New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-07-05
THE LONDON DRAMA.
NOTES ON THE SUMNER SEASON.

CHAUMoNT- MIR. JEFFERSON AT THE HAYMAR-
KET-rHE PIECES PLAYED EIsEwHERE IL LON
DON.
FROM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT or THE TRlBUNE.l
LONDON, june 21.--Two parts Of the French sea-
son as the Gaety Theatre are now over, and the
third has begun Ii testtes strongly TO the capacity
of the British manager for managing badly that
both the first two should have tailed; that "stars
So totally dSsmilar as Mr.. Febvre and Mile. Theresa
should have played alike to empty benches. But
though the result was the same the reasons
were as different as possible. Mr.. febvre did
not draw because he played IN piece
which depends for its effects on the general
excellence of its cat There are at least
four parts in il which require rs-rate actors, and II
was given IN London with only one-M. Febyre HIM
self. Nile Theresa, on the contrary appeared In
play which required but one performer. Les Chan
sons de Suzon" is a mere framework for songs The
rcSa-the Mademoiselle may be LEFT of gave us re.
lection from her repertoire minus precise
ly those by which, III former days she such fame
as she has. You may judge of her success by single
remark On the first night after her departure
asked the respectable young woman who preSldes
over what is called in this country the refreshments
bar for some ice in my soda. Lor' bless you, Sir"
was the answer, there's no ice How could you ex-
pect Us TO have ice when there's been nobody ia the
theateT for a fortnight ~
Nine. ChaumOnt may expect to do better. she
has always been a favOrite in London and was
greeted by a full house the first night of her
temperance. She has rather flesh and rather
less voice than when she was here last. But she
has the same talent, the same command of method,
the really artistic power within wiil-dened limits,
which, coupled with some peculiar coquctTy OF
manner. fascinated her English audiences from the
first There could hardly be a greater contrast than
the contrast between Theresa and Mime.
Chaumont. The contrast l refer to is, how
ever aesthetic. not ethical. / don't suppose
either entertainment would he thought SUIT
able for a New-England Sunday-school. But
if II be true, rs Burke affirmed that vice loses half
its evil in losing all its grossness, then Nine
Chaumont woud, at the worst. be only half as bad
as Theresa Theresa is vulgar; Chaumont is, aItSti-
cally speaking. refined and yet can imagine good
American brought up on Puritan traditions tas L
was) who should get his first taste of French theatr-
Gals from ChaumOnt (which did not, wondering that
l should speak of her as refined. Small blame to
him it, fresh from the austere teaching of country
Westinghouse in Connecticut lac should fail TO de-
tect refinement in a woman who PUSHES on the stage
In iacket and trousers, besTideS table at leap,
and sits swinging her legs defiantly In the face OF
a mixed audience Of men and women, including
not a few young ladies' dehcately born and bred.
But there are two things to be said. First our
friend from Connecticut would not have seen how
much more cOarScly the sort of thing could be
done by other women. who are, nevertheless. by no
means Kissed off the stage either here or IN FaiiS
Second he would by-and-by discover that what he
thuupht coarse was never done for the sake of
coarseness; that given effect was produced with
the slightest possible means; that every gesture
and tone had been so carefully studied that
at each representation the precise gesture ana tone
was reproduced at precisely the same moment for the
same purpose; finally, that the object of the artist
was never to depict at full length any emotion or to
underscore any situation, hut to suggest rather than
Ia reureseut and to leave far more TO the ntelll-
cence of the spectator than was presented TO ms
eve. He might. might nO-l suppose he would
not-accept Gautiers canon Of Aria Art: a canon
which permits and commands all things to be done
that can be done artistcally But he would end by
admitting that whatever could be SAID against per-
forpances of this kind on the of morals, they
could teach him much the score of art II he chose
10 learn IT, And on the score of morals he might
do not say he would-end by acquescIng in the die
tum which have more than once heard pronounced
by an authority who is responsible officially for all
that IA 10 be seen on the London Stage: After ali,
people who go TO see ChaumOnt know what they
have to expect
II may be admitted. at least. that woman who
presents herself public stage to sing two songs
without any voice at all. must have consider
able confidence in her possession of artistic
mower of some kind. That is what Mime. Chau-
mont did on Monday night She suffering from
boarsencss for which The London Chronicle is per-
hans responsible She could not be heard at all III
the third row Of stalls. Yet she went through the
pretence of singing with 50 much grace, with such
frank confession of her inability to utter a note,
with such pretty airs of regret and depreciation, and
so MANY entreaties for indugent sympathy by ges-
lure and look that her failure elected much hearier
npplaase than the success of most yOcasts could
secure.
am afraid that Mr. Jefferson's performance at
the Haymarket meets with more appreciation from
the critics than from the public. When went the
other night found the stalls twothrds full, the pit
two-,birds empty. and the upper part of the house
very tlinly peopled. 1t was hot night, to be sure
Rut the British public want something besides the
nurc and delicate art of Mr. jefferson. Hip an Binke
filled the Princess Theater for months together,
mainly indeed by Mr. Jefersons acting; but 1t was
because that acting was exhibited in piece which
IN itself possessed soue elements of human
;nterest some pathos and some dramatic quality.
Rim was being for wlomyour sympatlies are really
enlisted The piece is drama. Lend Me Five
sbilngsy and A Regular Fix" are farces, and
farces in which full advantage is taken OF Cole
RIDGES definition Given an abSurdty or impossible
itv 10 start with. and anything may follow" Every
tbeater-roer knows them, and II IS seldom indeed
that multitude can be gathered night after night
20 witness a piece which is both flimsy and hack
neved However, those who do go are amply re-
xvaroed Inever saw the buttOonerieS Of Mr.. Toole
bi,u.elf provoke moro laughter than the refined
dr,Ilerv of Mr. Jefferson. Mr. Toolc, like all prev-
ous actors in GOlgk{iy, relied largely on mere
ocentricity of apparel and boisterOus animal spirits