The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-07-22
ANUS EsfE NTS.


was humidity hot. and everything animate and |
inanmute was limp. sticky. and full of the iner-
tia OF a lifeless moment. Nevertheless. there
was a goodly asscmblage there. made up in
grcat part OF players and managers. who take
TO amusements in extremely hot weather with a
grim sort of resolution.
They passed a mildly commendatory verdict
upon Baby" while they famed themselves:
said it was clever in spots. funny in its farcical
acknowledgements. and much brighter in its sim
ply humorous and natural dialogue than most
Of the farccs which have seen the light in the
Park Theatre.
For a summer piece II was unusually happy
in the people who played it.
DlSiccatlltsrc..- u rule lose much Of their
meaning with their juice in the importation.
But this one dccants with considerable flavor.
French flavor
And that saved IL.
Baby" is "a young scapeCracc just arrived at
virility-who is made to exhibit the animal i'm
pulses that move him. but which he does not
understand. and who ia pretty cfIctuay
hemmcd in 10y n mother who ns SITS upon re-
garding him as an infant without single de-
sire that is incompatible with the nursery and
napkin.
All the fun IL gotten out OF this conceit. The
young cub is as docilc. ms mild hammered. and
-
at the breast. Butter will not melt in the pet
lambs mouth. He parts his blonde hair in the
middle. He has docilc blcat that goes straight
TO the heart of every proper eve. But he is
lusty fraud at bottom. Gets the maid into his
study upon the slightest provocation. hugs the
married women with a reckless violence. makes
love TO music teachers and ballet girls. and pre-
tends 10 be "a student when he it only nascent
rou6.
lido not know that this motif has been exlib-
| tied before in exactly the same manner. At all
events. it s peculiarly modern in its conception
and treatment Genteel audiences Of ladies and
gentlemen tolerate and applaud the spectacle
from a safe eminence. They laugh at the hand
| some young hrute's erotic gambos. very much
as they laugh at the graceful but rather shame-
less cub behind the iron bars in the menagcrie.
The general sense of gcntility is that Nature
may exhibit her propensties when there isn't
any danger.
think the ecntecl audience was inclined to
regard the Baby rs u revelation rather than
a satire. 1t seemed TO mo 10 smack its lips and
excaim when the cubs mother was not present
All. this is truth. this II real life. This Is Ma
turc." 1t must have had a conviction peculiar
to Gcnteel audiences that this was ex-
actly what all babies ITO that genuine lambs and
good boys were an Illusion OF the primers. 1t
seemed 10 afford them solid satisfaction to know
that Baby was Inherently aud ungOyernably
| bad.
Isupposc this Is only another incidental pro-
| test of gentity against its own restrictions II
| II cannot take Of its corsrts and run riot. il
likes to contemplate the possibilities Of such u
course and 10 commune over the general de-
pravty Of the genteel heart which cannot find
natural uttcruncc anywhere but at the theatre.
\, ltlsi.t mid 4
touch upon fundamental truths. II one had
time TO think about II in hot weather. dare say
he would find out that this particular picture
owed its effect TO the recognition OF the Fact that.
after all. virlity, like virtue. means strength,
and that the animal man is always EMBODIED In
the spiritual ecntloman-ready TO break out
when his mother is not around. 1t is as If the
genius Of French farce meant to give us little
elmpses Of the brute animating the best
clothes and just before We shuddered at It to
remind us that It is fun. not fact. and then our
SILVER turns into n laugh.
And. really. nothing is SO funny on the stage
as the picture OF the natural man thrashin INK
round ana trying 10 break away from the gem
tility that Expresses him. From Othcllo'
down 10 BABY" the substratum is the same.
The margin between what he will do II he gets
the chance and what he must not do. furnishes
the background upon which plays are written
noticed that when the baby struggled sew
cral fascinating women into his room in his
mothers house. and then. when on the point Of
discovery. thrust them sevcrally into various
adjoining rooms that everybody recognized
this feat rs perfectly natural one. and Just til,
, thing that he would have done.
BY the way. II must be remarked here tina
nature cannot be adequately shown. even in
farce. unless you have a room with four doors
4 Ia ..1,.tt..
, that one person shall be- in each room. and the
mother or some other fate in the centre, bafllct
, by these radii Of women and doors. 1t Is as'
|, the destiny OF women not irrcdeemably gcntee
] 70 be thrust into dark rooms suddenly and I,
poke their heads out at the wrong moment
Looking back now over such expositions Of ma
ture as the stage has furnished us. We ar
, amazed at the continuity Of door opening. Thu
, significant words from Aristophanes down .hav
; always been. Quick, into that rooml Some
one comesl" And then coquetry, love, beauty
2 dignity. worth. bounccs into a coal hole or bed
room as II II were bond robbcr instead OF
bond breaker.
When all other means of stirring the fathom
less human heart fails. we get lovely woman il
a corner. When We would exert the touch tina
makes all gentcel audiences kin. we turn III
key on her in II chamber. with the understand
ing that she shall rush out at tho WRONG mo
ment.
q dare say that 10 the play writing moral
= Isl. life is IA vast hotel with the wrong woman /
K every room lie couccivos it to be his duty g.
% peciay II he is a Frrnchman. 10 open fe
/, doors slyy and let us peep H. That is Frenc
k farce.
r A Fronrhman once wrote a book to prove thu
= 1t was the plnywrights duty 10 study the com
II aspects of vice. lie established the fact to I'll
" satisfaction OF his countrymen that the task
i the playwright was not to make vice eloquent
r odious, but TO make ii interestingly ludicrous.
There IL some weight in this argument, who
We consider that all men prefer to be wrou
rather than 10 be ridiculous.
Isaid Baby" was very we'll acted. ! ouGl
r 10 say that this IL because the subject falls Will
a in the capabilities of the people who act it.
nj Doubtless this is Just what the maker of mo-
ID ern farccs aims TO accomplish HI has bee
es studying the players for years. irving TO dcte
to mine what they can best 10. He has at last h
81 upon the natural propensitios
Those cforescent critics who ycarn for Il