New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-08-28
THE DRAMA.
,,pRrTT AND FRANCESCA.

Ipp DE-, animation aud absorbing interest. A
q '.s,s,ce was present-the house beng hlled
gos' .ort.-and 1t enjoyed and celebrated very
me- ~,snt dramatic event. This was not alone tne
mp s:.r nv Mr. walack, OF the chief thea re OF
olS' and the opening of that theatre newly nited
un..,tifuly garnished but the revival here OF d
sp' ,omaaiic tragedy, by one OF the most apie
1 s,.,;,vu,shed of American authors, and the re-
..,,nee here of one OF the most versat'le anu
spfrs.,al,shed aclors of the time. francesca "a
ss,,, y the best acting-pav that MT. Boxer mas
1 and Lawrence Barrett. who shares win
Wiz, I'd Mccullough the leadership OF the tragic
p"~ - America GIN posed the attraction OF the
at. ana 1t is long since an attraction SO power
ns success so signal and splendid, has been
srn 10 this city. NJ,
I'm Mr.. Boxers play of Francesca da Rimini"
.sNs.n,,aI has already made extended comment
an. nsee has been known here since 1892 ana IL
hsan accessible IN pint since 1857. In its early
,s,t was no, entirely successful. The TATE Edwih
7 davenport actel in II. as the HunchpacK
I..,oao: and his performance was not good one
$50 commemorative soulless mechanical and
s;rh,v meIodramatc, so that its obvious nsinceri-
nd arr,fice destroyed in it the effect oil nature
Ts,. was one cause of the comparative failure OF
t,,a tragedy, in those old times. But another un-
ron,t,ous force was inherent In the work itSeii-a
aaaadauce OF versihcauOn, and that versincauon
,o,,ootonous. Mr.. BoSePs plays, like the drama'c
fragments Of Barry Cornwall and OF ROBERT Bowl
- though line IN texture, noble In literary ele-
.snts and often eloquent and brilliant, show little
:. No discrimination IN the allotment OF language to
character. Their text is OF uniform
snre and color. Furthermore, there is
.omst;mes An excess of 1t. This was
the case with Francesca; and, being in so
far uudramatc that it male Its first appeal some
what more the ear than to the eye. the piece
moved tedious. Perhaps also the popular taste OF
perioa well nigh thirty years ago was not III ACCORD
with the spirit of WORK so thoughtful aud lmpas-
sioped. At any rate, q" France Ca" soon went upon
the she'll and there II has remained TIL the autumn
nj last year. when il resuscitated Dy MI oar
rett.
In revvlng this tragedy Mr.. Barrett has been poth
skilful and fortunate In the first place be has
formed the true ideal of LdncOtto-a great SOUL
prisoned iu mlsshapen body. Intense in every feel
ing tnctured with bitterness, isolated by deiormity'
tender anu maglanimous but capable OF frantic
excess and terrible ferocIty being marked out Tor
wreck ana rum and bearing within m~elf the
elements of tragedy and desolatiOn. Such seems to
have been the conception of the author; such,
assuredly. Is the ideal of the actor. Aud THIS
part Mr.. Barrett acts, as 1t ought. 10 De
acted, in continuous, unbrokeD ana ever
ascending strain of tOrrld. tumuliuous and ex-
ploslye passion By this means he makes the piece
AS IT were torrent of lght,-lnminous throughout
almost its whole extent with his own electric spirit
Furthermore. before producing the piece at all n
had cut away May passages OF the original text;
changed the arrangement oil tue scenes; broken IL
ina s,x acts assigned rghtlul places for the cur
taps: and with the flu, practIca instinct OF the
experienced actor. deepened tie outlines, acceler'
and ha ed
climax This treatment evident enough when we
saw the Pal adei paia performance. las Septen. ber
WAS more easantly OBVIOUS last nlg0t; Tor now IL
WAS seen that the mechanism OF adaptation has
ben smool he'd and rounded. Francesca "a
R,mIuir is successful now, because Mr. Barrett acts
ITS chef part With thrilling sincerity and splendid
FIRE: because what was formerly literary pr0duc-
tlop has been made into acting play; and
winch goes far wi b the publlc-bec the piece
hiss been provided with a scenic investture OF ex-
traorfinary variety accuracy and magnhcence
The substance aud conduct of the piece, as II now
standa ay be Rapidly Indicated. Francesca ga
Ruin" is in SIX acts eac0 OF symmetrical proper
ton. and each rounded with dramatic picture or
climax in act first PaulO. the handsome brother OF
the deforned Lanciotto goes from RImini to Ra-
veuua. oobtain francesca as his brothers bride.
In act sec nj Paalo and Francesca NEE and love.
ma ola Guido da POleata the father OF the Princess
craltlly deeeiyes her as what manner Of nau her
proposed husband is. In act third LdncOtto and
Francesca meet; and the lady, overcoming her re-
pugnance aud in order to save her beloved Rivenna
from being rAvaged b. the Gue.pJs. agrees TO be
come the hunchback's wife In act fourth Lanciotfo
and francesca married; but the wife cannot hide
her aversion. and the husband, after turbulent
outburst of jea ousy, rushrs away IRON the altar l"
suppress IN battle. q .u1den revolt of the enemies
Of Riunni. In act fifth faalo aud frdncescG-now
become gultvlp their love-are betrayed to Ldnci-
otto by the Jester, PepS who falls beneath the dag
ger Of the iniura ed husband. 10 act sixth LaHei-
oio bees his wife aud brother to vindicate them
selves but, becoming assured Of their Sin and
treachery in "a scene of great and terrible agony,
be kills them both. and afterward kills himself.
The telling points of the tragedy succeed each
other 10 an ascendi 6 scale of climax. At brst the
movement a nbl-s and the tone Is quiet. The frs
break at the end of third, when the III ncess
falsely but ferventy declares that she loves the
Hunchback. and this doluded. trusting and rniser-
able rrjoIces a delIrium of exuItation. Ihr
next Is In the Cathedral scene, when LoDcoHo re-
volts from his deceItful wife ana brother and well
comes the chance of battle and carnage. The reck-
leas passion here is quite overwhelming and the
fine effect has been. at hs Star Theatre. greatly
heightened by fine adjuncts. The scene copies all
old. peculiar and indeed unique church. in RimiDi,
Of which the outside Romauesque, while The IN
terror is Gothic The explosive. CHASTITY and SIMS
Ter climax of the betrayal. and then the slaughter
Of |pt, is made weird BY SURROUNDINGS OF loneli-
Ness and night The scene of the final vengeance
exceeds ali those effects its clanor OF tribuiation
and It's many attributes OF horror For each OF tn"
SIX acts special aud apr pirate set has been pro-
viced; and nothing more could DO desired than, III
tnis Respect has been furnished
The radical defects Of :" Francesca da Rimini"
are lew. and obvious, and easily stated. The first
snd second acts, beng preparatory are little Ian
eud In movement, aud little preachy. The ele-
Dents OF narrative and If Orstory have not been,-
md fhav eannot IA. cu,ta supnraasad The Omis-