New-York tribune., 1879-12-11
TILE DRAMA-MU USIO.
ESTELLE.


Under the title of Estele; OF. False and True"
a new drama. written by Mr.. A. f. Lancaster, has
beenbrought out at Wallacts Theatre Mr. Lancas-
ters one of the authors of the play of Conscience"
which met with some time ago at the Union
Square Theatre-and his new piece. based on
French work, and partaking of the same melodia-
matte and comedy ch lracter that marked its prede-
cossor, bids fair to meet with some measure OF
prosperity. The grOund-pan of Estelle has
often been used before, and therefore the novelty
Of the drama resides III treatment rather than in
substance. The central figure which it presents is
that of pure sensitive delicate woman. strong in
emotion and high in sense of honor who is beloved
by two men. good and the other
eTIl-one true and the other false. The in
cidents which it details are the steps
in experience, and through n romantic plot, by
which this heroine is led out of an iniatuaion for
the unworthy lover and cOrrespOndingly exalted
into devotion fOr the real hero of her life. The
time IS the present, and the action passes in Rome.
t is easily possible for the intelligent spectator to
observe with attentive interes. the performance of
this play, and to wish to see 1t again. "Estellc,"
accordingly possesses dramatic grip. Yet, in re-
fectIng upon the performance of it, the
mind is conscious of unusual difficulty in
estimating the precise quality of its char
acter, and tho exact features OF its
merit In this respect its condition Is not alto
cether unlike that of " Our Girls" by which it
preceded in this theatre. 1t is far from being bad
play and ye its goodness does not consist of those
brilliant attributes which stamp themselves at once
upon the memory. and can readily be in
dIcated as proofs of excellence. The remi-
nscent spectator will recall certain bright bits of da
ogue; n couple of beautiful scenic pctures.-repre-
scnting an ancient ruin aud illumination of Rome; I;
and, especially. he will remember two or three
strong dramatic situations, instinct with the ee-
ments of suspense and pictorial with the develop
ment of character. When. however, his thought
strays back TO the story. and muses. over the per-
sons whom it has introduced. he is conscious of
both mystfcaton and triteness
The origin and the entanglements of the false
lover seem both obscure and slightly absurd. There
is a talk of his having been "bought' by titled
lady, who subsequently compromised herself by
sending TO him certain injudcious letters. So that
in a later period. when this lady confronts him as
an adventurous fortunehunter. and tries to pre-
vent his marriage with her friend. the heroine, he
in turn is able to threaten exposure and thus for
moment, to battle her good design. This. certainly,
is not fresh. and just certainly it borders little
upon the ridiculous. The persons are fifteen in
number, and there is not a type among
them who j. not an old acquaintance.
Count Peirorsky for instance, is the same
Count that used to figure IN Mrs. Mowatls comedy
of " Fashion" lie was formerly "A stabe-boy he
is now nobleman and, after a toerably successful
career of rascality. he is exposed and disgraced.
arthur Norton the true lever is the usual good man
of the drama" good" as Mr.. KInglake said of
Gladstone, IN the worst sense of that word" He
possesses virtue, and he always has it about him
and his exemplary remark, are stentorian aud fire.
auent. DdrkicO0d Beech IA variation of ToI1ge;
Mr. Blair is diluton of DE Boots; Mrs. Blair j. the
formidable Aurelid, with some slight difference.
Lord Mlroy is the lounging nonentity that passes.
on the stage for an English nobleman. Mr. Chan
trey is the respectable. kind-hearted father, who
frets over his daughters unhappiness. The daugh-
ter. herself is like hundred other conventional
heroines of the stage and of contemporary
fiction. The Princess KOrOnoG. by whom
Pefrorsky is bafed, is very common
type of the " fine lady" Remembrance Of these
things we say is the merest tediousness yet, these
persons conducting an actcn through six set scenes
are presently able 10 arouse real interest, and to
impress the imagination very much as it is inn
pressed by kindred Influences in "Sti Waters
aud III " Led Astray." TO both these pieces indeed.
in dramatic sense, Estee" bears a resemblance.
No one presume to say what incidents might
or might not to persons who are dominated by
the passion of love- or to TIE friends who happen to
be implicated IN the consequences OF their conduct
Where an insanity Is the mainspung of action, any
thing whatever may be expected in the way of con-
sequences. The good lover in this piece certainly
adopts most extraordinary tone IN forbdding the
lady's marriage; the bad lover when brought
to bay wits with a surprising alacrty ;
the father takes back seat with resig-
nation not at all usual In the conduct of
fathers and the expedient of eavesdroppngi is re-
sorted to by more than one Of the characters,
with the ease OF second nature. Through almost
entirely lawless nse of incidents, though. the good
situations are at last contrved. One of these con-
fronts the false lover with the heroine-oyer
tam bracelet which he has given to her, and which
is ingeniously made TO reveal the secret Of his du-
plicity and dishonor. Another confronts the two
lovers and leads up to a highly effective duel. At
the end the heroine is freed from her delusion and
committed to an auspicious marriage. The peculiar
and exceptional strength of the play. If found any
where, is found in Its delineation of q complex
blending of good with evil. in the character of the
wicked yet not wholly vile adventurer. who is its
principal character. This study makes one think of
Lewess remarkable aud touching creation Of Cap
tain Bland-now many years old upon the stage. but
no more seen. The passage in Mr. LAasaster's piece,