The sun., 1890-01-26
LoNDoNs rHEArRroAE sUCcEssES

LONDON, Jan, 4-Even more than human
beings, theatres are subject to certain power
ful and sudden currents which carry the taste
OF tho public abruptly into various and often
| opposite directions. 1t Ia now admitted that
| no author. manager, motor. or critic, however
| astute and experienced. can preiudge the YER
| dict OF paying audiences on any given play.
or in what style lies tho great criterion OF
dramatic success, Money" Tho drama con-
demned by experts on the first night. will have
| run OF 200 nights: the comedy eXtolled by the
| press for its literary and intrinsic merits
| drops out OF tho bills within month md fire.
| quently the enormous outlay OF production
| incurred by y hopeful and sagaoious manager
has been capital thrown away upon frost" F"
Ayear ago the London public cared for tho
stage only II tho stage amused 1t. There wns,
1t Is true. q reaction against broad farce; but
the vogue was all for the light, frivolous, laugh
ter-raising trines, such ms Tho Schoolmls-
| tress," Dandy Dick" Aunt Jack" and
Sweet Lavender" which proved nbiding IA
| vorltes. What is now invariably called " the
| lamp OF burleslue" attracted moths and mash.
ers In swarms to tho ineXpicube and hybrid
performances OF the Gaiety and Avenue. whom
| expoundod by Nellie Farrcn, Leslie and Rob-
! erts. Everything else was abooed. To-day q
transformation has taken place, and out OF tho
| long list OF London theatres four which have
pEOuuCeu luRuDTlOub SENSATIONAL HnelOuTumdS
OF the old school are tho only ones crowded
every might. To the unrreiudced and rerfoct-
ly unbiased spectator there s0cms no absolute
reason for this except sudden revolution in
public taste. Net one OF tho 'u ar plays Is hon.
estly entitled to this good fortune; mono is re-
markable either In construction or dialogue.
with the exception OF La Tosca," which. how
ever. suffers from translation and adaptation
to degree which not even the valorous efforts
OF Mrs Bernard Beer can wholly redeem.
1t is a daring attempt. bordering on sacri-
lege. to question tho perfection OF n Lyceum
performance. The people who flock to
that temple accept as articles OF faith
any fiat that the high priest chooses to utter.
and they como prepared to approve and ad-
mire. This unluestioninG trust has made
them accept as n masterpiece the dull, dreary.
uninteresting Dead Heart" with its lack OF
movement, feebleness OF dialogue, anomalous
situations: and tho fact that whatever OF in
terest tho story might have possessed is made
utterly subordinate to material stage craft,
and above all to the many-colored lime light,
which pursues the chief characters rs persist
entity rs the snow storm did one solitary Old
gentleman In the amusing skit, La Vic Paris
ienne." Those who remember the elder Dumas's
thrilling tale OF the ChevaIier de Maison
Rouge. from which SO much is borrowed. are
uneasily expectant OF some harsh stirring
incident that never comes, and watch
the emasculated story drag it's weary
lenghth through succession OF superb pc-
lures. They sec the historical cannon pointed
but never fired: the drawbrdges Of tho prison
fall methodicaly before the clamor Of the Ca
Ira" tho prisoners led forth resembling null
tiplied comics OF Jefferson as Rip Van WInkle,
to all of which unbounded applause Is given.
while the rest OF tho play is received in cold
silence. The final rapturous burst is reserved
for the last scene. revealing Irving him SELF
who. after reaching the scaffold. by device
that child would not tolerate. remains un-
watched. unguarded. illuminated by q strong
light with no evidence that the fatal knife is
ever to fall on his neck. Such an ending Is
false and feeble. and no plaudits can redeem 1t
from unartistic triviality. Staging has reached
point where 1t defeats itself. the frame is too
largo tor the picture, 1t eclpses actors and play,
and elicts the regret that such beautiful ta-
bleaux should be marred by spoken words
The Dead Heart is great successl
At the Haymarket. Roger 10 Honte." re-
christened "A Mans Shadow" is bowdlerized
into singulary inconsistent perversion OF the
original drama. Never faultless play, it had
at least the merit OF q powerful incentive in
the rivalry Of two friends. and strong human
interest in the horror OF tho one who had be-
trayed and tho chivalrous sense Of duty OF the
to nave robbed him of his honor BY transpos-
ing the time OF the wife's guilt. her passion and
BILE. her atonement purposeiess. while in the
french play tho dJnoaement was made plaus-
i5e by a mothers sacrifice and confession.
Much more is lost In the British version. A
misty indistinctness obscures the crucial stu
ntions and \ interferes with probability. MIR,
OF the innocent and the guilty man depart
ure from The French acting which undoubted-
he has ever done, but hampers the action and
deprives It OF Its best chances OF taking hold
But "A Mans Shadow" is great successl
:. W The MiddIeman," in every way, inferior to
ealth," , by the same author. which was a
the preci ise psychological moment. England
was ringing With the wrongs Of the working
ia6orcrs had enlisted on their their SD side the the
great moderate politicians Of all parties. and a
reelection OF street sympathy was cast on the
by M %rd I' BrtR pubi s9 iHoiS
no longer prudish or easIly shocked. provided
eene Hs IN to to tbs It's sednd edS
tton Of young girl may be spread out during
from the seducer only When bis Vi victim io eS o
plicitly informs him that her guilt cannot
mueh longer remain secret from the world,
belief in an eventual or possible wedding ring:
but any dereliction in ,coriugal relations
nifty where private and public scandals OF that
Pbnssso boss HFs as anhdS hst In y9m T
not carried out his idea OF the hero He be-, be-
gan with Bernard de Paissy aud grated on
him melodramatic father; the ceramic in
ventor and the honest parent clash. and neither
creates sufficient. interest The pit and
gallery shout and clap when. In an ad-
mirably devised stage picture, Gurus
Blenh arm throws his earnings, his chiid's
sustenance. the savings Of his humble
associate. together with many loans from his
clay. hut Bien&arn cannot help seeming a little
seltsh-G family failing, apparently for there
W hn
herself MS dead to hide her shame is enjoying
o prosperous honeymoon with her old lover
whom che picks up and mHrrioS in a way never
accounted for. Needless of her fathers pennry
ana regrets. reappoarnG at the end OF the NTH
act in gorgeous atiro with hor husband from
no place In particular together with the discoV.
cry OF the true secret and the influx OF wealth.
Bqt the Middleman isn great success
La ToscR" Was very harshly handled when
sarah Bernhardt brought 1t 10 London. Ii was
called. not unJusily. barbarous. blood -curdlins'
red becansa She antad in n hecnmsa" "Ia n. @ on-