New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-10-31

MADISON SQUARE THEATRE-"A PAIR OF
SPECTACLES."

uignnlly oympIi6e4 IN MS CuOiVO Va 'e"O P"@J wa"
which. last nisht he opened tho 're0Gar season at
.n. e.,ortAs house "A Pair of spectacles," being
sc~.s1y In three scts. adapted BY Mr. sidney Grumpy
trom the French original BY Mcssrs. Labiche and
r..anr Is alphabetically one Of tile best productions
,.4h.r viewed with reference to is spirit and mean
ING ar with reference 30 It's constituent parts ana MS
oonrtruesonthat have been given TO tho stage within
the hist thirty years. A good comedy VIII cepfc'
o.sihe pessous In probable rclations to each other
"a vtn impacate them in an interesting story Of
,,son,l axpsrsenee, diversified With sprighGly inca
80. ton With sualoieut exaeeesation to raise IL
.hovs tn leve, OF the commonplace and made sn'er
aiming With humor, Wit, equivoke, or some otnef
1o,m Of intellcctual pleasantly. This result IL ~
comn,shed In a Pair Of Spectacles.' The piece
a,.nnctve and klicitous In the same way that
and Our Boys - distinctive and feic1tons. ~
contains Q unique and attractive central ioeA- ~.
uh,cet vas fortunately chosen, and has been ue'e"
eth The force and simplicity Of spontaneous Nsor.
rts portrayal Of persons and Of manners Is true ana
"a p,cture has been painted With that nne ins'shs
which discerns and that firm touch when
moi the trite and common facts OF human h"'uo 49,
social lfe but their fragrance, their spn,' VIC"
character and charm 1t is play that
and refr.shes your mind while II n Pas.lhk "eiof0
you and leaves yoa better and hApP'or A'' AA''As
secn It.
rbe Act that pendulum swings rs far one ~aS
. q, So,s thu other has passed into proverb as TO
.-t,ou and reaction. In the segment Oh iahceo hic
h, is displayed In this comedy two forces are hoora'ea
heneyoence and cynicsm: the one attehooo py IoVe'
.nsdepce and eentleness, the other by AVERSION us
,-,t ana acerbity. These opposite elements are per
.on,s.d BY two broshsrs-both we'll advanced In hfe
18th nrosperous and each the father Of wellgrown
80, One Of them,-the genial one.-Mr Benjamin
c,hsneh Is married TO . lady much younger than
nnssf and Is living happily in cosey house at
u,unstesd: where there are many coSey houses ana
whsr. There is much oontentment and elegant leisure
amid semi-rural surroundings. The other,-the
hrusue and Grabbed one.-Mr. Gregory Goldfnch, is
x,dower. resident at Sheffield, but present In his
hro,her's house as visitor. The benevolent Gold
Hnch has broken his spectacles The chnrlish Gold
mich ENDS q pair TO him. which he may use until
his own have been mendcd. This expedicnt
is designed to have q symboicsl drift, and in this
respect IL is important and significant AS soon as
Rsotamtn begins to see through the spectsces Of
Gresory he begins to see wrong. There Is cloud
upon everything all that was fair becomes dark, and
whatever was dark becomes darker. But this
transformation is not simply an optical one. The
change Is one of prevalent mood and 10 some extent
NJ chronic mental condition. In the progress OF social
Intercourse between these brothers long separated and
low again brought together the character OF each
srts and reacts upon that of the other. Little by
little the shrewd. ssgacious upresory-buf. buriy,
rouchly humorous and worldly perverS the frank
mind Of his brother, and fills 1t with his own mean
pess suspicion and greed. Not radically so
fcr the original fibre Of noble nature, thJgh II may
~ warned and emblttered. cannot be corrupted bat
theoretically and temporarily sObccause. Of course the
final result be the recovery of the broken glasses
and the restoration of the primitive state OF gtnlaty
and peace.
The humor deducible from this ordeal would result
from the grotesQue cumsiness with which blanc
and truthful nature suddenly perpeXNd and IN
esznh -tr a
ner and the garb OF distrust. ana craft
and rudeness 1t was the opinion OF tassus' III
sahespeare's tragedy. that noble minds Should Keep
rver with misunderstanding their kiho. i"o GA
p.rence OF BENJAMIN Go,dAnch temporarily perverted
BY his brO:her's gro Influence, illustrates lhe "suo
Of that opinion with equal pungency and drolery
! ie incidents OF that experience would seem tr'ia
n enumerated and specified The results may be men
toned lie is made harsh 10 his friends, suspicious
Of his servants dstrustful OF his trade-men severe
toward his nephew, Jealous Of his wife, fretui ana
petnlspt and morose. Yet In oil this hS - heps'
Iovaby absurd and deliciously comicaL Ihat 'ne
part allotted TO Mr. James II. stoddart, In the Maui
son square Theatre producto'-thc part winch il,
Iondon at the Garrick Theatre. WIS superby played
he yr John IIare-aud Mr.. -tOddart has gained III
II one OF tho best successe, of his long ana spark
ling and honOred ThO>e play-socrS WHO
habituaIly remember what they have seen are IN 10
need 10 he told OF the remarkable power that has been
shown by this comedian Ill parts mat are vi
almost a tragic texture. lis hnor PLAYS over
deep heart, and man l. more capable IMAM
Ia OF denoting the pathos that springN
rom a tremulous inIermixture OF Smiles ana
kar, Benjamin Goljhnch i Il humorous ana not a
pathec part yet there several moments III II when
Inc feeling that shines through garb of comic per
pexfty reaches close - the heart Mt StouoaTt was
esEly adeauate to every one Of them. and the ndI-
vidualty which he ha, thus -et before td' public Is
-boAtr 4hP
and admiration. Manifest goodness and geniene>>'
eomeay obvious through utterly alien crattnesS inc
sr,inoSal cynicism make the humOr OF the mper,ona
ton at the same that they make the FASCINATION
of H. In the hands Of good actor tins WOuio be
IN elective part but it by no neaHS every ACTOR
however good who could afford, as In t.ls Instance
perfect harmony between the temperament OF the
artist and the spiritual quality Of his work III was
compact cleancut. and beautiful performance and
was often the OBJECT of pointed applause am steadily
the recipient Of public sympathy and affection.
Nr E. NJ Holland played Uncle Gregory. Inc
Intention in ths character seems TO nave been 10 sus
re,t latent human tenderness. al the heart, when
ultimately shall he awakened so that partly under
he reactionary influence of the smiable brothers
character and partly through slowly gained ana
,anuf knowledge OF his disastrous influence over
The fortunes of others-includng especially his own
.on-the hard and dubious and avsricious chuii shi
b. softeued little and brought nearer TO the genl@
condition he has always despsed. 1t Is part that
r.onr less Of feeling than OF eccentric characteristics
md downright boorish humor. Mr.. Holland seemed
n have formed exactly the ideal Of 1t. and lie eA
r~s.ed IL in a strain Of nature and OF unconscious
erOIlcrv that was not less truthful than amusing
aerneninp every effect that the comedy ought TO pro
auee and heightening by It's own disthcoe's anu
brIiancy, the excellence Of the opposing character
The finest stroke Of patbos thai tne pay eoiC'"'
c,s,o-rs onestiop 10 his son. his beng hungry
s,o In want. and It was delightful TO observe Win
vh, subtle apprehension and ane sense OF this aehca
,out Mr. Holland seized and nlied t'e opportahayt;
The accomplishment OF the essehuai oin, q, the
MAJ and efecplslly inslIrcs is success. ~ h 0r
Ingredients Of the work are ineidenfs asa mr.
b thu Mrs. GoIdfsnch. sweetly ana aemuvy pe
e,,.d hv Mas Mande Harrison, IL simply AL AnecuoA
NE cheerful hghs spirited young wife VINO snd now
her middle ged husband and IL now stNHou MN r 80
amused by his changed ways his eaprieloas unrssa.