New-York tribune., 1891-02-05
THE DRAMA-MUSIC.
Mr.. WILLARD IN NEW CHARACTERS

centrate his art upon situation. and content himself
with depicting the manner and the details Of the criue
In the former case his play will possess imagipatlv.
and psychical interest and will dfuse a specaio..
thoughts the whole broad subject of good and ev,
In the latter IL will the interest OF absorbed :,
tentiOn ard hOrrorstrcken suspense. II Is the attr
course that has been followed by Mr.. Hatton in tba
construction OF his melodFama Of John Needham,s
Double and a practical and cogent motive to the
effect thus indicated-which is feeling compoundes
of eager curiosity shocked and startled perception and
feverlsh wonder and excltement,-is the dramatic re
suit that he has obtained. John Needham's Douhles
had its first representation upon any stage last night in
Pamer's Theatre, and 1t received with abundant
favor by a numerous, tudcious, and most an.
precative audience. 1t Is one OF the most
ingenious pieces, in its mechanism, that have been
produced. 1t arOuses and sustains a painful
anxiety. 1t completely enthras tho spectators
attention. 1t Is written in the terse, lucid sen.
tences OF nervous fluent style, and therefore it con.
tns no particle either Of the dulaess Of ddactlcsm
or the tedi0usness Of literary vanity A thread not
precisely Of humor but Of vyaciOus spirit, through
IT, and it is not unduy saturated with the sombe
color that commonly invests the stage picture OF crime
II admirably mounted and managed it was played
with marked ability by all in its representa-,
ton aud it had a positive and welldcserved success.
Attention centres on the crime Of murder. There
two men who bear 10 each other resemblance
exact that not only casual acquaintances but even
Old friends and close relatives might mistake the
for The other NorJury is country squire, genial,
comfortable serene living only 10 do good, and loved
By all who know him. lie is widower but his only
sister resides with him and is tcndery devoted to his
welfare. Needlam is man Of business, resident In
London, ambitious, uaScrupulOus man, TO whom
money Is god and who lives for power These men
are superclly aKe, and chance brings them together
at IA moment Of such supreme significance in the
each that it fatal TO BOTH NorbuFy
has just inherited large fortune in America, which
he must cross tie ocean 10 obtain. Needham has me:
with a seIies OF disasters has Iesorted forgery
order TO save his credit. is financially ruined and now
stands on the verge OF bankruptcy exposure and the
penalty for crime. At this cr.sS NOrDury ana Need
ham meet and out OF their close resemblance " each
other springs a momentary intimacy. MomentaFy
though IL be- however 1t Is sufficient 70 seal tne tate
of Norbury, and to accomplish tie utter dannaion VI
Needham. The one is simple, creduous, conhd-
ins: the other spcc0us, concentrated desperate,
deadly NOrbury, already separated from his home,
and low in London, and about to embark for America
tells his whole story 10 Needham, ana 80 pats huseI
Absolutely INTO the hands OF the assassin On the
night before the day appointed for his sailing he Is
ured To Needhams home, and there he Is murdered
In the morning his body Is iound ana II Is supposea
to be that Of Needlam, dead by his own
hand. Nccdham. meanwhile La, become NorbuIy,
and in thi, character lie assumes and accomphsnes
the Geld mans mission. But NOrburys sister, VINO
has seen tie murder in dream, VIII not be satisfied
she follows America 10 seek her brother size con-
font, the impOsOr and, although at FIRST startled ana
perpeAed u, ~ the resemblance she beats Gown MS
guard at last, by producing his mother To establish
hi, identity and theeupon-to escape this final tess
and not to break the heart oi tho mother WHOM, alone
out OF all the world, this villain loyes-le swallows
poison and 80 expires.
Tie play consists Of three acts. In act one you
lcok upon the cOaey and cheerful country nome VI
Aolbugy, ana upon the man himself. surrounded Dy
friends and comforts. II j. The time Of roses and all
the world seems cOmsecgated To Oeauty mo thlS
picture cone, the 1sure OF John Ncedham aud from
hat moment there is IA chill III the air Eaily III t'iS
act the author Ia, touched a note OF omeh' ana,
iter,ted by many subtle devices. that UNDERGONE u
dark presentiment tlenceforwam goes Solhdhs OH
with it, presase of impending peril that no one VIII
heed In the second ACT you see The ioredoomed Hor-
bury departing MS London hotel, on .te iass
that he take; and little later you SEQ
him welcomed By Needham in his lonely home' aid
suddenly and savagely put to death and then you SEQ
Norllry impersonatcd by his assassin, reehter MS
hotel and resume hi, Interrupted HE Inc SCENES
,r, ar, Of astonishing vitality and wonderfully line
ciIect-for here. throughout the piece MI. "nlaiu
plavs both N0rbury and Necdham changing from ono
to the other with the celer,y of Thought, and wNIs
NJ course maintaining the likeness, discriminating DC
,ycen these two indvidualities with subtlety ana
nrecision tina, are marvellous. once al the momens
l,r,, the murcr the two men are together upon the
Stage but il is In n dmly lighted room anu Ne'S
,drolt Use Of double has To be made lor tle con-
OF this effect. Mr. Wlllaiu' oi All Iho
actors tlriJ have been seen, most cufiou'i'
Il,uds the cynic with the saint. To observers uh'
with what he has done upon the stage MS
acting in this rJecc must indeed be reveiiuoh' Ii
. The Middlcman. and Judah he presented cha' ae'
tc., promptcd 10y goodness. As JOhn NeeoIlain a"
present, a character Of such baleiui and shiS'er "V
u-,vitv a, we'll might chill the oood-ioF' Ill I'D
ndclty its Internal wickedness, ana us sauh, au"
,r,ly power ii conveys suggestions OF tne poSSlo1'
evil in human nature that almost too horrible Tor
,,,r,bt Not more than once or twice in "a long eX-
ncr,cnce of the acted drama has such an image oeen
seen of implacable evil and stealthy and fatal doom
A, Mr. Willard presents when, in the character VI
Ne,dhaIn, he j. awaiting his victim In inc uaFh a''~
loneIy house-from which all but himself nave ue
parted aud in which the sound OF the sudden bell ohn
s.rve, 10 make the solitude more desolate ana 'hs
DANGER more grim All this you behold and feel a'
~, drama KISSES before YOU and little later and III
vo,cnt and striking contrast with this scene OF shud
i,rlng horror. you see the same man. In his hsht'
GENIAL speclous mood Of rosy benignty-uhdcr WHICH
ali the while Turks an icy and &vilsn crai'-ss'hs
poipt by point that invcstitue with another mans
risnts which is make his duplclty Victorious anu
give him. in the world, new career, ouiit Oh
murder and theft Would sdch man weaken and
surrender AT INC eotlAu VA iA9 hi'''N'
seems unlikely, yet 1t is not impossible Mr.. "lliaru
npersonatcs Needham ali the way through, In such
manner rs 10 suggest strain Of weakness In his nature
1t Is Performance of extraordinary variety ana "
tremendous force. The concentration with WHICH
,u,tains intense mental excitement Will especially DO
noted by ludcous observers, because this Is Nr'uo
only in acting OF the higher order, ana ony pos
,ibe where there is commanding brain, pulssa''
will and great reserve OF Iepose For his conSunna@
iafn muricr ana III tlle
subsequent coloquy with thc nsht-porter al the Old
tavern in Covent Garden Mr.. Willard had such ap-
plau,c as comes only when tic public admiration -
thrilled to its depths.
Toward the end of the piece, when the scene mas
shifted To Il home in ken,ucky, and the murderer
Is pursued by thc suspecting sister OF MS vcd 'Ao
weahness of Needhm has begun to show itSeh III 'he