New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-08-23
THE DRAMA.
SNIFF.

for the liar season. ana saw the nrst representa-
ton of the new play by George Fawcett Rowe, en-
titled Sniff Mr. Rowe himself appeared In IL,
and the welcome accorded to the piece was the more
genial for this reason. Mr. Rowe has been famihar
and favorite presence our stage for upward vi
fifteen years. The truthfulness, hurnor, and me mn
ish of his art in charaetersso strongly marked anu 81
diverse as Mica,ube and Sir Charles C0tdstream long
since assured to him the public sympathy, as an
actor: while by his strong picturesque, ana pathetlc
drama of The Geneva Cross"-nOt to mention
other works of various degrees of merit, from his
almost incessant pen-he has gained, ana kept that
intellectual esteem which should accompany lit
erary talents well employed. 1t was natural, ac-
cordngly that he should be greeted with more than
q common warmth of kindness, on his reappearance
In both the Characterization and authOr-in which
his reputation has been honOrably gained. 1t was
natural also, that his play should be viewed
with the attentive respect that is due to tried and
proved ability in authorship. Mr.. Rowe has won
his rank 10y faithful labor; and although good
deeds past often forgot as soon as done," yet
there still persons extant who think that laures
which have been by merit should be viewed
with honor, and that genuine reputation has It's
privilege.
In writing Sniff" Mr.. Rowe has frankly availed
himself of this privilege The piece is elaborate
Joke. with no purpose involved beyond passing fes-
tivity and evanescent mirth. Those resources of
deep feeling, and that felictOus grace III the eX-
for which this author is especially admirable, have
not been at all involved in its composition. The
technical facility at dramatic construction has SIM
ply been let loose upon light theme, in a volatile
spirit, and the result is farcical extravaganza,
abundantly animated with diversified incident,
highly colored, picturesque and amusing; but it is
not work of strong fibre in the essential substance
of thoughts it has mental applicability:
it does not touch the heart; and therefore
1T lacks the qualities of pemanence. To
these qualities, however, it makes pretense and
accordingly, much as we may regret that the DRAM
atist has not chosen to exert his finer faculties in
the treatment of higher theme, must remember
that bagatele is to be Judged for exactly what it
pretends to be, and not for piece of classic
edy. "Smif" is only member of that large
family of comic trfes of which 1.-THE Frogs" and
"Pyramus and Thisbe," and THE Devil upon Two
Sticks" and such other waits of fantastic and
hilarious theatrical invention are recognized repre-
sentatives.
1t will be considered. though, and it ought to be
said that there are trifes and trifes. For long
time of late stage has been encountered with
trash in the shape of light pieces, for the
protection of which the doctrine of we'll
meant and innocent triviality has been steadily
invoked. That sort of trihe is like the Biblical
grasshopper-a burden. Rubbish is not the less
rubbish because its maker enormously fancied it to
be laughable, and the dramatist who assumes to
to treat his theme with ability than he would I've if
it were serious as the book of Jeremiah. There
never was more seemingly playful poet than
Praed: but no man ever wrote with more consum-
mate artistic seriousness, and probably he never
more i'll earnest than when he wrote;
Then let me live long romance
And learn to trihe WELL
And &" Vive la bagatelle."
The superiority of Mr.. Rowe's play and its implied
title to public favor, consists in precisely this sort
OF sincerity. He has made his joke with a free
touch and turned his somersault without landing in
the big drum. "Smif" is trihe but ii is clean
compact, and telling, bit of workmanship 1t
has felicity of invention and congruty of treatment
and though both are marred by dffuseness of STYLE
and sowness of movement. there are rare and saw
ing virtues Nothing could be simpler than its plot
Sniff is the head of theatrical family and himself
and his wife and daughters rehearse at an English
theatre, little play that they intend to offer III
America. Their friends and followers are impli-
Gated, under conditions which though absurdy
ludicrous are not quite improbable. The whole
party goes aboard ship to sail for New-York, and
there is unroed series of comic blunders of which
natural and probable human vanity is the
propulsive cause and in the course of
which the foibles of the theatrical character
are playfuly satrized. Then the ship is
cast away upon an iceberg the American coast
and the dramatic persons rescued after the fashion
OF The Tempest" are finally confrOn ed aud dis
posed in a ludicrous group. The mere component
elements of this plot scarcely less conventional
than those of the old pantoniInes in which the viii
iage girl and her lover turned into Columbine
and Harlequin, and their prosecutors into Pantaloon
md Clown and the two pairs skip Oft into a fairy
land of antics and pageantry. The skill is in the
treatment; in the def of old Crummes as an
eccentric stage-father; i'll the device of making
meiodramailc mystery around two grotesque figures
each OF which believes himself the accidental
murderer OF the other-an expedient REM
miscent of CoLdstream and the blacksmith
and In the general ENHANCEMENT of persons and in
cldents, set oil with gay speeches, equivoke and
bright scenery. These things show the hand of the
skiful dramatist their result, when the piece shall
be acted with freedom and spirit that were absent
last night will, stimulate innocent merrment and
laughter.
Mr.. Rowe enacted Sniff 1t is essentially farce
part, and such he made it. But of the essential
attributes OF good farce-actiDg is sincerity and the
comedian was in dead earnest The draft
upon his animal spirits must have been great.
Serio-comic pomposity is the keynote of the
part; and the constant quality of it is
grandlloquent effervesence. II is harder WORKING
part than Mr.. Puff and BO,nbastes Fity,oso mt to
gether and 1t untes of the attributes of hofh
Mr. Rowe was followed with lively interest and fire.
he has created q part which will endure in ponn
iarity as long as he himself remains To act it
, Among the auxlllar parts, that of tennessee has a
y. =. Davenport did not develop Miss Tonise
Bale and Miss Kate Quincy, making their first APP
pearance here, won favor by their personal beauty,
ana deserved III by their tasteful and discreet eXec
ton OF the incidental and rather tedious burlesque
iheir enunclaton OF the text pleased by
Its clear intelligence melody, and vivacious
spirit and though they had little oppor-
tunlty to act anything but themselves 10th