New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-02-14
THE DRAMA.
LADY CLARE.

a-hs remarkable beauty with which this play was
presented IN Wallacks Theatre last night, Is th0
first fact with reference to it that attracts observ
fion. and the uncommon and delightful ieh0i.y
with which it was acted is the last that nngo's 4"
remembrance Such scenery-so natural III com
posifion and so soft and sweet In coio1S a"u
tone-is seldom displayed, even w.
this stage. where the pageant Is usually ~ "unii
able. Such acting as that OF Rose Coghlsh anu
Osmopd Tearle--the one so intense, the o'ncl so
passionate and manly and both so vigorous ana
.~;I,;ant-;s seldom witnessed anywhere in these
davs In itself the play is thin as to plot and
-atber trite "a to incidents, and it will
ba regarded rather as the literary frame
xrork of romantic and fauciful story
than as the dramatic reflex of actual or
ros.ibIe social life. Viewed as such reflex, 1t is
INSTANTLY seen to be defective in its basis and I'M
possibe in the sequence of its events. Such man
as Middleton, its hero, could not wed such woman
"a Lady Clare its heroine without being as well
aware before the marriage ceremony rs after IL
of the actual state of her heart. Men and women
may be mistaken as to many things; put
the munitions of love remorseless and fatal IN
informing those who feel them whether love Is re-
ciprocal or Is despised.
LADY Clare in this drama, because she has been
fitted by the man whom she loves, and is tainted
by her rival, gives her hand to a whom size
does not love, and becomes his wife. On
their return from the church she tells
him this truth and he is overwhelmed by IT /;
but he insists upon her obedience, although he
must forego her affection. This makes strong
scene. They are to dwell beneath the same roof
but they are to be strangers little later there is
meeting between the wife and her truant lover, and
n subsequent quarrel between the two men. This
results in O duel, but when this is
tonight. the wife rushes between the con-
testants and receives in her shoulder the
bullet that else would have sped TO her husbands
heart When she RECEIVERS from this wound they
are reconcied. But, it is evident before the
duel that they love each other,-that the wife has
cast away her earlier passion and mbioed
new one - there seems no ade-
ouate reason for this catastrophe. The out
come of it all, however, is series Oh
situations neither novel nor very striking IN the
course Of which, however there is room for strong
display of elemental emotion, and pretext for pow
erful acting A neat thread of light comedy, domes-
tic in character. is twisted with the darker strand
of amatory passion ana misery, at last relieved by
mutual confession and fond agreement.
Mr.. Blackstone and Miss Measor, in boy and
girl courtship are ingenious and very charming
Mr. Cheney is ardent and elegant as the prOtigate
lord Miss Helen Russell gave distresslngly true
of sterling truth and value. Miss Cognan ana MI.
Tearle are suited to an extraordinary degree IN
Iady Glare and John Middleton The manners and
conversation Of noble English ladies considerably
caricatured in some of the dialogue. But the topic
of the play-the death of one love and the birth OF
another. in q wOman's heart-shOwn under NOSE
romantic conditions and illustrated with such lire
and sincerity, will suffice to make Lady care
success with this public il has been with that OF
London Miss COghlan and Mr.. Tearle were re-
peatedly called before the curtain, and the per-
Torrance had thus a most suspicious welcome.