New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-09-18
THE NEWEST LONDON PLAY.
g THE MIDDLEMAN' AT THE STIAFTEsBURY-
HENRY ARTHUR JONES'S SUCCESS.

London, September B!
The new play Of The MiddlemaD,' by Henry
Arthur Jones' has been produced, with unequVo'
cal prosperity, at the Shaftesbury Theatre ut was
first performed on August 2S), and 10 is plainly
destined to have a long career in the PUBIC la'ors
IL will make its way 10 America, and IL VIII mere
with success there Its subject Is one OF Vipss
interest to multitude of people, and tne iacs
that Mr. Jones's treatment of that subiect-capi@
tai and brains-is popular rather than tnoushE
full philosophical, and absolutely sound, Will tend
To enhance its interest. The Man OF Capital al
drawn by Mr. Jones, is in every way an offensive
and contemplate person--heartless selfish, mean
cruel, treacherous, sordd and common. The Man
of Brains, the contrary, is entirely virtuous and
noble. Aversion is stimulated toward the one
and affectionate admiration toward the other%
This ancient method of contrasting extremes has
always been effective in fiction. The contrass
between Mr.. Pecksnif and Tom Pinch in tho
novel of Martin Chuzzlewit' is not stronger than
that between Mr. Chandler and Cyrus Benkarn in
the play Of The Middleman.' The practical pur-
poses of art, especially of dramatic art are server
by these strong contrasts but it cannot be thought
that any class Of persons in human society is
truthfully represented when represented by an exJ
ceptonal type. rich man is not necessarily
monster, and poor man is not necessarily an
angel. The of capital in actual life, is quits
as often benefactOr as he is oppressor TO tho
man of brains, and all manner of teaching which
tends to assert that the poor commonly, OF to
any considerable extent, misused by the rich is
erroneous and hurtful. The popular view Of the
capitalist however, is the hostile view, and the
spirit of Mr.. Jones's play is sympathetic with this
sentiment.
His capitalist is an arrogant BLACKBOARD,
brp,h Inn an1 hound
one redeeming virtue to temper his loathsome
greed and vieness. With the discontinue OF
the victor the play is crowned and no result
could give greater or more general satisfaction.
But the force and value of the play do not reside
in its didactic drift Mr.. Jones as political
economist or social philosopher is always
strenuous to teach but he deals in sentiment
rather than wisdom His real strength Is that Oh
the dramatst, and the abiding virtues of this
play are action, character, incident situation
and story. The piece is invariably neat and
often strlIingly felicitOus, in construction, and
it is written in vigorous, earnest, fluent style,
the language being diversified in strict SUBJ
ordination to the qualities and requirements OF
the several characters that are implicated IN the
dialogue and movement tendency 20 dwell
upon details, and to explain everything, is tho
conspicuous defect in this authors mechanism.
simply to say al will write she is compelled
to add the explanatory assurance that there
is ink and paper in the next ROOM" There are
other kindred instances of prGlixityy Tbe
Middlemano displays less of this undue thorough
ness than either of Mr.. Jones's previous works.
The best art in drama in everything elSei
is that which leaves something to the Imagination,
and Mr. Jones's growth as dramatic writer
is in the direction of the best art. He Will M
doubt be content at last TO display human
nature and human life in the actual ana IN
the ideal, without asserting a moral and without
aiming to instruct and reform. 1t is an excellent
plan, when you show picture to let the
spectators draw their own conclusions from whao
they are able to perceive in 1t.
The materials used in making this play are old
materials The haf-dazed inventor has figured
in fiction for many years. He is conspicuous, for
instance. in Bulwers fine historical novel of The
Last of the Barons" where also, as in this piece.
he has q handsome daughter, and where he melts
in his crucible every shilling upon which he can
Law his hands Mr.. Jones has modified him some-
what in depicting the character of Cyrus Blenkarn
which part is played by Mr.. Willard, and ia
which this remarkable actor has made the moso
brilliant hit of his The story of Blen-
karns experience, viewed an exceptional
story, and simply for its own sake, nlpresses tho
mind and touches the heart. In this respect the
author has labored well; and, as each of'mS four
acts contains strong and telling situation, while
the threads of humOr and pathOs are twisted all
the way through, and the stage business IS con-
tinuously apt and expressive notably so with the
comic man in act second) it is apparent that ne
has also labored with proficient and admirable
skill There are but few weak points IN the
structure Blenkarn's invocation Of vengeance
at the close of act second is, perhaps, too mlch
in the vein of q set speech, abundant IN rhetoric
rather than thrilling with delrium: ana Mf.
Willard delivers it with of iDfteMble oratory
than of the wh;rlwind of spontaneous passion
which at such crisis would be appropriate Inc
speech would be stronger for more nature ana less
literature and the delivery would be more touch-
ing for the thrill of distraction 1t should De noted'
however that the actor must reserve MS tuheso
mower for the climax at the close oi .ac0
third The chief point OF the story is tnaO oieh-
larn,s favorite daughter has been led astray by
the son of his employer, Mr. Chandler, ana thao
Renlarn has invoked the vengeance OF heaven
- a., ClordIors In the chief situation Of tho
&c., ponl,arn ascertains that his lifelong quest
-, On inventor has at last been accomplishing and
tbat tho means OF retribuOn upon his wrongers ara
thrs committed into his hands. This Is mag
niGcont moment and Mr.. Willard is magnificent
IN bis use Of IT, The scene is in the fring-room in
q porcelain mandatory like that at Worcester,
where the best pottery in this Kingdom is made.
and here among his furnace-iires, the heart
broken, half-distracted inventor is seen raging N
q delirium of anxiety, crowned at length with th
frenzied JOY Of achievement. Mr.. Wizards res
onant voice and impetuOus action entirely re-
sponsive to his will and purpose, and now
thoroughly aroused and liberated emotion, served
him splendidly at this iuncture--so that for sew
eral minutes his audience was completely en-
thralled. He had pleased by his portraiture or
sefabsorption and ingenious simplicity and by the
quiet beauty of his expression of paternal feel