New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-08-31
THE DRAMA-MUSIO.
LAWRENCE BARRETT AS YoRICK.

Lawrence Barrett, opening the dramatic
of 1885, appeared last night at the Star Theatre
and impersonate Yot1ck to o slender house but with
extraordinary success Public feeling expressed itself
In cheers upon his first entrance and In eager sustained
sympathetic interest the performance. This
s tho frat really important event OF tho dramatic
year. and such 1t was hailed and honored. "Yorick
s olpece now but many good things are old, ana 1t
10 the spirit In these that makes the old seem
Tue moral lessons that are deduobe from stories Of
love that Is false to Its VOWS and OF Jealousy that culm
deeas OF blood obvious and rite II cannot
be supposed that the value to spectator. Of such
play Yorck resi- les In Its moral lessons Every
body knows that breach " the marriage contract is
not justfablo by tho plea OF change OF heart even
though that change be natural and Involuntary: and
everybody knows that Jealousy becomes madness and
madness commits murder the crime is that humanity
in general will deporo rather than condemn These
trusms tragic play. to possess valuable import
to those who see It, must be than
q rehearsal Of platituaes or . reiteration
OF the Ten Commandments. Nor does such o work be-
useful to others merely because 1t actor
the vehicle for felicitous manifestation OF his
professional skill. "Yorick" presents spectacle Of
human trial and misery; and such spectacle. faith
fully copied from life and hcn TRANSPORTED work Of
art, will have softenng power the human heart
and ennoblng significance to the human mind, frat by
reason OF sympstheto fidelity In It's portrsiture and
then by reason Of It's illumination OF the conditions
under which humanity Is governed. The spectacle 10
freighted with precisely this power In this case, and
therefore Yorlck" succeeds.
This tragedy indeed. what troubles the sense OF
justice by causing fatal consequences 20 dow from
venia and not a downright guilty fault
and perhaps Its affective force 10 somewhat I'm
paired by this error OF construction. But as
picture OF the pathetic agonzing and tragca entan
clements which do constantly arise In human experience
It remains essentially and touohingly true. Here Is
of miide-age genius anu noble creature every
way. whole being absorbed with the passion OF
love for his young wife; here is young woman natur
ally good who has married elderly man. OF kind
and Affection only to and, too late. that marriage
must rest on far more imperous feeling; here 10 the
handsome young lover who, In complete Innocence and
without yoitOn awakens the woman's heart and road
lily wins II from husband who Is merely respected and
here ia wicked enmy personhed In soured and en-
Filtered man smartng under thatwound to vanity which
low and common natures bear aud will never
forgive. IL Is an old. old story; but even without in
genuity OF plot and felicity Of dramatic treatment and
OF language, II would possess an impressive meaning
Is the stuation-the selection 10 each other into which
the innocent persons OF this representative story are
that fate imposes them and the awful catastrophe
that inevitably ensues The youthful lovers cannot hep
actor fallen into the scar and yellow cannot help his
frantic leaioasy, MS aespa ms MS rssn aess o..
OF life. Facts they and experience vouchsafes
can that story OF human life full of just
such events, ami that tue highest wisdom and only pos
sibe refuge. In OF them. is endurance "Yorck"
succeeds paints the life OF the truth
fully and speaks simply this word TO ilumlne It's pct
ure.
Lawrence Barrett, In Yorick is adequate at every
point and he gives noble ami touching performance.
His ideal OF the comic actor who deeply feels the ser
aspect Of life would like to play tragedy, es
peciay right and fine in his respect among Others that
1t Is precisely the sort OF man whom common |
place young woman land most young women botn In |
plays aud out OF them, are commoDplacel would Ike.
but could ne Their love nor understand The gentle hu
miity OF 1ne nature IS expressed by aim with GER
tam sweet and natural selfdepreciatlon so that forcE
10 made very wstful aud he would De almost lorIorn
but Tor his gueless trust and his bthe eager child
IKE SPIRIT An ordinary gr N wpua be ntepes Gy .as
him. as long she did not love somebody else; The
forced, though indrecty-which all the better art
by the free play, the abandonment that given by
heart iorjeR. to be sure, is made TO talk too
much when hour OF trial and misery but that
speaks little. MacduG in one OF the great masters
scenes. simply pulls his cap upon his brows" Had Law
true artist deep student OF human Dature superb
Oh ne &
last nightly the splendid sefcontrol and the refined
this tragedy. he subordnated copous defamation to
Intense feeling. Often before he has played this
part; never, surely, with such wiseyempered ardor
judcous while brilliant force. 1t was exploit not
only delightful 10 itself but very valuable as an exam
our actors should DO teachers. Such mon az Law
Barrett John Gilbert Irving Booth and Jeferson
do for newspaper verdict the professional
skill of any special effort This performance VITA which
Lawrence Barrett has opened the season taught once
again the wisdom OF old WordswOrth's fiue precept:
Keep. keep. as II by touch
OF selfTcstraning art
The modest charm OF not too much
Part seen, imagined part"
The auxiliary parts cast this occasion did not |
serve to reveal strong dramatic company The repre-
sentative or Walton too much the rambling bravo
and facial contortionst OF other days Miss Gale seems
not yet to have acquired disciplined control OF her
physical po ver Effort was somewhat painfully evident
about ner performance, did it-Dotable Ia the
acting situation OF the garden scenedenote either
clear intellectual purpose well considered ground
plan OF expression. The representative OF the young
lover afforded neither for the ladys
infatuatlon. Dir. Gotthod who appeared a. the Nan
TO the and neither distinct In the
character ready IN the words But IOrick" Will
he repeated and other represent aons OF doubtless will
be smoother. Rcheieu Is for Thursday.
Mr. Barrett has this adopted the rule OF eKcnd
Ing all dead heads" from the theatre This rule dis
satisfies Its Victims ana somewhat thns tho audience.
Mr. Barrers intention to produce ReDz" during his
present engagement at the Star Theatre has been dis
carded. He Will, however, bring out this fine drama
else and later in the season, after careful
paration than possible In NewYork at this time