New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-12-20
TANGLED LIVES.

Tho stage OF the Fifth Avenue Theatre has been
pied since Monday night with piece called Tangled
Lives" which was written By Mr. John w. kel r, an es
teemed journalist of this city. and is presented by Mr.
Robert b. Manell who plays the chief part In It, This
new play has favOraby received 10y large numbers
of the public yet it Is easy to indicate the particular
public gain that is derived from IT, Tangled Lives
does not convey the impression sincerity of solid
work. rather the impression OF laborious INVENTION
experimental effort and temporary utility IL is scarcely
possible TO seriously author who states that he
has written play for the purpose OF showing that mar
rage ought be contracted in regular and not IN an
Irregular manner This fact is truisn known and al
United by all the world and surely it requires neither
forcement nor Illustration. The author II Tangled
Lives however, while he sanctions this prcension rs to
his play, does not, in reality, touch the ques
ton OF irregulanty In the laws as meth
DDS OF marriage This theme has been selected ana
mentioned by him pretext for the theatrical exposi
ainatory and matrimonial snarli and the oo-
server OF this piece finds his attention turned away
from platude about the marriage laws of New-York
20 domestic complication which more vulgar than I'M
pressive.
Divested Of specious moral assumption, Tangled
Lives the painful story OF the dilemma OF married
man WHO does not love wife. but does love another
woman The intinatiOn that his wife has become his
wife, in the eye OF law, by public alliance ami avowa
and not by religious ceremony does not, practically az
feet the He believes himself to be married to her.
he purposes respect that marriage and ultimately ne
released from her. not because his marriage was reS
ular not because declared inexpedient that an IT.
rgular should be recognized by the Law" but
because IL turns that she married already when
she married him. This Is Of the most an
Gent and trito Of all tho devices OF fiction
The substance OF the piece Is its picture
strongly drawn but well suggesed-of the unhappi-
ness OF who loves woman but is yoked to
another and beloved by BOTH Tho unhappness of the
also. is implicated in the picture It is, I'M
deniably deplOrabe OF domestic affairs and in
actual life IL probably Is not OF very uncommon occur
renee but il cannot helped and unless Important
berating and comforting truths 10 be disclosed
through It's publicity, good ensue from its prcsen-
tation upon the stage.
Mr. Keller has just OF stage effect in this
play and has written dialogue and several
torcal speed but the method pursued By him has
that narrative rather than that OF action proba
especially the adventurous wifes alleged Cuban
voy supposed demisehas TO the Winds
the conduct OF the chief persons has not been made log
icslly sequent upon their several characters inu
by their circumstances and therefore the work
be recognized example OF line construction.
such woman Helen Garth is described TO be would
leave whom she loves and has enneshed
would she moment deny his request (which. indeed,
has a luicrous effect for marriage with her by the
church. When she Is made to have left him 1t Is
that is only she may back with theatrical
The incident OF the misunderstanding to
which OF the two women Is TO be married. IN act THRU Is
impossible incident The incidental picture Of what Is
called Bohemia" given in act secondhand given in
neetea WIN Ine ps',1aisor n g"' nss sn.s.
act third Here much beloved G0ygh-acted by Mr.
MaDte-aer long and needless recapitulaton OF what
has already been fully told about 10 clasp his new ove
when he is abruptly confronted by his old This eli
max is not new, but II always tells.
Lives is done by Miss Elite 81 shannon as idi& Aus
lev and MI W +. Blande as egi"ad oron-e The parts
ored Mrs. Louisa Eldridge also pleases as her own
kihd-hesrted and goodhumoed self. A snowy perform
ance OF cynical man OF the world Is gwen by Mr. Nelson
Mheacroft; but unhapplly this character Josephns
HoWso", mere empty pretcnson He is supposed to DO
vastly clever; but he never thing bright and he
does nothing at all Mr. Mantell. when ho played tho
lover OF fedora had for his apparently volcanic
condition. As raymond orfh he has no adequate
for IT, kepressed passion Is, OF course, powerfu-per-
haps the most powerful OF all deuOtements OF feeling
III dramatic art bur the suppressage that lasts three
hours becomes monoonous. Mr.. Mantell produced tho
effect OF being solid and secouscous. and no
largely overfreghted with inepent tragedy the
situations IN which lie was displayed Miss Eleanor
times coarse and vixemsh as Heic, sstri Miss kato
Stokes, new arrival and AN amateurish performer Of
the mature eddy order presented marriageaoe widow
In a pert, underbred and srilent manner
Tangled Lives" viii probably have a prosperous
There Is enough OF dubious anaory flavor about
IL please considerable but not select class OF the pub
lie It's whrng speeches ana mol less clear Views apodt
mid but ambitious, its incidental celebration or BOhe
ma'-a realm which In this capital al least has always
patry and tedious but which iucOuoctly sppOscd
by those who do not know H. to possess exharulns as
natious-and its general relevancy to tho sentimental
and casual relations OF the suffice To insure Tor t
this measure OF acceptance But It Is feeble play,
IL Is pOutoss assault the marriage laws, and AZ IS
prposecss and nconcllsive manifestation OF an AS
pett OF possible experience that Is out OF place when
brought Ia the attention OF respectable Theatrical audi
IL may have It's value is play-that Is intended
as the Insurance formula says for Cowes and u
keI"
The following Is the with which Tangled Lives
Is acted at the Fifth Avenue Theatre:
Raymond Uarth Robert Il Manten
JoSephus Howson Nelson heaicrou
herman roster. b l. AAlgSod
4.
Addison kaphael rope X j. pu~tAn
Samuel Draper. alIas Dsogeues George s Kobius0n
DARIUS H. hckNrck
hdth AIMS ey Ellie M ~habnbn
NltOn Nsto ctOk0s
GLADYS Dciorne. heien windsor
~