New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-04-18
MUSIC AND THE DRAMA.
CASTE AT THE BIJOU.

CASTE AT THE BIJOU.
This performance gave us one of the pleasantsst
nights of the dramatic year. and it has provided fos
the play-gong public source of rare intellectual
| enjoyment. The cheerful Bjou Theatre was
| we'll filed. and each of the seven players In
| the comedy had special greeting, of hearty cor
| diality. Mr.. Pitt, as the manager, when he
| appeared, as Hawtrce, was. in particular, hailed
with an impulslve welcome, eager In expression.
and slow to die away. The setting of the piece was
correct, harmonious and 10 exquisite taste, alike as
to color grouping and the disposition of objects.
More important still. the acting was remarkably
| brilliant.
Caste" as all readers arc aware, is very delicate
play. The fine similc Of Moore in alluson to "the
wood that grows precious In burning comes natu.
rally into spectators mind as he observes how the
subtle significance Of this piece Is distilled, like soma
rare perfume, under the actors art There are per-
sons to be sure who can discern strength in nothing
short of the stroke of battls-axe. or the fall OF
pile-driver. Strength nevertheless exists, apart
from the usual and visible symbols of 1t, and may
prove as potent In a sunbeam as in hurricane Inc
strength that Robertson used was that OF
suggestiveness His best plays are repets
with implication of deep and sound knowledge Of
human nature. They do not weary with expana-
tion They do not buton-hole the listener. and in
sist upon being understood. They are content to
offer touching pictures of lfe,-the life Of the aec-
tons as well as the life of the drawing-room,-in
beautiful dramatic form. and leave the observer to
deduce the meaning.
They oppose types of character and deal much in
contrasts and their style is frequently that of cpl
gram In caste" the author glances not merely
at existing social distinctions. but at distinctions
deeper than thess-at radical differences. resident
in the structure of humanity. We all know that
there is such thing as a silk purse, and also We
know that there is such thing as porcine's ear;
and an authentic proverb states that the one can
not be made out of the other You may draw this
obvious lesson from the piece III you are 80 content
or Won may draw deeper one-and mediate on the
strangely ludicrous or strangely pathetic conse-
auences of this law Of natural distinction or on the
inexplicable fatality which makes s1ch diversities
to exist among men, or on the unexpectedness Win
which fine traits and heroic actions sometimes
crop out of the coarsest natures while coarse vein
sometimes shows itself IN the purity of the whitest
marble of life 1t was obviously, Robertsons de-
sign that his plays should diuse this sort OF inu-
ence. He charged them with subtle thought
bis characters and In his treatment
of his Characters means whereby the acting
should liberate ths various slenncanoe. hantv
The performance OF 1t, last night, made TINS
deeply felt and plainly manifest. 1t was q per-
fornance remarkable for strong Identifies har-
moniously displayed. Its effect upon the house
may be gathered from the fact that there were two
recalls after each curtain and that every performer
was specially called back to the public presence
Mr.. Pitt and Mr.; Davidge. in act third.
were recalled after exits OF particular
brilliancy. The Hawiree was certainly Q
fautless performance-the distinct preservation OF
positive and characteristic conveDtionahty being
its chief attribute and the execution being as sharp
and as polished as a steel blade. Miss Addison
created an unusual impression by her profound feel
ing and the adequacy and discretion OF her art.
beyond sanguine expectation. with Polly and
Geryidge. The manliness and polished playing OK
Mr.. Plympton, as UAtroy, were recognized with
general pleasure and with an irrepressbe out
burst of enthusiasm. Mrs. Chamberlain suffered
much from stage fright but bore herself wen. %
the Warehouses. The Ecctes OF MI Davloge piov99o
ali that IL has ever been-and il always superb
The curtain fell upon an uneQuiyocal success.