New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-05-19
THE DRAMA---MUSlC.
MD u,varrrr AS DON JUAN.

Richard Mansfield presented for the nis' ui rt
NJ {" Don juan and himself embodied the pri'0P'' r.
T., q us success was great. He gave p
s s cbaracrerfzed nv ireessant vitality III"
,no, ardent capricIous pictorial, tender ranene
from frolc to pathos, and comprising all 'ne go
and contrasts OF ralllery, enthusiasm, lhUep'0'"
tragic power and he gave this performance ~ L.
90 exhlarating freedom and a strain OF superb IT. |
snch a. he has seldom equalled, aho sum 90 -
competent Judge Of acting could fail TO recoenAs .h
svmnatbv and delight The public recognize" e'"
abort with reclamation, recalling nm t"e'o 80 |
and Il is not to be doubted that III inns nm ~, -
ooualIv az author and actor he has touoheo "' a.
~ the many and satisfied the rigorous uS'S "
sour aDon Juans Is q play OF remarRaoie oiap .
value. planned judicously cumula''ve =" - $50
49,, r. ,ovsment wonderfully delicate III ueaC
ment-consdering the nature OF us su' 80" ot
written I'm a terse, crisp, puhgeh' sSi0 49,, and
grammatc at times poetical, never nhpo'e ,edcn
A. .h LIT refreshing II has been set upon INC "
10 o"0 ,hot nossesses the satisfying merits Oh
''e. =. edeutv and a rich mellow tone' i's
-. . ,pell cast and invariably well taHen' T
NJ NansHed's embodiment OF lts cene'" '
onouers the afectionate admiration VI 'no PHI %
Toes nv sympathetic humanity than Dy o',s'ua" 80
a., ana brilliancy of execution. Ihis prouu0U 800
rs success will probably be atCenue" w -. T. ,be
,,,s The consequence most TO De ue9Heu )" go
..to0 81 the romantic drama. IL MI na"S"'
- ooom nilsh that he will render grea, 9ei''00
hocarsa he will help to rid our stage cl "ie yo..
morbid realism under which 1t now Sims anu =. e
~ 49, mid knows the story Of Don Juap
N W 7, exists I'm several forms ana ScNerai
,ooes Many pieces have been buIit upo" -, ~, o."
iahsu"e 60 names-including Corneille, Mohele'
S Cbodvell and Byron-are associated VII" ~
rts. Mr. Mansfield mentions In his play -pii '
no &c indebted 10 previous writers but In li0'' az
20 have borrowed only a few incidents anu h" =,
the opening there is remniscence OIL "S ron .naIc
act third the powerful situation that lnipai| r.
substance TO the piece is built upon an lhc'uei' II,
rfo ~ the Duchess Of CAUSE.-THE same ihciueh' V'a'
oas rsed in a less complex and less elective man
non ~ - Henry the Third" The idea OF man 10
damntion through woman's elfsacnhche love anu ''
idea OF confusion and cross purposes NJ d inaSq ~
for as in human life in this play great 'llee anu
little are commingled and cOntrasted-H''o "ne -
common propertes Mr. Mansfeld's piece Is the ireSi'
treatment Of an ancient theme In four ac's anu w
means OF sixteen characters he tells the story
,,bo lived for love and died for it, The theme IS 'u
most trite The exposition Of it is-ln us Slilpi'"
very beautiful No thoughtful observer "io nos I.
sdered as philosopher. the operations OF ''ic P'o
NJ love can have failed to remark that IL ughlo anu
ennobles character and invests even the coniio"1
acts and objects and occurrences OF life with an a'0'
boro ~ romance True love- of course, Is hot
sensual love- which runs into centlOusncsS-"lo" o.
Burns so happily said, "hardens all "i'ii CO..,
takes away the feerng"-but the uISle"N 'e
passion which at adores its dol anu sun
itself Mr. Mansfield, In the writing OF Ills Dun 'ua'
has labored If not with the distinct purpose TO portray
tbis omotion certainly with the intuve sense OF us
nobility and beauty Here is Don Juan without VICE
and without crime The purpose was 10 preSeil. 'ou'
in the heyday Of its blood, impulsive heediesS' toue
less bounding into the arena OF lovely anu 'o'o",
world, intent pleasure-and pleasure oiS a"1
presently beating It's life out against the iron bars oil
circumstance and convention. Reared almost Ill
1o,ster the HOY loves without at first being aware
| q, n tie equally genuine but more heavenly Lucia
who has been reared with him and by "hom nc 10
dozed This love Is ultimately to De the sPir''"A
| salvation Of both. In the meantime Don Juan calho'
restrain his avowals and promises. lie IS amorous
mischief incarnate and let loose he dases a'cI
ever, nretty face that his bOyish gaze encounters
There are five women in the piece. besides his MOTHER
and each is smtten with him, and ne Is smt'eh VII"
them ALL To Donna julia, Duchess de NaNarro' H'
| attentions have been marked; and because vi 'oi
| regard for him. the formidable Duke de Navarro mas
| become his deadly enemy, and VIII huht MN u 'No
| Aoo+b To Donna Elvra. sister to the DUKE ne mas
! nrouisod uarriage-this dame being ridiculous Ola
! maid To Zerna, Geralda, and Anna whom hc mce''
| in his travels his readily nlammable heart Is SIM
| UNANIMOUSLY pledged, with ready VOWS ana MISSES nc
can he demure satirical, cOmbauve, ana curing inc
| 49,. .o cots ~ the play he is these and more by
+rns and tbe beholGer of him merry, careless
tcinoting rogue who takes all life as frohc' pro
goods with needless audacity and Is soon lhe oo"'
90 comic acknowledgements which, while lrresst0y laugh-
abIe have vet a serious and even dangerous sue
rho last two acts treat OF his peril his capture ana
his death The scene is first at Sevila' aIuer"au a'
saragossa and finally in dungeon OF the lhqui''on
In looking along the line of the story the spectator
,,or ~ he likes assume the part OF inc Aero d
certain measure OF guilt. 1t Is not lmper1uFo' ~,
| buton pursues folly not less than SIN. bu' pioDaoS
| the sense of Justice is better satishei' Oh o0Ho7
n dIrefu punishment. to feel that 1t Is tic pei'l'S
for q sarous fault Mr.. Mansled's Don Juan Is iot
. wicked man. although doubtless he would DC
| s,rner The author has CLOSED this element WIN
| discreet and admirable Skill 50 as 10 ueuucc u,o
dramatic values from the subject WITHOUT any Vi 10
| smproprietes. In this respect he departs IRON,
branch Of the drama to which he has gwen horo '.
sufficient attenuOn--the dellneation OF Villains. rs
Non Imam he is CAV. gallant, heroic, delightful
creature all OF sunshine; and his hero by paIieto
death in the prison, dgnifes the character oispclne
| remembrance of its volatility. and thus the io,o
endears it TO the popular heart. MI "&iSl ,
| reaches a noble height In this death sceno' Inv
! youth has been wounded In fray that lie hhsi' nov
| avoided but which he would not shun because no "
| rescue Lucia who had imperled her lI'c 'o ~
| sake and at last he is shown upon his couch IN
straw I'm the dungeon, with the fathiui LUZ" al us
| side This familiar situation Is dVerSlnou W -.
| cellent dramatic action, incident, ana pu9i" 80
advent Of the cruel Duke 10 gloat over tie ans"i'
of his Victims and TO sign their deatl-"aridi'' Gnu
| TIE tremendous effort and temporary success oi "o
| diving Don Juan TO hold him at bay with MS s"oru'
and compel him to sign instead, an order Oh re"aso'
But dts dramatic note is dellrlum. AS the poor Ia" -
sinking thus miserably ont OF Ire WHY" H'e,''
have been so happy his finer nature SPEAKS III t'o
wandering words OF a breaking mind sometimes WIN
images Of the beauty that his religion sore'iles
with snatches Of song, sometimes WIN tno o1i7".
humor Of happier hours always with gente Impulse anu
deep tenderness. Mr.. Mansfield has done Nnan' my
things but nothing finer than TINS IL ID Si'
,,no and vary difficult 10 sustain at such
mitch of emotion The that thrills MS anui'or'
that of Don Juan's entrapment and defence III 'iie
clo.ter Of the White Ladies. The passages that wiz
be especially observed and remembered py 'e S'"n'n.
Of letters are the coloquy between ~" 'ua, "''a
| oro,, Il, act second when they have assumed TO
change places and when each describes the other ana
th a+irIc,I observations on actors and plays that