New-York tribune., 1878-11-26
THE DRAMA--MUSIC.
THE COMEDY OF ERRORS.

Many a year is in its grave' since last
the Comedy of Errors " was acted in this city. and
some Of those who then took part IN its froc have
Joined the innumerable caravan" on the other
side OF the river The old riece-revyed last night
at the Park Theatre, which crowded with amused
spectatOr-cOmes up. accordingly, something fresh
and novel. 1t is, eminenty, play of animal spirits
and nirhful activity IT aims at sport. and nothing
else and IN this respect 1t stands alone amongst all the
works OF Shakespeare 1t his only farce for the inter
lude OF Pyranus aud Thlsbe. in " Midsummer Nights
Dream the best thing of the kind in ianguages
less farce than a burlesque. The idea OF 1t, old
before Shakespeare aud thousand times used after him.
is comic cross-purpose and this is worked ont in tale
Of the wides; improbability. All who know the
play know that is OF Shakespeares earliest pieces
that is based on the "Men echmi OF Plautus and
that details, with fertile invention and gladstone ,cs
though in mixed and 0ord style, number of mistakes
20 the identity OF pairs OF twin children. The
place is Ephesus the time the fourth century OF the
Christian Era and the stress is LAID, almost exclusively
upon Incidents There subtleties Of character
either TO perpleX the actors TO worry the spectator
The twins AntiDhOlaS and the Twins Dromio aren re-
specve pairs-to be precisely alike; and them turned
ndrilt in the old and picturesque city, they TO bring
each other INTO scrapes," III confusion shall
have made its masterpiece" and a idea is worn
out by Iteration
Harry Leigh, OF London. author OF "Thc Ballads of
Cockaynel book that is full OF delicious droliery-has
neatly hit on this idea or confused Identity IN tJe
cap tai song Of The Twins" "And when died the
neigbOrs came and buried brother john" is the
clusiOu Of these lines; and has bruitcd forth
supplementary s,anzd. as TO sti greater mistake
which placed of these twins among the sheep and
among the golts. The drift OF The Comedy oi
Errors" is simple enough IL Is the hcartiest fo0lng
The actors are supplied with situations language and
most amusiny mysufyng incidents. and then they are
left free to pour their udiy yduay, ana especially
their humOr, the mOulds OF character Anpho
hs Of EpheSus must indeed, eyince harshncss. The
severity of his temper the ygOr of his animal life
remind the spectator Of Ford, in The Merry Wives
Anhphoius Of Syracuse, also somewhat imperouF, Is
more prm ana conventional his thnkings ana his acts
SAVIOR of hs bachelor condition. The DrOmios are mere
clowns-eut of from the same piece that furnished
GrutaiO DiOndeiid, The DrJsheR Porter, LQNceOt and
many more OF ShakespeareS whimsical drOlls. These
Drooos Will be dull funny according to the nature
of their Representatives. Hogg and HirwOod, VINO may
be read of in Dunlap and Ireland, were the fiIs.
Dromos ever in America: at tile Old
Park in 1901, Barnes and Hackett came ncNt--at
the same. theatre, in 1927. Se Brothers P'acide-
Harry and Tom--were successful IN these charpc-
ters in 1Si9 at NiOo's. john $. Clarke and William
Andrews acted them. in quaint JOYOUS aud dcliehfu
way. at the Winter Garden, about fifteen years ago
They now fan 10 the lot Of Crane ana Robson ana
their lines have fallen IN pleasant places
These comedians were welcomed, last night, In ihe
Park Theatre with such hearty good viii and cheerful
laughter as made the occasion quite jubilee. They
are fayOrites, and they deserve their good name
Neither of them brings extraordinary mind 10 the art OF
acting neither OF them Possesses the cnaTm ~ genius
az t was felt tor instance in the acting Burton and
Blake and il l. felt III that OF Jefferson and Warren
'A men a-c not alike, alas good Leghbor,' says
the sapicnt Dogbc7y AN t"O men ride OF a
horse, one must ride behind" Bat, While dth-
cient OF the poetry, the delicacy, ard the sweet
Aumor Of Jefferson and also Of that rich, juicy deli
"a
touched and which disappeared from our sage with
poor Dan Selche uuless, in .eed It survives in Owcns
Mr. Crane and DIr Robson the happy pcssessOrs Of
vigorous animal spirits, and Of man. dr0 AID amusiny
eccentric personal characterstics They enter wholly
into teir situations Of fun. Tdcy groesqne,
trlc vyaclous aud spirited Their DroD,iOs quite as
true to the author any, DOUBT, either past or yet
10 come for truly there Is standard III Shakespeare
by which TO test them. The funniest, the best.
Probably the best moment for the two clowns is
that OF their first contemplation of each other; IN
this Crane and Robson irresistiby ludicrous,
Mr. Crane does the most difficult parl OF the woIksuce
he is constrained to Initiate Mr. Robson 1t had been
beter-if practicabe-the other way for Mr. Crane Is
the ADLER and humorous man Of the two. and has
the best method. A little Of Mr. Robson's squeak
laases but much Of is tiresonc. Both presentations
were brght and droi with ny play and the stimulation
Of a well diversified perplexy-whIch by both actors
was cx pressed by kindred expedients.
All due attention was given 10 the serious part OF the
pieceihe business, that H. Of old Hgeo,-whch is one
Of the chief Of shakespeares additions TO the cub
iect as lie fOund 1t In Plautus. This part
Is the comedy jet, 10 speak. OF work
which otherwise Is wholly farce. Mr.. Charles
webb. making his first appearance in America, acted
E0enn and Illustrated that conscientious, correct and
quiet which is peculiar on the English stage.
He was however feeble that, except with AGeaH's
fine speech in the last act he produced 10 noticeable
effect Adridna proved dreadful nllct'on-though
certainly acted with intelligent desizn. The raspy
voices Of the stage do really make theatre going fre
auent torture The twins AnHphoiHs were acted
thoroughly well, though these-and their COM
panIons parts-naye, OF course, TO grow in
freedom Of execution. The rather small stage
Theatre has been kiluly utilized and three
c1mmOGOus and picturesque views Of an antique civic
settlement effectively presented The rather modern
les pleasing There was too much coruct
IN the first wait Mr. Crane and Mr Robson were re-
called tho end Of the second act As SIakespedrUan
revival this is entirely creditaD 10 al concerned ia 1t,