New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-01-15
THE DRAMA-MUSIC.
DALYs THEATRg-1HE MERRY WIVES OF
WIADSOR.

windsor" is struck In it's title. These two English
Danes Mrs Ford and ls. Page, are as chaste as icv
and AS pure snow but they are merry IN olspos-
tion and they are fastdous. The gross attention
that is paid them by the fat knight fdsfoD IS Cd
their eyes, but IL mpresses them ~ udicrous
rather offensive. They cannot look at hin serl-
ousy. They refer to hun as Old cold. withered' ana
OF inolerable entras" They laugh at him. They turn
him into ridrue. And the simple purpose oil the peJe
in which they disport themselves is to accomplish tue
discontinue OF this fat and to onjoy foic all
along the road to accomplishment OF this whole
some AMI facetious result OF then Hrs Ford ap-
pareptly younger aud pretter OF VIII nkewse
incidentally teach her Jealous hGsoania saluAry lesson
Ford suspicious and speuec and far too ready to ar
Dor vile suspicious There is pretty little love story.
also, blended into the texture OF The frolc,-simpe,
almost commonplace, its Incident, but sweet In its
atmosphere. This concerns itself with Anne Page. who
indeed Is pretty virgiuity and with her lover Fenfo
who smells of April aud May" as FaStdG himself
observes. Ike Buckersbury In simple time" The deft
Introduction Of Herne the Hunter and the old OAK In
Windsor Forest round which he prOwls, and shakes q
chain with hideons and dreadful noise, ADDS to
the composition singular touch Of romantic charm An
of humor, superimposed upon that OF Fasta1
himself IS supplied by means OF his absurd mln-
ions, Bardolph. Nya, aud Pistol, and also by
means Of the jealous wrangling between Or.
Oaius and Sir Hugh Trans. the peppery Frenchman.
and the apprehensive but resolute Weshman both OF
whom sputter In broken English. Shakespeare has
drawn all the characters In this comedy with a free
The Old tradition that he wrote the piece
within fourteen days. and certainly 1t lie work that
shows good-humored relish the part OF its author
and betrays effort. The character of Fasta6. IL
appears in this comedy obviously taken for granted
Shakespeare had dra WI, Henry w." different and
much greater but his implied assumption now is
that the old humorst Is to be exhibited in weak
and somewhat patry phase OF his possible experience
"wit may be made JackoLent, when tits upon Ill em-
H,f,r uhan
the last. he reflects upon his discontinue and re-
MARKS. In reference the gbcs OF the Welsh Parson,
that he lived to be bated by "a piece OF toasted
cheese" and that Ignorance itself" has become "a
pummet over him." The whole comedy, indeed, is to
be taken lightly, in ohsnd. frocsOme spirit precise
ly it written. Tue poet has most adroitly
laid its in Of the lovees and most essentially
English towns In England The great castle Is there.
with all its store associations and ilustrous memories.
and its venerable and impressive aspect The
Royal Court Ia there and dominates the place but
ut this day. gentle and picturesque rustic atmosphere
pervAdes and softens the metropolitan character of
Windsor The streets picturesque The little an
qne houses nestle around the imperial fortress
which is one OF the glories OF England and
IN historical shrine for the pilgrims OF
all nations. The great trees that embower
Windsor the magnificent park which its heart its
glory the Opulent character OF the placeal these
cessories especially to harmOnize with Shakes.
peare's design. to have froe In region where all tho
adjuncts should be not only costly but romantic and
beautiful The piece inferior his poetic comedies
but 1t Is delightful transcript Of real life and such
II Las always kept the stage and probably always Will
keep t. ,,..-- r....., MI,
sor effected night his theatre In the presence OF
great and delighted crowd OF spectators that filed
every psrt OF tho house, has been accomplished In
spirit OF entire mpathy with t1e purpose and tue tone
OF dy The manager hashiinself maze book
Of the play, eNpuu1lng from The text Whatever might
perchGnce be 0ie sye to iasdious refinement while
m the mounting ana the acting oi the piece he has en-
rusiey OF Windsor and To nc the characters with suIta
bic representatives Tho many. aud they are
beautiful The parts well fitted, and they are played
with that OF zes aud relish which il only possible
when actors Interested la what they doing. Mr.
Charles Fisher acted Iasaf and IL be said that
Henry w. hs nevertheless rrprese nts the character
when displayed in association with the Merry wives
rather as goOdnatured. aniable Did fellow. who really
does not any especial mischief bat just
donkey In his bes1ttcd folly Perhaps it would
wise-cer anly It would be indecate-to make FdtstaD
"" would Inevitably have acted Falstag is person
coa the 1 have S al Pho 10
less does well not 10 90 10 lar behind the actual could
most pic,areqnc parsonage as faisag lie suggests
a long BACKGROUND OF personal history. He invests
the part with delightfully."- Jocular humor He con-
OF .lbdnous and hardened satyr but OF kindly,
by his vanity and very properly caJoed aud punished
by couple OF clever good women, who do not
sentiment. All the Faisiag scenes went merry. Mrs
lord aud Ms Pdge were played by Miss Rehan aud Miss
moled the mischief with del ghtn eagrness and most
contagious mcrrimcnt, and dashed through their
spOrtive scenes with juba1t enthusiasm The reading
OF the letters had particularly brilliant effect Mas
Rehan the more cOquettsh and dashng of the two
performers; but Miss Dreher marked in judicous way
the ripper experience and supsror maturity which prop
ery appertans TO Mrs Page The sweetness and demure
gravity OF Miss Edith Kingdom made her quite bewtch
Ing Anne Idg,. IL would be hard to match Mr..
James Lewis for what may be- called the sapent SILT
OF Slender. for the precision and neat4ess OF
execution with which he acted that part. The
famous duel between Trans and Cdis could not
be better done that was between Mt Gilbert aud Mr.
Lecercq. Both these actors nunorists and both Of
strong IN dialect The little that Mrs. Quickly
has t. DO WAS adntraby done 10y Mrs. Gilbert. The per
Torrance lasted to llte hour. and more detailed COM
menary upon tho acting OF the piece will not here he
attempted at this moment Enough to say that this
comedy has not been we'll acted within long recO
lection OF the local The stu iious OF the
obvious I'm the costly beauty Of the dresses
aud I'm the sumpuous scenery. Mr.. edward H. Bell who
gave pleasing performance Of EentOn. has had prn
cpal hand IN deYsing he costumes They certainly do
credit to tho skill OF all who concerned In
The revival OF this
places pleasure within The public reach, and II
also does much strengthen Mr. Days claim to that
leadership othe American stage, In the field OF comedy
which for time he has been engaged In wrestling
from all competitive hands.