The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-05-20

nave nad IL bullt 20 as 10 avoid catering the
room in an ordinary and undramatic manner.
can readily unde rstand that he would consent
to sleep in the east room only when they had
arranged for him to come down through the
wall Any one can SEQ Mt once TINT to the
Theatre mind this is n great improvement upon
the ordinary and rrosac methods OF coming in
ut door. Every entrance from the stair
case becomes an event. II properly man
aged. and n man OF Elliot Grev's stud
led department would make every step in
the descent an act in little personal drama,
with a prologue on the upper landing. and Il
mute sense of satisfaction in the furniture and
fireplace at the bottom. that they had been hon
orcd in some way when he got down.
1t IL only poetic natures that can thus invest
the trivial and unconscious materials Of life
with their own interests.
II Eliot Grev had playcd-say in An for
Her" he would have stipulated for n staircase
in the last act. and he would have had his cur
tain rung down when he had assembled ii. and
got into position on the top step.
Nor il this unnatural or uuthcatric. That
which may bc called the staircase business 8"
enters moro or less into all plays. in proportion
Us the plays lack dramatic or vital integrity.
There was Putnam. the Iron Son of '7G"
which may be called Il staircase play par ercel-
icitce. You can no more imagine that work
without the stone steps than you can imagine
Hamlet without its hero.
What think you would bo the effect Of Romeo
and Jtiits scene If there wero no mOOn-lit
balcony2
Picture to yourself the ardent couple on n
pain breathing their VOWS. so 10 speak. on "A
dead level. The moment you lit Romeo's head
and he stretches his eager arms aloit. where, us
Milton expresses it.
--"S Some hcaut, lies
III, tyho-uic % h,ifhuufins eyes,
things begin to interest YOU. Do you no, see
that here we have the staircase? No. is not
shown. because Shakespeare was not a ear
pcntrr. But It is betrayed in hone0s desires
no less than in his actions.
suppose. now. there had been no desires or
actions. Well, then We should have had the
real staircase 10 make up for them.
If you cannot enter a room in company with
an event says the Theatre playwright. then
crawl over the wall. II you must 20 w ladder
into "a hayloft-at least 40 w with honor 10 your
profcssion-that is TO say. 10 ny like an actor.
and not like man who wants 10 gct into
hayoft.
don't know hut ought 10 stop here and say
that Mr.. Warde. who played Romeo on Thurs
day night at Booths. put a trile too much Of
the ideal staircase into his scene.
And vet what man is thcrc-I will not say
actor-who would not try TO climb ny that
balcony with such Julitt atop of 1t us Miss
Wainwright?
1t seemed 10 me tina; Mr.. Wardc was trying 10
make NJ for Miss WaiLwrights theatrical de-
ncienrles.
He might have spared himself that trouble,
for II was the absence Of anything like staa.i-
ness" that constituted her charm. There
wasn't a hit II staircase sticking ont in her in
g"nuOus conduct. u was girshn.ss-ardent.
sin ere, and pure. But her drcss Wa~ too long
and her voice. which she manages with much
tat and dis rction. needs STRENGTHENING.
When a young "a trrsS starts IN her career
from the top of Jfii,ts balcony. she is very APT
to drop tu the ground AT III" tomb Of the tapl-
l"is. short iliEht- are inevitable The Elrllsh-
- and nno. "nr' If the amaiory scenes Will
catastrophe. And il was here that Miss VAIN
wright needed a staircase.
But iu return % kuIu' | think | have now
shown Thai tur eminent PLAYWRIGHT rau- PIT the
'huraN tHr az his hero IA fly. H. know fuut n,.
lay thom round ia also ol tAb!rauN ia the dell
or balls ia ia" tNnSe rNatnrN, and he knew that
su 'h h'rNc'uIt never Dee induced Ia enter that
cast room unless he could do II in "a process
-luual manner and come down intJ the place
with Nnrluil IL IF eoming.
therefor" conclude that the staircase was
put there for EiuOf Ia pose on.
One regret lngers IA my mind. Tho gifted
playwright announced pictorially on his play
bills that ENtoi would ride horse Ike a
tru" lancer. and |. Ike hundreds of others.
went TO the prri0rmauer. fully Expect
INK him 20 ride his horse NJ that stair
h" r4l" hiui. To ny h-tuii-Itl'nt. tho
gallant lnn ''r appeared di-nuuutnd fhruu-ll-
out And Vs. w,r'' thus DEPRIVED oi the pleasure
q seeing ,he Iron son Of 90. revived ia the
A.