New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-01-29
THE DRAMA.
/, ,prr nv csWpBFTIys NFW PLAY.

s,ood last night al the Union Square Theatre, in
,-pseuee OF umsroas aud highly genial audience
is separation of husband from wife aud the piece
presents consequence at first dolefu but ultimatey
serene rs attendant upon this rupture OF the harl
monial bond. The separation IS suffered 10 ehsue
upon the development of antSqonlsms Oh cnatac'ei
wbieh arize between the husband and the wlfe odt
of a variance of opinion as TO duty ana conduc. Ia
the married state The husband thinks that MS
wife ought TO be contented to dwell at their home ana
devote herself to him and 10 a domestic existence
The wife, however, Is p0SseSSea "a
accomplishments, and these she wishes 10 Gus
NAV: and il is her opinion that her proper sphere
of action is the stage To the stage accordingly She
goes and there is general wreck OF the hreside
altar The husband is left 10 sweep mp the nag
roen+s Of the broken idols on the learthSt0ne; and
the two proceed on their separate ways-to be re-
united however, after years of trial and sorrow,
chiefly affecting TO the husband, but not without
o,l,tayy effect upon the character If the wife,
To illustrate this instance OF matrimonial inlebc-
;+v Mr.. Campbell has written a large quantity OF
dialogue some of which is excellent, and this he
has cut OF into sections, which are ca lied acts ont
which. in fact are a series Of coiloqnies dranat-
IL p,ecban;srl-the display of plot by means OF
deeds and incdentS-has scarcely been attempted.
The piece states case; recte3 its facts; shows It's
aspects at different points OF time; ana
urgeS its moral 10 mat, aau HUt 20 th0 P4oF '4iN
attention is first desired. Tire basis slight aud IN
sufficient but once accepted, there are touching
postures Of circumstance reared upon 1t. IheSe'
and splendid mounting and brilliant acting
chiefly by Charles Coghlan and Eihe Ellsler-clr-
RED the piece TO a success last night There could
be no donbt of that The an hor was called before
the curtain amid great applause. separation IS
in It's literature much the best work that he has
ever shown here. We have only to regret thar ne
has not fashioned the piece with skill eoa1nensu-
rate with that Of his writing
If Mr. Campbell means to assert that happiness
IN the married state either is possible or ought 10
he possible. when the wife is devoted 10 public
career. apart from her husband aud independent oi
him. he Innst contemplate a most refrigerant state
of hulnan affections and passions. Such doctrine,
in fact would be very great nonsense discounted
by all that is known of human nature and all that
is learned by observation of human experience Ii
Mr.. Campbell does not mean this, he may perhaps
mean the exact converse His drift is not clear.
"separaton talks out of a pulpit but the DIS
course Is vague.
When a married woman goes upon the stage she
GENERALLY does 50 because she is vain and tomb of
admiration and because she is tired OF her husband
and her home and wishes to live By herself and
she usually ends by breaking all her domestic tIeS
which have existed, aud forming new ties, less
humdrum less obligatory, and more 10 her taste.
And this, she thinks, is giving scope 70 her nina
and making practical proclamation OF womaas
equality with man. The fact il, Ter fancy has
changed her husband has become tedious ant
offensive and her capreious, unstable character r.
0ures novelty. Sc Is a rake, aud she THINKS her
self a champion of woman's rights.
There arr. and always VIII be- exceptional very
few-but this is the rule And since 10y nature.
woman was made for home. children. the life Of
the affe~t ons and a condition OF gentle dependence
on mans love and care, she usually comes TO grief
and misery whenever she breaks away from her NAT
uraf state. This is especially the c4Se when. being
married she leaves her home and on the stage;
for of all the bad passions, thai OF vanity (Which
Sheridan rightly dcuomInated the greatest and the
worst thar human nature feeis IS the one that the
stage in such most especially fosters and aug
ments. And life of vanity is life Of trouble and
sorrow.
That Is a significant piece Of yers" which 5ir
Whittier wrote about the two-Lcaded snake. The
moment husband and wife begin 20 be governed
by separate interests and 70 pub in different direc-
lions. love is dead between them and when love is
dead then marriage is nothing more than bushes,
contract and il makes very little q ference what
course is adopted by either party 40 chat 1t does not
involve the sacrifice of honor and wctltude !
hus and and wife situated have ceased 10 be In
terestng to, each other or to anybody else II IS
lovers. married or otherwise, be tra-ical No
body surely can care for dissolution OF partnership
in dry-goods and groceries
The dIdactic bias IN drama has al Jays been found
tiresome. An obtruded moral is not desirable ia a
work of art. The place for preceptS is the copy
book. HE proper vehicle for doctrine Is The ser
mon. A play, indeed, must have lis moral e!e ueut,
as everything else has in this world. But the !
moral element in play, as in every other work of
art, should De left TO make its own way. play |
with q neral purpose, play with an immoral |
purpose addresses the mind 1T the wrong angle. !
The man 1T the clearinghouse who said he pre-
ferred 70 have his butter on plate and his hairs
on another had the night instinct of taste. The /
main thing in a play is dramatic exposition /
of human nature and experience. Lessons should !
be incidental and each observer ought TO be left /
free to draw his own moral. Mr.. CampbelPs |
Separation might have been much more effect
i've if be had Thought more of dramatic point and
less OF moral significance.
II is Mr. Campbelrs didactic treatment of his
subject which cOmpes didactc considerations of IT.
The vital question ought to b" whether the pos
ture al facts conceived his play Is dramatic;
whether situations and incidents have been de-
dneed FROM II which contain the element of action
and appeal 10 the feelings. To certain extent
they have. The chief situation ! that OF the meet
ing ol persons, once married who nave long been
parted and tins the author likes so well th&t ne
repeats II several times. II Is the same, with |
difference that has been known since K0tze-
bueS Stranger the same, Win a ui1tfentc, tIdl I
has figured in " Divorce" Piquc." and "Odette.'
There Is plenty OF variety in Inc climate and
manners of this play. he nrst act is placed on !
the banks Of the Hudson River. The second and
third acts are supposed to pass at IIouFlie, IN
rance. The fourth and fifth acts shift the scene
into Italy. and wind up the story at RI renee. lit
teen characters implicated IN the plot. The
really brilliant part Of the piece is the Incidental
part-tle thread of humOr, the vein Of character
stretching the drO and pungent banter on the sub
Iect OF hiltatOn, and the frequent bright language,
eiG =. 9 ei an honest mind and a true heart
ls very violent assumption that when hus- |
palu ana Wlie have been parted IN such a way aud
ubtti snt cfrcunsta uCeS they can ever be united
asaiI. @f. Jampbell, however, makes thai as
SUMPTION WIN comD-acent ea... III. hr .l.,d o..d