New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-21
THE DRAMA.
,rNRy IRVING As DIR. PRIMROSE.

| thor associates of the London Eyeeum, presented
Mr. W. q wiIls's lovely and t rhing domestic play
Of Olivia" and thus began their farewell engagement
| This great feature Of Ar. Irvfnss repertory, long
expected aud desired here received with abundant
sympathy and with meritcd admiration Tic has
cxorted hts extraordinary powers and maintained his
artistic authority IN greater, because intricate,
voinmn US. profound and heavily heiehted eharas-
tors, than that Of the Vicar OF Wakefield but he has
never set before tho public moro completely rounded
and finished work Of dramatic art, one re level
to universal apprehension and the love of mankind,
Sisdious and exciting observers who beh III Mr..
| Irving a. Hamlet Or Shyioek Macbesh or Romeo
may perhaps, feei mpcfed to question certain atrf.
butes Of the Ideal certain features of the execution
may cOnsids, that the whole truth Is not Expressed.
that the who,s press nm Is not meiiasous: but
rational judge who sces him tho Vicar can miss
! being delighted with the essential fidelity and beauty
OF the mpersonaflon and fhe massive strength and
perfect grace with which It Is expressed The att
OF Ellen Terry Olivia Is equally true and equally
pers picuous and potent. She has not, INDEED, 70
speak from her imagination, and therefore she -
not attain to the height OF her wonderful and match
less embodiment Of ophelia But now, as at all
times she speaks from the heart, and In aceeas that
msuBdcrstand The eoIuence OF aggrs-
sve and nfmbe controversy thrive In other fields.
and critical ingenuity may demoustrate-as to Henry
Irvfng-tha nobody ought TO approve what ncverthc
less everybody ntinues to admire but in this field
nv. Jefferson adorned and blessed the stage with his
humanlzing and renderly poetic port Failure of Rip
Van Wrinkle has any performance been displayed upon
It redOIent of poetry and humanity. so exquisite
In the delicate trscery Of art. enuobng in sponta
moral Influence, as Henry Irving's embodmcnt
OF the Vicar Of Wakefield, with which Ellen Terry's
Olivia s equal companion.
Last autumn Irving od forth IN the character
OF Mephtstopheies Now no Is revealed n the character
OF DR.. Primrose more startling contrast Could nos
be provided. more Instructive to stu@nts OF
this remarkable actor To be pro acicnt In both
these parts IS TO possess wide OF power. AZ
NcphlstopheIes If MI. Irving departed at all Fl III
the Internal and loaf hsome personality OF the demon
dclneated in Geethe's poem, was In all wing him
moments Of towering majesty and colossal domination
such as are allowed to him by the p ct 10
did not satisfy because he did try to satisfy, the
expectations of those mistaken persons who lo7k Tor
Millions satan In Goethes sardonie 6erd. He gave
a great embodiment OF the cruel dcpraved and heart
less maignty that first tricks its victims and then
snecrs and ehuckles their ruin The M"phsto
pheles of Goethe IS crafty and hardy-he Is not sub
ime-and perhaps surer sign and proof OF f.
rvings dramatic greatness In the part could be cited
than the fact that no gave it occasional gran ierr
and filed It with balefu but undcnable fascination
The peri lrnanco misht-and, IN fact, it often did
impart a sickenlng sense Of horror, but IT riveited
the spectators interest, and that IS sufficient tesc
of acting AS Dr.. Primrose, tho actor wins the same
victory, but here his conquest IS effected by substt
ing the angel for the fend. Seldom indeed has genius,
using the medium # dramatic art given an evidence III
its vers Utility at convincing and SD brilliant
One of the great difficulties Of dramatic art has
always been the difficulty of impartng 10 simply
virtuous character the invcStiture Of aluremenf.
Hamlet IS salFnsed and exalted by poetic mystery.
Richard is tanghf With deadly fzscinafi n. Romeo
Is saturated with romantic passion and shadowed By
halIowing pre- ordination Of calamftous and tragic
deaf Rut Mr. a
who is not afl aid Uf Hon. and even the most pic
turesque circumstances that literary art can devise
have usually failed to make him fascinating person
Every opportunity that the subject of GodsnIth'S
novel affords has been used By Mr wills in making
the play, and used with fine aud rcibe and splendid
Skill Memory readily Indicate more teem-
ing, diversified, significant. feicItous and affecting
piece Of dramatic fabrication than IS shown In tho
second act Of this piece; and the third, whIic loss
exuIcraniy fretShtcd with incident, Is still stronger
than the seeoHd In dramatic action and pictorial en-
vronmeut. But variety or felicity Of surround
lngs would irrsffate endcar the character u
Dr. Primrose to make him what Henry Irving has
rade him for the audience that smiles and weeTs
beneath the spell of his magical embodiment Magi-
cal certainly It IS, in Its refinement, its sweetness,
lis quantness IT'S noble passion, It's lovable humor.
and its per feet sir piiciiy.
Every part that Mr. Irving has acted has, OF course,
been provided with It's background; has implied tho
have and gone, the experience that has set ts
mark upon the spirit and helped mould the physical
demeanOr; but throughout this impersonaion tho
reminiscent quality IS especially and exceptionally
mellow tender and impressive. You d. not see an
old merely when you look upon this venerable
clergyman of rural parish, but you see an old man
who has been young, who has loved and Suffered and
tn ught and ttiled, who has sympathlzed with his
fellow creatures In all their trials, who has looked
deeply into life and whose condition Of purity, dignity,
charity and love Is the high truition and eonsummafe
crown OF triumphant virtue. The average actor
OF such a part can only emerge from stagnaton to
meanGer through insipidity. lie never gets beyond
the powdered wig and the white tie. Mr. Irving
faseinates in Dr. Primrose, because, while making
him pIquaat with the attributes OF charming eccentric
Hy he invests him with the heart and passions OF
man and with the charm Of man of genius. Those
who heard his heartrensing tones when the bereaved
father mechanically reiteraes sophas useless words
of ex plantation in the moment Of olyias flight, or
the collapse of that great heart, or looked upon
the parents vain effort to rcbuke hs idollzed dalsh
ter VIII never forget what then they behold and real
ted But it is net alone these supreme moments
and shining strokes of art that will he remembered
The unity, the lifeke reality and the intense vigor
of the impersonaon make IL fact of actual expert
encc. Dr. Primrose is no longer a mere character in
a book but man whom you have personally known
a gracious image Of noble and plquant goodness, 10
be cherished in your memory of all ideals, teach
ing you to live with patience TO bless those around
you, and TO grow old with dignity and grace. Tho
hcated dlsputant Of the benelcent utility OF La
sagc might we'll be converted prospect of this
peri rmance.
Mr. wills has wisely ahsaincd from the endcavos
10 put the whole OF Goldsmths stery into play
The numerous imp~obabilities of The Vicar If wahe
field, would defeat tho most petent skill in dra
matte construction. An episode of the novel has
been selected and the theme f the ple,c IS the copc-
nent of olivia In viewing the play, however as
In reading the story, rho observer is surprised that
Sir william ThornhiIi, since he sees how matters arc
going and could easily ser Them right, should 80
hung persist maintaining his fictitious character.
There would be neither play story, though, but
for SIR William Thornhiifs eccentricry IN this particu-
lar, and Judgment must be blind To this defect, as
TO all other discrepancies for the sake of the teas