New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-10-08
MUSIC AND THE DRAsiA
MIR. MANTELL.


chief event of the dramatic week vas the sun.
cess Of Mr.. Mantell. who acted LOris. in Fedora
The part is an easy one to play, and an actor who
can act anything could not fail in it, LOris ia an
elegant, self-contained imprisoned man, who has
killed his wife's paramour under circumstances Of
iustifable homicide who is wrongly suspected OF
having committed political murder, and who loves
the very woman who, as the aVenger of blood, ia
pursuing his footsteps and bounding him to ruin
and death. This woman's hate, while tracking her
victim, turns into love: and she very unnecessarily
poisOns herself dread of living after he shall have
discovered her share in denouncing him to the
police.
The play is improbable in incidents, unwholosoms
in spirit, peryaded with a menagere faint Of ex.
ceedingly tigerlik and feroeous animal passion,
ana defOrmed by death scene of inordinate length
and of repelent character But it contains strong
dramatic situations and its performance holds the
spectator in continued suspense. Its first act. but
for an opening colloquy Of two nobodles whchis
long and dull is marvel of neat and compact con-
structlon 1t contains an examination by polics
officer and it ends with finding the trail of MUIR
derer simultaneously with the death of his victim.
The Subsequent three acts exhibit Fed0ra's quest
and discovery of the murderer, her adherence Of
him, her love for him. her plot to betray him, her
acquttal of him. her self.conhict and her suicide.
The lady, as will be surmised, is of the eIplo-
sive kind-one who does everything in excess; but,
as she has done nothing culpable, nothing that
could not be readily explained and that would not
be willingly pardoned, her prompt resort to tho
poisoned chaliCe seems preposterous. even for half
demented lover.
The hero Loris virtuous ayenger outwardly
calm but inwardly infammable, aad quite the
ByrOnic ideal is, we repeat, an easy part to play.
Mr. NantelPs success in it is less the success Of
fine performance than the display Of unexpected
powers. His cOuntenance and his dcmcanor ara
lacking in fexiblity, and therefore are somewhat
deficient in variety of facial expression and in
grace of movement. His delivery is occasionally
marked by cOnstrainlng air of preoccupation-as
though the art were imperlecty yelled. He DIS
plays but little sense of character, technically
speaking and no subtlety in treatment. His char
actcriscs are haughtiness Of carriage, suppressed
fre-blaziDg out at due intcryas-manlIEess, fac
freedom of gesture and a rich, musical voice used
with admirable skill His features are regular and
pleasing his eyes fine, his cure good aud his tenn
permanent obviously delicate sensitive and ardent.
He is required in acting L0r8 to express the IntoIs
cation of passionate love, aud to relate to woman
whom he now adOres the story of bis tTaglcal ex-
perience with woman who has betrayed him.
The mixture of emotions implied in all this is
sufficiently complex, but it should not prove per-
plexlty. Mr.. Mantell did not appear to have
expended much thought upon the question Of the
effect of experience upon character His Loris was
not a man who has suffered -whose heart has been
vrung with agony AMI whose hands are stained
with blood. But in the expression of the feeling
IN the infatuaton, the impulse, the reckless aban-
donment TO passionate was emmeutly truthful,
without being gross or inartIsc. His narrative OK
his wlte's treachery with his deceitlu friend and
of the homicide showed inspiration. feryor, aud tho
command of a wide scale OF emotions. He made this
recital bitterly actual and 1T was here that he
transcribed the part and revealed the range Of
unexpected powers. A dlstnctyely physical actor.
An actor from the senses more than from the nind.
imaginative. delicate in method, manly and very
delinIts-thls way Mr. Nantell impressed ms lndl-
yIdualitV upon his performance; aud he thus mado
a success that will last lie reminds the observer Of
both Mr. George Rgnold and the late Mr. lhorne:
and lie likewise recalled the image OF James Collier
IN mis- youth. But his quality is his own, and
particularly as revealed IN his VOICES that or q
delightful representative of romantic drama.
Reuben GleIuOy aud Edydr Of RdrsHSrO0d are paris
that indicate this actors neld lie certainly IS an
acquisition to stage, and one that will be much
DTZed.