New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-09-25
THE DRAMA-MUSlC.
TIE RoMANoFF.

r.;. Il drama three acts wrftteu w hi' ieH'J
=. M,nr-an English actor who has been IN america
~ nsarly two years. and who uses the pen name OIL
sa.yry Marshall" without. however preserving
81. iusoguito-ani IT was acted iast niRhs ia 'ne
n.soscb Theatre. in Twenty-thrd-st, for the nrst
80 Miss Charlotte Thompson personated the
-. I. n Princess of the house of Romanofi' ana
"ss,comed with cordial kindness 1t is long
-. s;rce at the old Howard Athen@um. in Boston,
ss.,aotte Thompson acted the Queen Of Hear's--but
- has not yet stepped out OF tnst
ss,ac,er Her beauty is still brilliant, ana. al
's.,oin moments. her voice still flows out In ca
ss,ees Of rich and tender music As the fr'acess
.,rr j.; this play she has to depict the tumultuous
Ia passionate perplexity and anguish OF woman
Tho loves the man whom it IS her dutF
40 hate The story is very simple one. Inc am
arcad lover of tho Princess Is betrayed as
N,b,l;st. by one of his bosom friends, ana thefe-
mon shot to death by the Russian police The
pr;neess devotes her life to the discovery Oh MS
x..r.ver whom she has sworn to destroy. AT
-, sbs t;nds himaud she finds that she loves him.
n. ,nake her hateful to herself and, IN despair
"a d.l,rjnm she ends all by suicide. Substantially
a.. !. the play of Fedora y; but Mr. st. Maur
declares that he planned and wrote 1T long ago.
r.@so,e ever Fedora was heard of-and we are
,,orrd IN believe and do believe that what he says
.; ,,ue The condolences, however, are remarkable
and it is impossible not to see them
A. ct Maur has handled his subject with
aistinet dramatic ability to the situations mat
ona in which the Princess entices the traitor TO re-
veal his secret is full of power-of suspense MADE
m Of suppressed passion, maddening love. steathy
mental purpose. and impending danger In fact'
that situation is the piece. But Mr.. ST. Maur has
not been equally fortunate in his literature. Inc
skeleton of the work needs better flesh and blood to
IL.
At disparity with their language,
: and sometimes also with nature and possibility.
There is too much servant talk in the rst act and
indeed the dialogue Of the piece is defective in sew
sral wars throughout Such conversation as that
which passes between the Russian General and the
English Nobleman, near the beginning OF ACT
second could not oceurfor il is subyersiye OF rea-
son sense and ood-breeding an all the CONDITIONS
of the interview in which it occurs and 1t becomes
a, last ou.e yapid In the character which be has
allotted to hmself-the English Lord Teliceafhsr-
cir ST. Maur strays very widely from
truth. having, in fact. grossly caricatured tho
manners OF his own people. Tor tue mere sake
of some of the most cheap and conventional OF
haekneyed low comedy effects. Amiable weakness,
,lowness of comprehension indurated convention
alitv and insp idity of talk are, doubtless com
na,ible with rank and with many virtues-in indeed
with true soidity of character. But vacuous
;doev and the infringement of ali the social Gus
toms of caste are not permissible as the accom-
nauments of character that is used as of sterling
worth and displayed as the magnet OF sympathy
with simple, unselfish. eccentric manliness.
Mr. st. Maur however, acted the part with
.r,,stic emohass. with reposs, and with personal
sweetness aud gentle whimscality that were very
neasant and that half redsem med his distortion OF
tutb. He was much and warmly appisuded. IL
would, perhaps. be more dramatic If the betrayer
we're shown instead of being talked about, In the
first act: and it is certain that much rhetoric can DC
emf ont of the play in many of the speeches of Is
herone. The comedy parts of the piece need to be
blended in with its texture--since now they stand
amt from II like patches upon a surface Of satin.
There is too much the suggestion hers OF hIiing up
fame and the spectator wishes that now 1t were
rossihle at once to come to Hecuba." MISS
Thompson felt the excitement OF the occasion.
aud acted with intense earnestness anu
treatment real power, and she was three OF
four times recalled before the curtain. Her
mccess is never a surprise Charlotte Ihomp-
sou possesses the honest old-fashoned stage
mathod. She is not afraid TO let her voice be heard
and her face be seen ALI her attitudes. movements
and gestures are boldly distinct and expressive
Ths art TO conceal art she does not always MAN.
tam and hence, in heroic passages and 9ntbursts
nj yociferation she shows the wires: TINS was
rsreentih,y the case in her dream" speech last
night and in her soioquy over the lh!ehHeu ven
resnce But IN situations of SUSPENSE IN depicting
the play of emotion, beneath the surface
and just about to burst all bounds ana ana
been superb and she was so last night
To the horrorstrcken agony Of the situation which
closes Act iirst-when the murdered man Is brought
before his loyer-she proved uaequal but here the
staee-management was clumsy. At the climax OF
the syren scene however. she proved all that could
be wished IN the public porralture OF Junctnre 50
delicate ana so terrible. The performance was
success; the play was at least halfway the same
and IL will doubtle hold its GROUND. unless
aFedoran of which il gives the soul and essencel
prove to surpass it in Dialogue, construction and
ielcity of general finish. This may wen DC pos
sble--and soon will be seen. The attendance WAS
quite large for so bad night.