New-York tribune., 1880-02-05
THE DRAMA.
MADISON SQUARE THEATRE-oPENiNG
NIGHT

Madison Square lheatre-whicb. last night, was
opened with much pomp. and amid peasurable ex-
citement, bg Mr.. James Steele Mackaye. This com.
munity has long been sufficiently supplied with
theatres but not All of them theatres Of the
first-cass, and those which frsi-cass theatres
do not always offer frst-class entertainments Tho
Madison Square Theatre, it is announced, VIII he
"a wholesome place of wholesome amuselnentD .
In other words, the new house is to be devoted
10 good plays; and these Will be presented, by
competent actors, under efficient mama cement. and
with fine scenery,-amid all needfui accessories Of
comfort and luxury. For such q theatre assnredly
there is room. The record of the Madison Square,
of course, has yet TO be made and wholesome
things being in order,-it may be well not TO drop
upon il, at the beginning of the race. that laurel
wreath with which it usual to crown the victor
at its end. In itself the opening of theatre in
great capital is not incident that ought to mako
any body quake with either amazement or admra-
ton. There were heroes before Agamemnon. Nor.
TO q populace so well accustomed this one
is to Opulence and splendor, is there anything
at all overwhelming in even unlimited Russia
leather and unbridled dead gold. The most bOun-
teOus aud gorgeous decoration that taste could
prompt or liberality supply. or money purchase
would not startle the cultured audiences Of New
York. The ast0nished jOy of the inland Professor.
In DIR. Holiness novel; upon discovering the pres
ence of actual shell oysters" was, doubtless.
natural emotion ut il is not one that would bs
likely to cause a thrill to the dweller in the oysters
home Mr. Mackaye has opened theatre that is
new and splendidy handsome and for both these
attributes his house will receive all merited
attention, respect and public goodwill, but
the Influences which are to proceed from its
stage are the things that constitute its soul. and
that to give 1t rank and Justify It's existence
and pretensions These from the guarantee OF the
opening performance last night. Will be such tho
best friends of the drama could desre-the friends.
that is who wish the stage to be administered IN a
pure and high spirit, TO the advantage OF society,
and to the advancement of mankind in the know
ledge of beauty, refinement of life, liberal and
fine Intelli gence. and thus In happiness. Mr.
Mackaye has come forward this time IN
different manner from that in which, some
years AGO, he emerged in the theatre IN
Iwenty-eighth-st which he called the 81. James.
lie then first dawned upon the perception Of play
goers here and it seemed as though Don Quixote
himself had come again. An amateur actor, he yet
came forward with "a pupil" and 1t was freely
given out that actors were TO be taught how to
act and that the stage would be set npOn an entirely
new pair Of legs Much heard about that learned
Frenchman, NJ. Delsarte and quite a fog OF as
thetio culture suddenly dItfused ITSELF through
which was seen a vision oi prentice hands
4
central figure Then the mist deepened and the
apostolic novice disappeared In the years that
have ELAPSED Mr.. Mackaye has sought and gained
practical experience that log. when be reappears
still striving. per aspera ad astTa-he rises as an
actor. and without pupils, leading a dramatic COM
pany made up almost entirely of old siagers. lie
purposes in shsrt to tread the usual
path. in the usual way. which Is seDsble
and right. and TO excel competition II
he can. The obvious opportunity Of opening his
new theatre in a manner that conld not be ques-
toned he has not chosen TO improve. He might
have presented Rose Coghlan. who is the handsome
and clever leading lady of his troupe, in such
comedy "a peg Wofington,n or he might have
presented Charles w. COuldock, In such drama as
The Willow Copse' These could uot have failedi
and il would have been pleasant to remember here
after IN what il IS hoped will be days of brilliant
success that so much respect had been modestly
paid to the glorIes OF the past. Mr. Maekaye chose
TO open his new theatre with one of his Own ays.
| This is called Hazel Kirke"-that being the name
Of the heroine 1t is in four acts and the scene Is
laid in England. In character it Is domestic.
and at times romantic IL depicts
certain troubles that ensued upon the somewhat
ferocious exercise of an unforgyng spirit by q
stern old man, whose daughter mad angered him by
forming an attachment contrary to his viii and in
violation of her promise This is an unObjecton-
able theme. Ii is not however, fresh one VIII
sons Tales of the Scottish Borders" and his
Ilgnts and Shadows of Scottish Lie.D would
furnish material enough of this kind t. feed all tho
Sunday-schools in Christendom with wholesome
nntrment for the next half century. Readcs
Dora from Tennyson's poem--also illuminates
much the same subject The objection 10 MI
Mackays's production however. is not that 1t
ploughs an old field but that 1t does the pOughing
n. tn .ft.. .f,, tlra
drama are scattered into it nc too g~at intervals,
and the connecting portions little better
than verbiage and platitude. To the good parts an
,llnslon was made here four DAYS ago. Tne chief
situations are pathetic, and the tone is that OF
tender humanity. But goodness without ginger
always was nslpd and always viii be and the
Protestant Episcopal Churchman is Just rs much
bored by hls duSky brother of the temple of Mr.
rockingham, or the lost paTiah who wonld rather
see the - Pirates of PenZance than the Melancholy
Dame. Setting aside gOodylsD aud literary pro-
hxity and setting aside also its humorous element,
4" Hazel kirke y Is a credltabe play. The scenes be-
tween the daughter and the blind father when once
reached are superb, and there IS er.at
heroine and her husbands dying mother Inc
story Interests, and though there Is an element OF
gross improbabty at It's basis and though II Il
worked our pictorally. and with little or no dra.
matte movement Its persons have human hearts ana
distinct and contrasted attributes OF character and
the atmosphere of real experience which IL thrown
around them combines with these tangible qualities
| 10 win and hold human sympathy. The element OF
| improbabty Is in the assumption that IA gentleman
would leave to his iOoman the arrangements 0f ms
/ marriage 1 he introduction of the humorous ee-
| mcnt n even more forced than this. There may be
| n drearier comedy part in existence that tGat OF
Picus Green, bht If 50 We have happily escaped u.
| The Madison Square stage Is SAID TO weigh sixty
tons Ii certainly did with Mr. PitiicHs Green npon H.
To mention that Mr.. Maokaye has no sense OF hum0r
| ~ however. only to state what all the world knows
| from hts previous dramas Few can have forgot
| ten who saw his Won at Last" what little insect
il was that his scholar chased about with micro
| scone In this new piece much time ~ spent IN the
| society of a carrot and the humorous man, though
| a total stranger and in no way connected with the
piece. has only TO step over wall. ana utter some