New-York tribune., 1889-12-18
GAS YOU LIKE IT. AT DALY,S
A MEMORABLE PRODUCTION IN DRAMATIC
ART.
sHAKEsPEARE's LOvEUEsr COMEDY sUpERsrv
PRBsENTED-ADA REHAN AS RosALND-
AN IMPRESSIVE TRIUMPH FOR
Mr.. DAILY AND HIS COMPANY.

AN IMPRESSIVE TRIUMPH FOR
Mr.. DAILY AND HIS COMPANY.
In the production Of .As You Like IL that -.
accomplished last night at Dalys Theatre IN the a.
lighted presence OF great and enthusiastic audienr
an effort has been made-and has been attended M,
brilliant and uncqulvoca success-to illustrate IN,
beautiful comedy in mood Of dramatic art ana \.
scenic embellishments entirely harmonious with h.
spirit OF vernal bloom. Every tone and every lin, =
melancholy has been vigorously excluded equally fron
| the performance and from the picture. Tie ~
theory, which mingled pensive sadness with buoysnt
gayety I'm the Interpretation OF this piece, has fns,
and totally been abandoned. And now that this
DONE the wonder grows that IT had not been don.
before That old theory was based in part upon ns
fact that the theme Of the comedy is life in exile
part upon OrIando's ausion TO the shade Of ns,r
choly boughs- in part upon the mournfu ca6sne.
| Of Blow blow thou winter wind"; In part upon na
presumption that the prominent figure Of Jacques d
sort Of pastoral Hamlet, and in part upon an ui.r
pOetical estimate Of the character OF Rosalnd Thea
deDoements considered apart from context, natural,
prompt the studiOus mind 10 somewhat sombre vie,
of shakespeares design and in accordance with ths
view. 1t has commonly been maintained that with Al
! It's gltterlng vitality "As You Like 1T is almost
sad play Yet in fact the piece neither contains
| sad person nor anywhere supplies current Of sM
! thought. The exiles are as merry as gypses. Or.
lando is only very hungry when he remarks upon the
melancholy boughs., The plantve sigh Of the win.
ter wind is but stray note Of regret, much intensified
by Dr. Arne's delicious but sorrowful music Jacques
Is in no sense Hamlet, for not only he does no
suffer- but he takes the keenest delight in his con
templative rumination and in his own faculty Of
cynical satire. And ROsand, albeit absolute,,
pure and most entirely sweet and lovely, s
= creature Of flesh and blood, neither made OF ts
clouds nor resident in them, and very much bent upa
enoyIng within the limit Of right conduct, whatever
animal as well as sentimental comfort there to ts
enjoyed in her earthly state. In one Ford, the ~
mosphere of this comedy is happiness is that faa
lnyaldated BY the consideration that shakespeaNs
mood when he wrote 1t, was tnged with a gravity Of
Thought which, while humorous, did not cease to M
severe.
All strong minds are intrnsically grave. All men
who see human life deeply and widely, however much
thew NAV smile and banter over it, perceive In II much
that is painful and sad. Shakespeare, who was mor
than thirty-fve years old when AS You Like IT. W
written. had undoubtedly gained his experience; and
f. Is distinctly obvious, in the characters Of Jacques
and Touchstone and in the words Of the First Lord
and the Banished Duke, that life for him had lost iu
Illusions and that while he could treat IL with play
ful federation and satlrcal pleasantly he saw vel
enough its trouble and its pathos-that tan OF evil In
human nature which has made and winch VIII per.
petlate the warp in human affairs, and which rem
sible to man. But the freedom and grace oi 'ns con-
,osition and the delicate distortion to when ehs
acter conduct and events are subjected IN IL, MO"
that IL was spontaneously made with s"eo,iS ''
ous drift and with the Intention to create' III i ~S
ure OF life general effect OF quizzcal nciiineA~
The very name Of the piece Is eloquent u "' NJ
tention. You are to accept 1t as it may happen
strike vour fancy whether grave or gay pun"
sophical or careless, profound or Supern.idi' az
dent or cold Shakespeare could DC suonaou'
enouph when he chose to be- out III 'nn
niece he auzzes and banters, he uieS"' ~nS
drifts, he clothes everything in motley anu "
so far as he supplies any incentive that Is oiec'
bids us 10 feet the time carelessly as they dd IN
the golden worldn lie took romance OF his Gay
and he turned 1t into a comedy lie tooR IL DecauS
he saw in the theme-which is love story In the
woods-an opportunity TO reflect unusually charming
and ouaint aspects of nature in the rosy review Of
nnre noetic art He transfgured 1t; he emoehshed IL
he introduced into it new material ana new cnarac'e
Jacques Touchstone and Audrey)' ne sunuseo tns
whole structure with the radiance OF his own LINN
table Imagination and his own afiuent and oeauuiu
STYLE and he sent his work into the world to be per
petual fountain % pleasure Since 1t is hsppy
piece, therefore, the investiture OF II ousht " "
JOYOUS This is the view that has manifestly been
taken by Mr. DAY. and in his practical application
this view he has set before this community M
brightest. the gayest and the loveliest production
AS You Like IT. that our stage mas ever Aiosh
The scenery makes YOU think OF Brownng's glowing
aspiration" oh, TO be in England, now that Aprns
there!o and even the very time OF the antique ma
dental music has been quickened to harmonic WlS
the aboundng and rejuvensng spirit that Is TO con-
troll in the representation-ths spirit of bud and bios
som and velvet verdure, golden sunshine and fragrant
breeze and ecstatic human vitality.
OF all these symbols and of the soul which 'hes
denote the character of Rosand is the exquisite per
sonifcation and therefore in manifest sense hos
lind is the comedy and when the comedy Is se'ea ui'
representative of Rosalind must necessarily sahu "
as the most conspicuous and important ngure III Wv
picture. Shakespeare is not Laughing III MS pO
traiture of this delightful and eneAnuns
woman She was in his imagination, ID
tended to be spiritually pure, intelectuai! V"H
iant physically handsome, 1.-THE, ardent sn4
tender-the perfect incarnation OF glowing he'i'
bewitching sensibity, passionate temperament on
cantiyating personal charm. Her dlstincu'e suPe
fetal attribute is piquant sprghthness, ou' Uene'
this she has a deep heart and alike tRe leeuo'"
bor conduct and the exuberance OF her VII no" ou
of her absolute sincerity and perfect innocence '
has not the mournful sweetness OF Niola n0' Wv .h
centred and stately compoSure of Portis' HUI so
tragic intensity Of Imogen; she Is Just 'he "P' "
healthful happy hearted, sparkling womAi' ~
dominant by rich, pure and charming poisV" p..y,
loving dearly and wishful to be loved, ana ui''~
exultant in the ecstatic consciousness tha' He ~, I
raj wish has accomplished its aim Iherc ~' ~,
peope who appear to resent that they possess U
own bodies and there many people VINO Pp.s sPp
to be ashamed OF their own emotions No' ~ 49,
Rosalind She is exultant in her phySeai Me' ,a. ~
heart is full of tenderness, and what her he''' wv
her tongue must speak .m
This wav the character has been appreieho'a
Ada Rehan, and this way-actng 1t for uie n'e' -
in her life-she embodied it last night charming eu.
CAPABLE Judge by the copious and prodigai eAuue''
OF her sweetness and her brilliancy, and wnhne
honor that is due to thoroughly royal aoMe'e n
in dramatic art. The three dramatic conuuo =
Rosalind-the woman, the woman playing the oo''.
the boy playing the woman-could not be inore
fectly Disseminated than they were by he' ~
throughout them all the soft refinement oil 'he p
sonalty was never for instant frayed or VIZ
by even the least tone OF that involuntary .
ness which, under such conditions, excitement ss i
TO develop in a vulgar nature. This innate oen'e
of Miss Rehan's embodiment Oh