mechanical
way, though his thoughts were behind tho
scenes: which oyeusablc, all things considered.
Mr. Weaver does everything well that he could not
spoil the Chaldcan, which was assigned to him; but
Mr. Weaver seemed under tho spell Of some new in.
luenccthe genius oil Bartoetti, perhaps MIR Aldrich
is a new actor, who madc his first appearance in Sao-
mcucs-one Of the best parts IN the play