New-York tribune., 1890-04-29
THE DRAMA.
THE BLUE OFFICER.

Tn thu old nIay OF Measure for Measure Angelo
informs Isabella that II she will give nm her love- '
will spare the life Of her pro'her Ni'""io' .,
otherwise he will commit to the heaosnan. !" ''o
old play OF "The Apostatc' fescara lnioiii' .'o @
herone that II she will give him her love- ne VIII
~e'o ~ a., no, =, her lover Hemaya, whom otherwise
~ ,r;u hroal, unon the wheel. In the old play OF
q p,c, areus Baradas informs Julie that II she VIII
rivc him her love- he will spare the lie OF her nus
hand de Mauprat, whom otherwise hc VIII SCH" W
the block In the new play OF Inc oiue oi"'o''
whch Was produced last night at the Mahisoh square
Theatre, in the presence u d numerous ''"
indy audience the Prince D'Oblansky informs the
.t.ss Iossv that II she will give him her love, he
r,u save her husbands life. and her own, which
otherwise stand in peril for alleged treason against
the Government Of Russa. III all these 'ases ''c
ladies are momentarily frenzled WIN uncertainty
iut stanchly virtuous The only difference Is tiat III
rhe Rue Officer the rascal is a fool and not hend
Aside from this situation the piece contains nothhg
and tbis situation upon which the moss of antiquity
hs long boen waving) is contrivcd in manner so
artificial and presented under circumstances so pre-
nosterous that IL produces no other erect uiah
.,. ., omusod incredulity. "The Blue Officer Is
oscrihcd 10 a writer named AIRY Ecilaw-which looks
like a non name 1t is comprised In three acts ana IL
mpIcates thirteen persons, who contrve By means OF
much soliloquy and prattle but no actloh' TO tel
thin and incredible story of alleged life in st. Peters
hurc Durinp two acts the Countess Delcrof Is seen
~ be scbcminr for the ruin Of the Countess Jasy but
her Mot is clumsy and her scheme transparent
Herself a spy she steals certain papers from the
Minister 81 War and causes them to be secretly placed
in the Countess Jassys writing desk where they are
found by the police. The Count and Countess Jassy
arc then arrested and presently are vindcated The
Prince D'Oblansky who loves the Countess Jassy. Is
appointed to conduct er examination and It Is then
that he makes his cOwardy and Infamous proposal
The means by which the accused persons are excupaed
are quite as nmsy as those by which they are en-
shared At the last the Prince D'Obansky, rather
than marry the prettest woman in the place. puts his
brains To the best they could serve, by blowing
them out.
There is considerable strength in the malignant char
acter OF the Countess Decrof-a fierce ana
deadly woman whose manner IS soft and specious.
Rose Eytnge played this part with perfect
comprehension Of the character and consummate
fidelity TO nature in the assumption Of 1t. selma
Fetter presented the prosecuted wife and Infused great
servency into the scene with the Blue Officer Gene
vcve Lvtton as Nadia. the image Of sensuous
and sumptuOus physical beauty, somewhat OF thc
type of IennysOn's Vivian, but the part affords niue
or no scope for dramatic art Nr. Henry Lee deis,
rcd monooguc OF massacre with striking variety ana
sincerity but lacked both distinction ana passion ior
the character Of a prince and an infatuated nVer'
D. rh, Hluc Officer Introduces variety OF Russians
and strives TO disseminate anything but favorable
innrcssion Of that race. The full cast is here: