The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-04-02
AMUSEM ENTS.
wA1L.cx's THEArnE-"D1p1oMAcY. i"

wALL.cK's neutrality-suspicious."
An audience overlooking In numbers and Of tho most
cultured that New York boast emphatcaliy pro-
nounced tho play of diplomacy" success at Wal
lacks last night, and cordially indorse the verdict
1t is an adaptation from tho French Of N. Vic
torien Sardou, and under It's original name
OF "Dora' was the Paris sensation of last
year. In the beginning OF the present year It
was produced In LONDON at the Prince OF Wales
Theatre "Diplomacy, having been altered TO SUIT
tho English market by Messrs. Save Rowe and
Bolton Rowe, two assumed pames by tho way. II
was this English version which played last night.
Tho changes made by the English adapters are first
In tho direction Of compression and secondly in
giving the diplomatic pcrsonages and incidents In
voved English interest Portions which might
have been tedious any but French audience have
been eliminated and others substituted, but the
strong episodes of the French play have been very
faithfully preserved and the coherence OF the story
un,mpaircd. The literary work OF the play is indeed
very well The dialogue Is slightly dashed with
French idions and English cooquialisms but the
effect ID naturaness Let briefly relate tho story.
1t is history OF love among dipohatista
There 10 intrigue, OF course Innocence is made 10
look ike guilt for WHILE but finally all its snowy
purity is made evident while sho guilt Ia laid where
1t belongs. Dora the lovely daughter OF . widowed
Spanish marqusc Is beloved by young English cap
tain, Julian Beauclerc, who 10 anxious 10 marry
hor. CAPTAIN Julian is at the same time the
object OF the passionate attachment Of wicked Dip
omatc spy In petticoats. the Countess Zcka, who
stung TO jealousy by the favor the English captain
shows to the lovely Dora. Tho wicked Countess 10 In
pay OF the Baron Stcln. oncolor Russian dipo-
mats Her drst service alter the opening OF tho play
is the abstraction OF tho photograph OF certain
Count orl,G from the album Of Dora This
Dora, is handed 10 the Russian agent. stem. The
young Captain, who IS so madly in love, proposes 10
Henry Beauclorc, an English diplomatist, who has
brought him his appointment 10 diplomatic position
aace All this takes place At Monte Carlo. The
| next act opens six months later In Paris
Julian Beaaclerc's wedding day. The Countess z,cka,
agrees to steal certain Important diplomatic map
| tracing from Juian's despatch box. Circumstances
Iavor hcr and she succeeds In enclosing In letter
which she induces Dorato write and Dora's mother
send TO Baron Stein. 0rof roappears and before
aware OF the name OF Beauccrc's briuc conyra
Julian ON having escaped from the ut
| Monte Carlo meaning Dora and Dor mother, the
Marqulse. Then explanations are demanded aud
finally gwen leaving Julian strongly Suspicious that
his wife betrayed orioG Then comes the discovery
OF theft OF tho map which seems like conviction
Of Dora's quit The ihlrd &C. devoted 70 The re-
covery OF tho map from Baron Stein. Julian
his wife, leaves her iainting tho floor In tue
last act Henry Beauclcrc whose suspicious have been
aroused In the right direction sets n "mouse trap"
and tho play ends With q reunited couple and de-
| tecsed adventures. The following Tho cast
Captain Julian H. j. Montague
S: .,sss stein " S i..s:,,
Sraven. '" ~ Eyt,nge
t eaT,s
Counties: sss !! rfsa
Dora, .....Miss Made Gtanser
M%l'e Miss Pearl ty,aso
II would DO neither judicious nor possible at this
anime the construction and development infinitely,
but IL be frankly stated that tho mrs. net was SLOW
rcsards the action. rho English adnp.ers
incde ns so as 10 mako this unS,eIdy portion Of the
| French play toicrabe IN London. rho Angio-Rus-
10 make the diplomacy OF the IRA, ACT entirely
| tolerabie herc would be necessary TO sub
sti,ute something Of nearer interest to Amer
leans. In the primitive typo OF our diplo.
| matsts and the present utter absence OF burning
international questions In which America has share,
perhaps the best thing to be done was tho adoption vi
The English substitute, but should respectfully
Wise Sir. wallack to reduce IT'S bulk materially tue
characters OF Alge Fairfax aud hts stcpmother Lady
Henry Fairfax, are Of little or consequence to the
action and alinouah these parts capi,sy acted
by Mr. Floyd ana Miss Sara stevens. they should, IN
justice 10 the remainder OF THIS splendid play, be
| slorny curtailcd. Tho scene OF the scpmoihcr
scene Of Ala,e with Julian Beauelerc ia tho
| second act could BIO omitted altogether. Tho
first act not finished at ninc O'Clock
last night There three great scenes-one In eacn
Of tho remaining nctswhich are mastery. Tho irst
ana in some senses thc strongest - that between
Henry and Julian Bcauc orc and The Count OrIon Il
Is only bare justice to shy that the irsudition
| Tho Count Orion Of Mr.. Robinson u nne manly
piece acting. HIS grief at having made cruel
| cusutIon against the vile OF his friend, his
anxiety 10 restore the wounded self re-
| spcct by rctracting what no had uttered,
| though he believed IL to be true were finely
| portrayed. As the young trusting husband
| stung INTO suspic oi his vile on their
| wedding day Mr.. Montague acted with power and
| grace; indeed we never remember TO have seen
tits young actor more successful 10 depicting strong
| emotion. In the elder brother Henry, the cool. keen
w,tteo oi tho world ana Jiplomaist, Mr.. aiack
| found u character wonderfully suited to him.
| The scene between the three sDded In a tu-
| mutt OF applause real and enthusiastic than
| Is heard even the enthusiastic nrst nights at
| walIack's II may be nero mentioned that tho
| business OF the stealing OF tho map In the
heart-oppressed recital OF society's long war upon
| her aud her revenge upon society, Miss Coghlan
| as the Countess Zicka gained fresh laurels Her
| richly moduated voice and finished acting wcro
| made TO give color anu interest to n power
| full though dsagrceabie part. In tho third act tho
| discomn future OF Baron Stein (captaliy made up on
| the bismarck model and carefully acted by MIR.
| shannon. was particularly appreciated. In this act
| occurs the great scene Tor Dora, whom wrongfully
accused as spy ana thief, she, amid tho
| agony of her love, repels the accusation made
| by her husband. Miss Granger brings rich
beauty, emotional power OF iair order aud
quick intelligence to the part and made an emphatnlc
success Mr. Mon,aeues ono acting IN this very trying