The Sunday herald., 1881-03-13
ADJUSTMENTS.

This week at Ford's Opera lIonse will be
devoted to the representation Of the meodrama The
Phoenix ~ OF which Mr.. Milton Mobiles tlalms.the au.
tliorshp and the right ~ Interpretation. The New
York EUeaip0 Mems says Of this piece aud company
"1 Is undoubtedly ont Of the ordinary range Of moo-
dramatic effort. There s much more idoality In the
structure than is usually accorded TO the common
place mclodramas Of the period aud Mi. Mobiles mani
tests romantic aspirations both rs n dramatls
and actor that deserves recognition by an ntelll
gent audience. The PhmniN' without being q
servie copy OF the we'll known drama Of 'rhe streets
of New York. which In many respects II resembles,
Is really an original work. ana can only lie regarded
as a copy where 1t introduces incidents that would
naturally become conspicuous In the development Of q
story Including the notable In the busy turmoil
of such heterogeneous population as abounds In this
city The prologue In several features reminds It's OF
the Gre scene In THE streets of New YORK but II Is
purely an original conception where 1t makes carroll
GrdreS the rocrcaor Of the incremated hero In the
person Of Jim Bioodso, declared to be the rhpnix
that sprang from the ashes Of his dramatic predeces
sor The incidents come so thick aud fast, and In
the main are so original Notwithstanding the resem-
blauce To another play that u Is dCu to dissoclate
the two rs companion productions. The cast Is not
numerous but copions enough TO furnish sensational
Incidents In abundance, and to give MIR. Mobiles oc-
cnson for presenting himself In succession of dis
guisoa that are not always easy OF detection by
more than usual wdc.awake audience. In the pro-
ogno there arc some striking pertraitures of female
character, which continued In the play as 1t Is
drawn three years later. Miss Fanny Lewis Burt as
|
which finds welcome In the subsequent drama, and
continues 10 tho last rs loveablc creation, In con-
| tavotltc Amy Lee. There are, however, numerous
well drawn characters which are chiefly original, and
are to certain extent full Of agreeable suggestions
There Is Noses SoiomonS, which Is capally depicted
| by Mr.. AlunzO schwartz, Mr. sam Ryan has been
one Of our favorc Irish comedians FOR almost llfo
time, and Is as fresh and unctious as ever as Dio-
| hysiuS ~ GdN. Mr.. Mobiles, however, was graph-
cay rrotcau In his imporsonaons, and afforded fire.
qucn manifestations OF Ills skin as an artist and va
| 1g "a worry ugp an won m ma II,. hnl
none OF the sterooiyped stage customs to graty and
both In costume aud eocuton sustained his distinct
I've characteristics with remarkable fidelity TO dra
| matte truth -
Forget Mc.Not " is a brief, compact, and
| rapid play, with surprisingly few characters, and
those but sparingly used with the exception,
OF the leading role ably portrayed by
Miss Gcncyieve Ward. Though claiming paternity in
London, II Is distinctly French In all It's features,
especially the unity OF time and place In its culmi-
mating incident. the routing Of baiud adventures,
hy her fears of the dagger of Corsican desperate
whom She has wronged, 1t is slugular,y like Mr..
,nnter's "rwo Nights In Rome, and suggests
common source. MissWard plays the part of Stephdni,
with the strength, SKIN, aud artistic bodness that
might bc expected from her we-known dramatic
powers. We are heartily glad of the of her
self and her play and hope il may long continue m,
chief fault be Indicated Is sort Of unnatural nf
Ccaton In the speech of herself aud the other lead
ing character, Sir Horace litiby, NIr. Frank
| Clements, whichto our American ears renders then
| AT times almost unin'elligiblc. The more natura
accents Of Miss Cora Tanner positive relief after
season OF THIS high. iown sing song. II Is not tht
sreocn oi ths best speakers OF English. Those WI,
have heard Madame Jana,ischek play Lriy DeiiOcL
MI VIII remember the sweetness and profound n,anlng
She manages to draw from every word she ,ilcrs a'
| the high-bred Enghliwoman Miss ward Is = fnt
elocntionst as can he readily Wien She ngs asd,
ths mncing elegance and speaks like herfelf: II Is fol
tins reason that the fault may he complained Of ",
readily understand that the son Of Hsphdnis Is KILLED
| of before the actioi, begins to avoid tie I'M.
| A.
wise we might wonder whether even according to th
| French law marriage can be terminated by the ac
o tho parents after II has been already terminated b,
the death of one of the parties thereto But this Il
OF minor Importance. The lawsuit over Forget
| Me- Not " is said to have arisen from Miss ward
substituting while In London. for friend OF thC
| author, Mr.. Herman Mcrivaic, Grace Greenwood
very pretty daughter, Miss Annie, who is well re-
| membered here.
Mr.. Lawrence Barrett has presented at til,
| National Theatre dmng the past week no less tla,
seven of his famous representations of which three
H'"iet, Shyiock, and cassius, were Shakespcarean
| and two, RicheiiGu, and MIR. IIowels's Vortex
have, by common consent, been ranked In the mex
| immediate class 10 Shakespeare. only two wcr
purely romantic, cltutie .Ueiaotte. at the We,lnes
day matinee and "Davii Garrck, " as an arterpec
to 1.-THE Merchant OF Venice - ana in these Mr.
Barrett proved the versatility no less than soldy
his talents. and the youthful and in,pas lone,
lover in every accent and gesture. If Mr.. John Me
Cullongh's season was ,ieservedly extended to tw,
weeks Mr. RarrettS should have been at least three
Tor In spirit, dramatic fire, and quckness of intel
gcnce there Is no comparison between the two men
though there Is similarity in their honesty of pnr
| pose and personal worth. Mr.. Barrett's Relations
with Mr.. HOwells have before furnished us with (
theme Tor praise. After loyal struggle for the sue
cess Of that dainty and delicious comedy, "a Coun
terteit Prescn tment, the actor turned with undi
minished zeal to Yorck' s. Love, - and by a gener
os use of all the resources of his art has made TN
grand triumph for American literary and histrioni,
SKIN 1t undoubtedly Is. 1t would he imp ssible
aly2e closely such long and varied list of perfor
mancos but In all the tr.igelan may be said to show
that careful and original study, that Independence ii
style aud method, and that yigor In presentation
which marks the master of his AIT. These mor
valuable than the blawny physique and thunderin,
voice, which make mp 10 some the ideal of the gIea
actor. Mr.. Louis James and Miss Wainwright wer,
me capable Leaders TO supporting company chosei
with the same care which marked the preparation
generally.
Mr.. John Sleeper Clarke has been 80 lon!
In London that many of our younger Iaygoers M,
familiar only through tradition with his unequalet
powers In what ia called for distinctions SAX,
''low, - or rather, broad comedy. Tie opportunity
| OF seeing him at Ford's Opera House, on and afte
| March II, therefore, comes most unexpec.e,
boom and Is one of those novelties and pleasant sur
piises of which the opera House has had almost !
monopoly this year. MI. Clarke has appeared II
| Philadelphia as Or. PaHyiOSS, IOOdieS, MpjOr Iek
lingt"" de BootS and Pai Piy and the critic of tht
DiSpdtch Well says: "As'PnagioSS Mr.. Clarke give
ns the nnprncipled redantic tutor Of a bygone age
who under his manipulation, has apparently stepped
out OF II portrait gallery painted In the period wicl
the younger Coleman depicts In this fayore comedy
There Is perfectly rounded consistency ia the acc,.
ntely-rawn impersonation which must be the resul
of long, careful study though there Is nothing stlet
In the acting because the comedian has the true his
trohic artists giit OF concealing his art. The
tuons hunor OF the born comedian somehow sotten
down the glaring defects In the character of the sord,
because there Is such racy humOr In his snbseryency
| In ToOdie8 Mr. Clarke gives freer play to his un.
rvnlel comic powers and the famous drunken seen,
evoked as bosterous peals of laughter as in bygon,
years 1t Is no easy task 10 make an inebratcd maj
higrly amusing and never In the slightest degree re-
pnsiyc--a diicnt performance that long ago mad,
| the ToOdiss of Clarke prime fayorite with retnec
| audiences. and won hosts OF warm admirers FOR ti,
most comical of stage creations last week.
The National Theatre Is sometimes un
lacky In the minor amenities of management, bu
1t Is not often tina, In any theatre stupidites ar
witnessed so dlseartening both to artists and thos,
who serve the of art by bestowing grateful en-
conrageihent as an incident which occurred at thi
house last evening, The Lawrence Barrett Dramati,
Club young and enthusiastic amateur organizations
attended the performance of 'Jnlius Caesar, - and
to show their appreciation of the tragedian who's
cornucopia, and also pillow or bank of flowers with
the word ''Cassins" set in large letters upon Its
face. These We're entrusted to the box oilce
Win the request that they should be sen
to Mr.. Barrett at IN appropriate time Judg
usher bear their conspicuous gifts down the aisle an,
hand them mp to Mr. Louis James at u moment whei
Mr. Barrett was not on the stage at an. Mr.. Jane
either had not the acutenesS To that the compl
ment was not meant for him, at least had not TN
tact to meet the awkward situation the hes
ol H. FOR he carried the flowers cooy on the stage
ecinb admit That Mr.. James played his part ad
mrably, yet their hora offerings We're from the Law
renee Barrett club to Lawrence Barrett, and the
curses were loud and deep when the attaches of III,
theatre so managed the business that all of the audi
enee except themselves supposed that Mr. James wa
being made so consplcnonsly the hero of the night
The Athenaum Club announce the frs
concert OF their third series for Tomorrow Monday
evening, at Lincoln Hall, by the Peabody Orchestra
Mozar's symphony, In minor; Reethoyen's con
certo for orchestra and violin, aud minuet an
scheIzo, by Hartman constitute the principal instru