New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-06
WHERE'S THE CATf

The Mother Goose melody associates this furtive
nocturnal animal with the idJle; and perhaps a
simple reference to that melodous implement might
suffice to furnish solution TO this conundrum. and
20 this subject might be- disposed of with the highly
explanatory exclamation of Fddle-dee-dee' But
brevity, though the soul of wit. Is not
the suhstanceof explanations and readers. possibly,
might Still, be left in ignorance. then. OF the
treasure that Mr.. Wallack has discovered 1t Is
needfui accordingly to put sober face upon the
matter. That of the audience which left Wallack's
Theatre after the performance last night, would adj
mirably the purpose, If it could be reflected
in words
where's the Cat " purports to be comedy. 1t
is. ia fact. an elaborate piece of slli-
ness 1t comes from the German-the
original being a work entitled "SOiom and Gomor-
rah"-and it has been adapted to the English stage
by Mr.. James Albery of London. In that city II
has met with considerable favor-due. We surmise
to the fact that principal part III ii was played
there by Mrs. John Wood. This ex'berant and de-
1cious falceur would extract sunbeams out of cab
bage, and mirth out of death s-head; and
undoubtedly, it was her charming mischief which
carried the piece OF itself il Is nothing. The sport
in 1t is of dhe kind which, among the youths of tins
generation. is somewhat irreverently called d" CIR
man fun and which consists in hurting the volatile
pretzel amidst yels Of irrational hlary closely
krout and beer There three acts,
and the proceedings of TIA ten characters
implicated in the POT are carried
on. IN the the present t'A.e in and about
q tavern il mountain district 'lsre is 4 hmsy
ferce-plot, in the deveopmen; >. .'tA a number OF
serious situations are made - euSJ' GpOn number
of impossible mistakes. and The dls-natlc purpose.
such 81 it is Ia seen to aim az coCllc mlsundestand
angs and a arotesque relationship of the several
ceptible to make the Dialogue improper. but tins
effort is so feeble that 1t only results in making
the dialogue ridiculous. There are perhaps. half a
dozen good lines In the piece. Two of the charac-
ters-Soon Rasasey an author. and Daomar, a young
girl of the perod-are found 10 be conhdentally en-
gagged in satirzing the aesthetic" to attire
household decoration literary taste and auatOry
sentiment, which has covered with absurdty and
ridicule certain OF the select circles VI
London society. There may be a wholesome |
tonic property in this element. for London specta-
tors but the powder of the satiris is wasted here
The gentleman who acted Ramsey Mr.. HOratio |
Baker was understood to be offering bnrlesque of |
boots of a Very able and honored gentleman, an
actor Of the first rank and the most intellectual
order of ability. and man aro VINO has, has done
Engishnan since the days Of Macready and
Charles Kean ; and he was net doing his travestie
WE'LL neither-being as feeble specimen of English
here for some time. ,
To particularze the incidents of this piece would
be to freight several columns with worse than ldotc
trivialites. 1t was really quite wonderful TO OBJ
serve the tedious prOlixity Ut ITS tame incidents.
unrelieved by natural spray OF hum0r or one
wandering sparkle of mirth. The plot was fOlhd
70 rest upon a compact made by three young men;
that they would guard certain cat, winch had
been presented to them bv an aged female, and |
when the cat should die would preserve It's SKIN as
receptacle for their superfuous money. The action
wac found TO hinge upon meeting OF these persons
IN
~ garnered in their prudent youth. he coDstIuc.
ton was felt to b. vilated bv the fa al mistake OF
xoepng the audience in ignorance OF the mystery
sna central idea OF the story This IS always
Q radical wrong in work OF dramatic
~ ~ ana no matter how trivial that work NAV be
sns style OF treatment will invariably ruin 1t. Tho
piSoe was 80, In Two scenes prettly though some
wat Rsiisniy painted. And 1t acted with most
earnestness by the principal players CON
cerned ~ Its representation. Nr Elton and Mss
1eIon impaired to Ut the vitality of fine eccentric
cnaracter and sparkling, brittle sympatheIIc aud
Y,oasanuy enectVe execution The audience was |
numerous, ana OF the best class and their
P0nderous nonsense with remarkable good nature.
curtain. ~
The wish to use words OF kindness and sympathy
uoes NOT und Itself particularly encouraged by |
t9 "a Ienection upon this play. Droery IS one
Of the pest OF good things; but strenuous folly is |
90. dron ana neither dramatic talent can give 1t
Wortu nor good-natured acceptance afford ii a |
lows:
sir Gsroway Fswn. ........ =. osmond Tearle
Percivs S asaY VIM Elton
Scot s%ksr
ELE ................................C. Edwin
s sfsa e3 1i5ds Harry noia.y
S,sa ""uc III reason
Mra smith .............. Germon
Ss snm Adelaide Detchon
Emma Lorraine