The New York herald., 1876-02-22
AMUSEME ENTS.

''sHE srooPs TO CoNQUoR, AT wALLACKs.
Young plAywrights may take consolation when they
see Oliver Goldsmith's famous comedy, which was so
delightfully."- acted and well received at Wallack' g
Theatre last night for few plays met with more
discouragement than "She Stoops TO Conquer" We
learn that Colman refused it; that Garrick though
friend Of its author, would not accept it. and that IL
only by the strong pressure of DIR.
Johnson and other influential admirers of Dr.
Goldsmith that II was finally produced at Covent
Garden Tired Of solicitations the distracted manager
n, last resolved to produce it, only TO demonstrate
that certain to fail But the play succeeded at
once and here, hundred years after IL was written
we have the bashful Mr.. NARROW making love to the
pretty barmaid old Mr. Hardcastle perplexed by the
mysterious transformation OF his house into an inn
and Tony Lumpkn, fresh and jovial as
ever, playing practical jokes and getting every
one into scrapes aud out OF scrapes just as
be upset his mother in the horsepond and
then dragged her out OF it. Hero is the whole merry
story, 'Comus and his Rout" as bright, gay, as
young ever though the hand that wrote II is DUST
though tho actors that first embodied II are disem-
bodied now themselves and the crowded theatres faded
into the shadows OF the past This certainly
fort young authors whose plays the Comans and Gar
ricks OF this DAY will not accept hundred years
hence and they, too. may be famous
SO Old a comedy does not need criticism now. II 10
enough that Sbe Stoops 70 Conqueri is not like some
OF tue ancient profess 70 Oe enough
please taste but really withered and weazen,
and need rodge and powder enough TO make them pre-
scntabe be the ruin of both managers and actors
II has the property of all simple humor, perennial
freshness IL IS Just as fresh as II was century
ago when Dr. johnson shook his wig
t in laughter and Colman fumed and smiled at once
In the green room because although he had succeeded
as manager he had made terrible failure q
prophet That which Is old In 'She Stoops 70 Con-
qner'' is only the costume and manners OF the time
which served to give pcturosqueness and remoteness
10 INC scene Tine has dcepened the interest OF this
play, as u tints the colors OF picture, which are
brighter when ripened than when raw. No
medern comedy could go OF with more brill
fancy than did this well known piece last night
The house roared the situations and took In the
dialogue with full appreciation
The performance very good. Mr wallnck pays
NARROW with nue humor, and his scenes With Miss
Hardcaste, when that young lady Affects the airs OF
barmAd, were full Of life Miss Ada Dyas who mado
her appearance the latter character only needs
more vivacity 70 be entirely satisfactory This same cr
cism might be applied with emphasis 10 Mr Steven
SON. whose comedy Is not sufficiently gay though IL ~
always graceful and intelligent As fony Lumpkn
MT Harry Beckett very funny, and did not over
ac part which offers that temptation 10 an ambitious
comedian. OF course Mr.. John Gilbert perfect in
Mr. Hardcaste part which he played forty years ago
or more and Mma Ponisi as Mrs Hardcasue was ad-
mirabo. Indeed, the average OF the performance
q very high one and the revival is undoubtedly sue
cesa The scenery attractive and the actors
repeatedly called before the curtain