The evening world., 1889-12-18

NAA0
An Ultra Fashionable Audience
Shows It's Appreciation.
The third of Mr.. Days subscription rer.
formancss last night proved an interesting
revival OF shakespeare's As You Like 1t"
and. as with all the subscription nights,
an elegant array OF subscribers filed the
house.
"As You Like 1t has always been a To-
vorite with Mr.. DAILY. His attempts TO do
it. early in his career. with the beautiful
tne fuccid Scott Siddons, will be remem-
barred, rather perhaps for Mr.. Days than
for Mrs. SiddonE's work. And his bounte-
3, GUS bolstering OF Miss Fanny Davenport in
the part Of Rosalind shines yet in our recol-
lection, though Miss Davenport played at
this frost work with a broom.
l suppose these were rudimentary Rosa
linds in Mr.. Days evolution. He could az
ford to wait and work for the perfect Shakes
peArian maiden.
The production last night, like the other
of Mr.. Days recent ShakeSreariGn REVEALS.
commanded thoughtful conmendation for
the elaborate care and minute adjustment
Of the beautiful work and for the exquisite
good taste which was disccrnible in every
uGLull VI IilG DubNOEdl DlCbNIes vi 1'llN u
treated it rs a comedy fantasy. which l be-
lieve to be the true meaning and che only
Interpretation which leaves undistlrbel
it's gossamer ideality. He has taken q COM
nentator's liberty with the acting version
aud restored one or two Of the speeches usu-
ally omitted. notably the scene between
Jacques and Iosalind in the fourth act, and
the duet of the pages in the last net. He
u. l.. - ..-. ,t.,.. ,aA1 1t @-,, f--1r
ment with reference to disputed lines. which
Judgment, If it disagrces with the usual
stage version. has the warrant of seyeral pro.
fond Shakespearian scholars. The general
air CT the fantasy has been frightened and
quickened. This effect is produced by
placing the time of action in the Spring in
stead OF the Fall or late Summer. as is
shown by the vcrnal hres of the three
beautiful exterior or wool scenes. painted
by Hoyt. Roberts and G%oetcher. and by
the accelerat:ng of the tempo III all the
restored songs. The result os this allow.
able improvement was a sharpness and
briskness of atmosphere, not usually felt
in the performance of the piece. l think
that ordinarily the spirit of Jacques pcrvRdcs
the play when acted. There has been O
notion among actors that being under
melancholy houghs the spirit of a resigned
pathos ought to influence thcm. l think
myself that the spirit Of Rosalind. which i,
as vernal az the breath Of late May. ought
TO dominate most OF the work. That, il
may a. we'll be conceded, appears to have
been Mr.. Days idea also. Some one has
raid that the morning light pervades TIL,
Tempest and that the twilight steal
through the woods of Arden.
That depends altogether on whether yor
axe the cue from jacques or from Rosalind
whether yours are tho susccptlbilities o.
youth and health. or the listening senses o.
Retrospective philosophy.
However viewed or however done, it mus
be allowed that in our time the interest Of
the play focuses in Rosalind. The fantasy
itself does not belong to the excheqrer list
Of plays. Our generation GO TO rec the Mait
OF Arden in her doublet and hose.
Miss Ada Rehan's appearance in the par
naturally excited n great deal Of interest,
for she has q wide circle Of admirers.
She did not d%isappoint them. Almost
everything that she has done ha'
helped to create the belief that she
could. il she chose. fulfil all the require
ments of this r6le, and last night shC
realized adequately the expectations OF hei
critics no less than her friends.
There is not a wide latitude OF convention
afforded by the ieHt' lhere nave Deer
no grave disputes as to what l'o'alind IA oil
meant to he. Her meaning ana her nature
are perfectly clear to tile reader ana Shoule
be to the spectator. Excellence there
fore, in the imperSonatlon necessltatcs TN
clearest setting forth oil what is wei
understood and not the exeGeSis OF uncer
tain qualities. l suppose lsoSalind IL I'M
sweetest and gentlest transcript oil woman
hness that Shakespeare has afforded u.s. ane
he seems purpoSely To have set this natnra
charm OF individuality in a frame OF exter
nal nature where 1t would be most accordan'
with The benign Influences OF the Senslbl'
univeis sc. Moreover he appears to hav'
clothed her about with the doublet and host
OF another sex merely to show that her dis
position had no doublet and hose In IT,
Miss Rehan's mpt OF the part wa
new to n degree in the delicate apprehension
OF this fact. In her, EoSalind's SportiveneH
was not an assumption, it was an overflow
ing. and was i'll some lnefiable way a re
Fiction of the sweetness and innocence o