The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-11-10
AMUSEM ENTS.
The Drama oT The Persoa.

who have been skylarkng" through the
week for us2
Docs not this remind You Of the lnndlady.
who when her boardcr said he liked pork gave
him ham three times day2
The landlady logic Of my critic betrays her
sex.
Because Lolita Is worth moments thought
full consideration. should we not rejoice that
our metropolitan stage is ovorrun with "var-
ETY." performers
That seems to DO about the question that my
correspondent would put to me.
Doubtless there ia something to admire in
Fritz. " and Otto" and Struck Oil" and
Josh Whitcomb' no less than in " La Cigale.'
II Is rare, indeed. that n performance does not
offer some excollences TO the eye or ear when
we are disposed to accept them.
And yet tho merry jig Of all these people.
when we come to consider the thing collectively.
is rather q humiliating spectacle 10 the man
who knows what drama il and what the the
afro in our day ought to be.
Five respectable theatres turning discouraged
from the attempt to present worthy dramatic
stories. TO song and dance. in order to WOO the
people back to the playhouso-and succeeding
what IL one to say OF that?
do not believe that the vagaries OF public
tasto are outside the domain Of law. man
who lives much on the water ought to be able to
detect tho tide. no matter which way the ripples
are blown and | think that the triviality Of the
moment offers the Thoughtful observer one gen
era fact OF some significance
1t is that the drama Of our time has a strong
inclination away from what is properly dra-
matte to what is personal
The collective excellence Of play has lost it's
attractivcnrss in the marked individuality Of
the performer.
T.. 1. 7 ~ A.. o T.tt, a.,
we talk about and remember or is It Lolita and
Emmett and Knight2
The playwrights answer this question by in
eeniously shaping their dramas to exhibit the
buyers. And the players answer 1t by keeping
all circumstances and all character subordinate
to their personal exhibition.
Unlike the fashionable woman who goes to
| the modiste. 10 have her natural inequalities
| hidden by art. the specialist goes 10 the play
monger 10 have his bumps exaggerated. Mr..
Raymond never attracted public attention until
he began TO exhibit his own poculiarIties in Col.
Sellers The merit Of his performance in that
role was that it did not differ in any particular
| from his performance when h. was not in the
role. Tho popularity " the late Mr.. Montague
was I'm great part owing to his refusal to act
and thus destroy what was OF more value to his
admirers. namely. Montague. Whenever that
excessively funny player Mr.. Robson. gets
drama in whichth inspired playwright has cree
atcd n gap for q falsctto squeak Mr.. Robson
will begin the ascent Of the Hill Of fame.
Mr. Emmett. who has been delighting moro
people than the combined efforts Of Modieska
| and Won Stanwitz could rca,h. has the divine
| gift Of pendulum. lie swings through Fritz"
with regular. gliding, rhythmic charm that
fascnates the multitude much as cobras are
said TO bc subiugatci by Indian Iugglers. This
organic quality Of tuncful grace Is his play. II
provides motion in place Of action. The drama
is a mere umbrella. used TO keep of the storm
II objections TO a variety show"
Mr. knight who is playing Otto" at the
Broadway accep,ably. 10 larger audiences than
the theatre has held since Cayendish was cut or
| by two weeks engagement went to the dis
| tingulshed playwright. Mr.. Marsden. with a
mouthtul OF dialect. and ordered drama cut To-
fl II. The monodram which has grown out OF
| the gift Of jargon shows what an admirable
beater Of Dutch metal Mr.. Marsden is. The
original lump OF alloy has been made to cover
two hours Of precious time with shiny sur
face.
II tho juvencscence Of Lo,ta's rcstlessness
and brightness makes her play all day-it may
he said with equal Justice that this performance
at the Broadway is all Knight Everything in 1t
bends and bows to the one person for whom
everything was arranged. Tho rlay itself is a
sort Of accompaniment to Mr.. Knight.
In 1t we are presented with the curious spec
tAce Of all the principals ia the story suhordi-
mated like supers to tho prin 'ipll in the action.
The spectators care less what becomes % the
character otto than what Mr.. KNIGHT. tho
mimic. will do incidentally and irrrlevanty
This is sufficiently shown by his introduction
| Of a bit Of business which has the merit OF
being both prcpos,crous and new. It is the
plt ttI ID 81
it There Is n reason or place in tho a'trl
story for the exhibit ~. II has no reference to
| anybody or anything, hut II Is funny paroA-
ysm OF knight. md produces sympathetic par
0Xysms % laughter.
On'D does the performer even attcmUt to d.
more than mimic pnrticuar phase Of conduct
for which his physical functions, his cNpe-
rence Of life. and his taste furnish him with a
Acting. MS We once understood It is tho power
" assuming an individuality not ones own
and making the parsonage live for a while with
strict regard TO the relationships of the other
pcrsOnag about him.
Acting MS we now have it in the most popular
forms is the exhibition of ones self 40 the cN-
pense Of the play. Aud this impudeut play
Of accidental pocullArlties brings the exhibitor
on tho thoatric stage within the same grnuI
that boasts OF n lightning calculator. a Blind
Ihaye been surpris a many times in my as.
r ISOLATION with Intelligent actors TO find thai
they did not know that mimicry is one OF the
lowest forms Of hstrionic art. But have al
ways noticed that they DC not hesitate to accep
. tho mama OF artists. III there Is ANYTHING upon
the stage more ignolle than mere mimicry. it l.
that vanity which can uilord TO do even withou
mimicry and boldly announces that it does no
attempt to initiate anyhing-it only disrlose'
y | itself.
Perhaps | ought to exclude Mr., Williamson
and Mr.. Denmnn Thompson rs players from
: the song and dance cOterlc, though they hay,
used the variety show business t. furnish th'
cap aud bells Tor their plays.
Mr.. Williamson has shown that he can. whei
% the occasion offers. imagine something ouisid'
. the range Of his experience, ana project !
3 cogently in action. The seriousness of hi
u story il at least rational and interesting, an,
, tho tnkle Of his wfc's voice does not dsiur'
! our solicitation for the poor buchanan VIVA
, | he does is done with strict reference L. IN
motive and purpose Of the plEy. and n"ithe
rotards its progress nor dslurbs its sequence
So much cannot be said OF Mr., Emmet or Dir
Knight.
Al Tor Mr.. Denman Thompson he docs not
strictly speaking. offcr IA n drama JnSl
n | Whitcomb has neither suspense, nor crisis
| nor dcnou rnient. 1t Is series of loos 'lv cln
nectel pictures. whose local color Is sometime
Unprecedented and whose chirt pcrsonngN !,
live typo whose nature speaks in thr slmplrs
manner through all his conduct. We rem1m
h hNr Ipsh WhucO0lb for his truth, we tlrg'
" | F'fs for his cleNrrnr.s.
" But neither Mr. Williamson nor Mr. Ihomp
son have the bravery yet To- stand sIuarc!Y upp