New-York tribune., 1880-01-06
MUSIC AND THE DRAMA.

y
| Scrap OF Paper" and won brilliant success both
| with the comedy and with his own performance Of
its central character, Prosper COWdmOnt The pieco
| as was then mentioned iD this place-had been
known here for nearly twenty years. underth the name
of "Henriette." The original is Sardou's "Les
Pattes der MOuches." The old adaptation was made
by Z. G. F. Wilkins, long since dead. The new one
which Is better-is the work of Mr.. PalgTave
Simpson, the wellsknown English dramatst. The
superiority of the version consists III its greater
rapidly of movement its greater wit of dialogue,
and its more compact mechanism. Last night Mr.
Wallack reproduced this comedy, and again 1t
made an unequivocal bit. Two fresh features
were offered In the cast-Miss Ada Dyas
as Susaane de Ruzerille. and Air. Tom Jefferson
son of the eminent comedian Joseph Jeiferson-as
| 5ndfoie. The revival suggests new line of
ment. The presence of such piece upon our prin
| cipa stage, however, must be recognized as the
practical operation OF an instructive well a de-
| ghtful intellectual influence. Those who study
| "a Scrap of Paper "-obseryIng the web of story
that is woven beneath its glittering surface, the
past actions and experiences which il clearly i'm
plies, the circumstances that are so naturally ad-
usted around its action. the clear picture of
ners which is so unobtusyely made Its back
ground, the undertaking respect for probability
with which its incidents invented and
shalled. the graceful ease and the light and shm-
mering language with which its movement is con.
ducted and, fually, the atmosphere Of delicate ex.
aggeration and refined merriment that suiuses aud
enwreaths itcannot fail to be impressed, not only
| with of symmetry In this particular
| work, bnt with the superiority. beauty, and
| importance of thorough workmanship in literary
art At a time when much crude effort,-we in
tended and occasionally fecitous but in the main,
embarrassed if not defeated by either lnadequacyo OF
| laboror incompetence of mnd.-is widely exhibited
upon the stage, the performance of play In which
nothing is sighted LETT 10 chance, but In which
well-chosen materials are firmly handled. closely
welded and directly carried out to brilliant re-
suit, should have positive significance. To see "A
Scrap of Paper" is not only to Thoroughly good
comedy, but to see IN what way a comedy ought to
be made and written.
This in fact Is q model piece. There is no 1aw in
its texture there is scarcely defect in its bass;
| there is never dull moment in its progress; and
there is no cloud on the rosy Cheerful ness and
wholesome thought of its effect. The reader Of the
| original French piece finds, of course, a much
| stronger motive than is used In che English
fabric. to lmpel the plot. BY placing heavy empha-
sis however upon the character of the Baron de Ia
| GlaceTe,-makin2 him Icy, stern, formidable, i'm
| placable, grimy formal, and, In an intense, re-
pressed way. dangerously passionate-the dramatist
|
larion of a SINFUL kind between CowamOnt and
Louise Tue secret. which is to be banded through
the comedy would become trivial, treated M this
way, but for a perfectly natural and remarkably
deft use of husbands temper and wife's timidty
This change in the plot. while weakening Its serious
interest, frees IL from every painful element aud
really augments its brightness. That brightness is
made to flow out of comic cross-purposes. humorous
perpexIty. and tange of social and domestic rela-
tions which. while perfectly natural, is irresstibly
mrthfu; and this enjoyed more ,and not less the
spectators consciousness that if the mischey0us
little letter should happen to go wrong. the coEse
| quent explosion would be only that of fireworks
aud not of nitro-gycerne. The transit of that in-
nocuous but much-dreaded messenger Of Venus
last night was effected with much and charming
skill and amid the ripping laughter and frequent
plaudits ofafairy numerous audience. ME Wauacks
periormances.- which, as our readers KNOW
began on the Goth ult., with Marlore. in She
Stoops to Conquer"-have, from the first, been
attended by such throngs of spectators completely
pack every part of the theatre. Upon his acting
both of Marloue and of Couramont, this journal has,
| at other times, made minute and extended COM
| ment There is no call to traverse that familiar
ground. Yet it may. perhaps, be worth while here
| to suggest that these two performances, in sim
guar contrast afford instructive evidence Of the 6ne
taste, sagacious Judgment. and wise and brilliant
method of this accomplished actor.
Maylowe like most Of the "old comedy" parts, is a
character that mnst be acted. Cowamont is q char
| acter that must. to some degree, be permitted TO
act itself For the former the situations in which
he is placed effect but litle for the latter the su
| atons accomplish almost everything. Mr.. Wallack
"a Naro,ce lets loose the force of his character and
brings into play the resources OF his art to deepen
every outline, heightea every tint of color and give
effect TO every shade of meaning and point to every
turn of phrase Ii is the strenuous OF the actors
| individuality. Mr.. Wallack as COaramoat glides
easily with the drift of his own temperament, and
accompshes all by seeming to do nothing. Coara-
mont Is an exceptional, piquant person. who has
passed the period of youth without the total loss OF
its freshness who is sobered by experience yet prone
to dro views of life. whose nature and ways pique
curiosity, and whose presence brightens and
cheers the humdrum Of every day.
| In the acting Mr.. Wallack has to make
| this identity real, to sustain volatile
| spirit, to manage eqEivoke--of which there is a
splendid specimen the third act of this comedy
| to assume comica perplexty to fash the silver ra
pier of raillery, and 10 utter brittle wit with ele-
! CANT none balance yet with forcible precision. All
this he does and IL the temperament which is seen
| to underlie this performance were only simpler,
less self-conscious and less knowing"
the work would be as iovaoie IN substance as IL ~
admirable in form and execution Miss Ada Dyas
presents an excellent companion picture, SGsanne
de Ra.esilIe. II is finer than the personaton OF
this part by Miss Rose Coghlan. in the elements OF
reposeful manner and constitutional elegancej but
| it is not good in soft. rich. womanlike charm.
This is said descriptively, and not in the way OF
comparison. The brilliant hardness and clear, dash
ing execution of Miss Dyas gave a strong effect TO
theexciiing moments of act and the entire
work was fraught with zest, mischief merry vital
| ity, and that bcwitching charm which naturally
appertains to what may be called the second youth
| 90 = o,ovar woman. Tho fussv old RIism0uckc good