New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-04-13
THE DRAMA.
TIE WORLD.

II Wa the opinion of Hamlet that q" the world ia
ont ~ Joint" Had he seen as II was exhibited IN
Wallachs Theatre last night. his conviction would
have been ,tr.ngthrnrd The mundane dis
play. indeed, vas very gorgeous; bht the
abssnce in il of all motive and all ten
d.ncy WIS such ~ might well phase any philoso-
phcr. and ov,rwhclm him with the sense OF uni
yer,al muddlc Nh Matthew Arnold has noticed
the hopelc,. taucle of the agc'-and hopeless
tangl il certainly il according 81 thisne~ testimony
Let us not resort, however, to the some
what fcryh language of the Dane, a. TO
In, task of setting il right. There is a strong
temptation 10 do sO-but deeOrun iorohis. We hiust
take the worhl ~ We find It,
The blea Of Mr. Augustus Harris Mr.. Paul Mcr-
ritz and Mr. Henry Petit. ia connecting this play
seem. 10 have been theatrical prcsentation of the
strongly contrastcd scenes of everyday occurrence
Thcsr il probably WAS assumed would be
accepted ard enjoyed rs typical and repre-
sentative Of the SETTLING avalanche OF incidents that
make MP the whirling life of our age. Such, un-
doubtcdly 10 some extent, they are. The scope Of
Mot was taken boldly and broadly. The piece
bcpins nj Cape Town. in Africa proceeds upon
the bosom Of the Indian Ocean and eliminates IN
London In its course a steamship is blown mp AMI
SET on fire by a dynamite explosive; few sur
vivors Of it, doom are saved, Mt the last
rasp. from starvation, on n raft IN the
middle of the cruel sea an attempt at
robbery is made, with the use of chloro-
form; a terrible murder is committed; sane
man il incarcerated in a private lunatic
ASYLUM from which he makes his
escape by the persuasive force OF
CELEBRITY and pueilism: and villain accidentally
terminates his existence by tnmblng down the abyss
Of AN elevator. after All assault upon lady
n In Driou dc Bots Guilbert aud Rebecca the
JeUess. Tho treatment is rs bold-and rs
reckless-as the conception. Some of the incidents
isolated. might occur, might be found in counter
part in almost any chapter of the news of
tho day. Tho scheme was TO force
them all together into the experience
of single group of persons and then TO illuminate
them with liberal use of Mr. Crumnlles's real
tubs This has been DONE and done with at least q
splendid effect Of scenery.
The first three scenes in the spectacle offered last
night would make the success of even a greater
mass Of commonplace rubbish and wild improbable
ity-if that were possible-than has here been
got together. In each case the scenic artist
WIS loudly summoned into his picture, to receive
the public thanks, and to destroy the Illusion his
skill had created The explosion was managed with
cousummato effect and the ensuing view of the
little raft tossing upon the wide expanse of desolate
waters was as lovely aud impressive anything of
the sort could possibly be. or ever has been upon
any stage In our time. The dTamatists
have made their best literary effort here,
also-haying by tho use of some OF
those simple expedicnte 80 touching and pictorial
In the books of shipwreeked and in the ship
wreck scene Of Dyron's "Don Juan"-createda noble
effect Of reality. Tho pathos that resides In brave
and humane conduct, amid peril and misery, finds
voice for moment herei aud this-emphasized BY