New-York tribune., 1886-03-12
DRAMA-MUSIC-ART.
SHE LOVED HIM.

A drama In four acts, with a tragical term,.
nation written by Mr. j. w. Piggott entitled IN.
Loved Him." was acted yesterday afternoon at ~.
Lyceum Theatre. for the first time any stage and "a
received with kindly interest and moderate fsvo.
by small audience, mostly composed OF member, a,
the dramatic profession. The performance was exnsL
mental 1t being the object Of the author OF the dram,
TO ascertain by direct trial the practical utility O, b
piece. Tho effort is entitled TO respect but the resr
not such as 10 afford lively encOuragem,pt
Womans nature has seldom been presented ia A no,a
odous light than is thrown upon It in this producton
The chief person in the play Is who has passed
through painful experiences in early youth, bnt
apparently. has not derived from them eItb.,
dignity OF character sef-respect a chastenAa
spirit or any womsn-like gentleness vha,
In the fourth act she speaks OF herself as being
the possessOr OF "a frozen heart" but IN the ar,,
act being rescued from fire which consumes her rss,
dence this frozen heart OF hers has far thayed
permit becoming violently Of the bravo
man by whom her has been effected This feeling
which ought to ennoble-and which, In natures worthy
OF dramatic analysis and attention. always does enno
be-is shown in her to be the motive OF shocn,
degradation. She finds that the man whom shs love,
has pighted his heart another woman and in order "a
win him away from this rival aud secure him for her.
self she enters treschorous and sorid compact
with pIeposterous rascal mildly represented as muir.
Jerer and a sharper. to convict this Innocent
man OF having cheated at cards By
this means she Will enleayOr to breat
his engagement to the other woman ani she repro
sented as pursuing him, in season and ont 0; season.
with open profTor OF her unsolicited oye-a thing
incredible and abhOrrent
Such woman, in actual life would be reprohensbls
and hateful in ordinary degree and 1t Il dicnt to
understand why such individual should be deemed
worthy OF dramatic treatment as the heroine OF pay
Moral mOnstrOsties have sometimes been effectively
used in dramatic compositions as Tho means Of creating
surprising situations, thrilling complexities OF cream
stances and incidents and startling theatrical effects;
but It has not been usual invite thOugltu attention
TO the study of them for their own sake 3Ir Pgg0tt
appears to have reasoned that because \ woman oveda
man. ber uuwomanlie immOdest deprayed. treaoherous
cruel and in fact insane behavior, in wicked effort to
make him her own by accomplishing the rain Of his
honor In the eyes OF everybody else. wodld become
invested with pathOs and with tragic importance
II WAS a mistaken assumption. The vile plan Of hls
heroine Is shown TO have succeeded only IN part AZ
last she cOniesses her dupAcy swallows Iran of
poison and expires. she appears only m the nrst
act aud I'D the last one aud in that respect Mr PgyOtt
has constructed his drama win the wse't ART IN
certau other respects also his WORK might have been
improved by more laDOrIOus thought and more expert
cons ruCtye skill. Tne characters, twelve IN nunDcr,
speak for tue most part IN and the same manner,
Narratives of an autobiographcal kind are employed
with pTouse beray, yet without the chect OF she'd
ding clear illumination upon the carly lives OF tho
several historians The first act Is confined and prONX
Tie scene In the cardrOOn, though elective Is hack
neycd The third act does not advance the movement
and In the fourth act the climax is deicent-aks Of
human nature, dramatic weight. aud even the cheap
utre Of theatrical surprise. Bat the earacters ato
clearly suggested, II not always clearly dehnei tho
style is smooth and sometimes pointed; aud the pieco
is, in n technical sense, practical
It was mounted some Of the scenery that has been
used for one OF Our rls" Miss Sophie Eyrc an Mr..
Edward SOthcrn were each respectively recalled upon
the Gene, ami the author, Mr. PIggOt was called Que
AT the end third amid cordial applau e. MISS
Sophie Eyre pleased by her sumptuDus pay ,c beauty
and sne simulated with sufficient SKILL the condition VI
disduetude. seoOnhict and painful nervous excitement
the amorous, unprinciped scfOrnont-
ing wOman-the heroine or this plece-whOm sue dndef
represent The suggestion or the misery ut love
that forces its own unnatural avOwal from wOuans
lips gave an Impression Of fine intelligence and distinct
tragic force. Her death scene was extremely bad Mr.
DeVero made an impossible villain, sull more iuposs-
BILE by a hideOus black wiz aud free use OF fire
arms. Mr. Edward sOthern, having 10 repre-
sent vulgar sporting character yilIan9as
occasion The difficulties Of the part arising out Of
certain radically irrational quality IN itseu' IN ITS
changes and In its situations, we're all surnounted Oy
him with the admirable ygor OF clear personal pur-
nose on the part OF actor himself He took sketch
and he turned 1t into The cast included also
Mr. Louis James, Mr. Ivan Shirley, Mr. n C. smly. Ar.
Percy Winter Miss Nellie Mortimer De We're, and Mss
Enid Leslie The perform lastod about thrce hours
Nj n be repeated.