New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-01

LADY MACBETH-A BRILLIANT AUDI
ENcE AND NOTABLE SUPPER
PARTY-MR- PHELPS WILL
STAY IN LONDON.
fBY CABLE TO THE IRIBUNE.l
Copyright: lsss By The Aetc- York Tribune.
London Dec. 3l.-No event of the last few days
in politics or society has filed the public mind
or public press Mr.. Irvings q Mac
beth" at the Lyceum Theatre. 1t has
been, perhaps. too much discussed IN
advance. Mr. Irving is in no need
of the puff preliminary What his friends tired
10 do was to prepare the way for daring eXp'fl-
ment Essays Oh the play appeared; one cS-
pecially, by Mr. Comyns Carr, very clever and
scholarly attempt TO prove the impossible Mr..
Carrs task was TO find in ShakCspeares text
some justification for Mr.. Iryings rendering of
his heio and for Miss Ellen Terry's embodiment
of the heroine. 1t gallant attempt which
entirely convinced those who were convinced be-
fore or those-and they are many-who are ready
to accept whatever Mr.. Irving offers them
Curiosity and interest were at their height.
The pit door of the Lyceum was beset by a crowd
all day People of position vainly petitioned
q week ahead for boxes and stalls. The audience
on which the curtain finally was, If less
fashionable than is sometimes on first nights,
brilliantly representative and capable both OF
friendship and Of criticism Those of them VINO
after the play was over met on the stage at
supper with Mr.. Irving included an extraordinary
number d and women famous III many
different circles in London. The American Min
lister and Mrs. Phelps Of the company. The
papers, both Of London and of the provinces, de
vote columns to a description OF the scene ana
of the performance The Times" conservative
as it is in all such matters. has over four col
umns. including separate notice of Sir Arthur
Ihn 'l.ln nh
two columns of criticism. fills column with
description of the audience. Mr.. Clement Scotts
two columns in The Daily Telegraph" are in
his best, though not in his most austere, manner
q" The Pail Mall Gazette fills three pages with
text and illustrations. Mr.. Irving has perhaps
no enemy in the press, and has many enthusiastic
friends. So of the Lyceum public; no audience
could be more cordial and more anxious to be
pleased. There applause without STINT botn
for Mr. Irving and for Miss Ellen Terry; ap-
plause for Sir Arthur Sullivan, who well de-
served it; and applause for almost everybody
The play was put on the stage with elaborate
completeness and beauty. 1t was Mr.. lrvlngs
last work in the art of stage-management and
his best 1t is an art in which he has no rival
II it were possible to gain acceptance for the
view Mr. Irving has adopted, approval for his
conception of Macbeth" and liberation for
his dealing with Shakespeare, it would have been
gained on Saturday. His view is that to treat
the play as a spectacle is to treat 1t reverently
His conception of Macbeth" is absolutely his
own His way of dealing with Shakespeare Is
TO rearrange the play, alter and suppress scenes
and make him subordinate alike to spectacular
splendors and TO the personal necessities OF ldlo-
srrc,asies of those who play the parts ShaFes-
neare created His Macbeth has not sug-
eestion of the soldier. nothing of nobility, moth
ing kinglv. not one touch of genuine manliness
7, Is very subtle study OF the
moro craven part Of cowardly nature faithful
nictare of a being altogether contemplate IN
an vital points 1t is Mr.. Irving's Macbeth OF
thirteen wears ago. Mr.. Irving has courage,
thouch he prefers Macbeth should be pol
troon. He has the courage OF his. Opinions. ne
has not forgotten the general condemnauoR WHICH
hefel his first essay as the Thane OF Cawdor; !;
he has clearly resolved to compel reluctant
nuhlic to accepo his old version. lie brings 10
tbe task all the knowledge, authority ana preS'Ige
he has since gained. He acts far better, oiteh ne
oc,s mapnifcently. always with clear Intelligence
and definite AIM The better acting brings out
more strongly than ever his radical faults OF theory
The AIT is consummate: the theory which it is so
sLi,fullv applied to illustrate is totally false.
Miss Ellen Terry's Lady Macbeth is Miss Ellen
Torr,, full Of fascination and Of beauty, but
without tragic note from beginning to end.
Sbs ;s human natural, modern, sumptuously ap-
parelled. altogether charming; and as unlike Lady
Macbeth as u is possible TO be. In short, II 10
present Shakespeare's play as nineteenth century
n,elodramic comedy be the righu thing, Mr. Irving
and Miss Terry may both be congratulated on thch
success. 1t is certainly success from the man
aoer's point of view London Will probably crowd
the Lyceum for months and rightly, for no more
interesting novelty is likely to be offered Tor
many year TO come.
Tho verdict Of the press and of tAe public on
this performance is expressed IN great variety oi
,ones. hut there remains no doubt as 10 its pur-
port and intention. Everything as sald' mas
been done 10 secure acceptance for this new vent
ure. and every influence has been evoked IN It's
favor. but neither the critical authority OF NI
Comvns Carr nor the good will OF multitudes OF
admiring friends neither the genus OF Mr. Irving
nor all the womany alluremcnts OF MISS Ellen
Terry. have shaken the allegiance OF the puohc
70 the great dranatisJ himself. MI irving
Macbeth is courteously, regretfully' put decI~
iveIy. rejected. II is the Macbeth OF Shakes
peare which still holds the field
Mr. Phelps will not resign. The State De
nartment has as might be expected,
disavowed the official who undertook III It's name
10 slander an American Minister abroad As 1t
was The Daily News" correspondent il New
York who gave currency in England to TINS
scandal that journal very properly inserts the
following para graph Tuesday morning:
"On Friday last we published an article AIKEN
from a Philadelphia newspaper and teieg'aphed
by our Ncw-York CORES pondent' containing some
obsoryations alleged TO have beer made by an
Official of the Department Of State upon the
course of Her Majestys Government IL regard
10 The dismissal Of Lord Sac<vilc and upon Tn b
sxrgestions OF the United States Minister in Lon
don with respect thereto. We are no% rcquestcd
TO say that the statements Of the Philadelphia
~ State of the United States. whose attention
has been called by Mr.. Phelps 10 the article
in question. dsavows the r'mafIis IL contains
they ilr were not made by any official Of that De
partment.'
So far The Daily News" 1t is now in order
for "a The Philadelphia Press 10 explain the