New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-05-05
THE DRAMA-MUSIC.
s.ENTRANCE OF RICHARD MANSFIELD.


od-and he it in that mood of sincerity and with
that completeness of artistic treatment which are
characteristic of him and which have gained for him
so large a measure OF the public admiration. The
play in which he appears is frequently trivial and
IL produces the effect OF almost unmitgated dulness.
There are, to be sure, occasional CLEANS in of
technical ingenuity and verbal brightness but the
most part Il Is fragile stuff, thin as to character,
often silly as to incident. and generally watery and
protentous In style; and the insane cache of ad
mration with which in many quarters il has been
received within the last twelve months only serves
TO prove that there few persons capable Of dis
eliminating between what play contains and the
manner In which it is acted Mr.. Mansfield has saved
this play by his acting, and therein the statement
made in this column on the morning after 1t was nrst
presented May 10, 1900 has been exactly verified
"If this comedy succeeds it will its success TO the
actor whose courage produced it and by whose spirit
alone it is animated and sustained That judgment
only needs to be amended now by the addluonal
statement that to this fortunate result several OF Mr.
Mansded's professional overwhelmingly Mr. fei-
guson, Miss Measor, Miss Cameron, Mr. CFomploh anu
Mr.. Gwynette-have materially contributed. Mr..
Iarldns also makes a conscientious and able effort,
hut tho part of the Regent is asinine beyond reoepo'
. Mr. Mansfield who had made prodigious hit In the
5csaI and obnoxious character OF Baron Chevral III
"A Partisan Romance" wished to impersonate mag
nifcent Beau who should do fine things and wind up
with a thrilling death-scene. With that purpose he
chose the character Of Beau Brummen That charac-
ter treated historically, could not be MADE olahauc'
Brummell was practically nothing, and he did notmhg'
II was therefore necessary 10 treat him romantcay
The actors Imagination dwelt upon the passage In
CAPTAIN Jcsse's Life Of Brummell," In which the de
crepit man-of- fashion is depicted giving courty
welcome TO phantom guests at phantom banquet
play might be built up around that single picture To
the invention Of such a play Mr. Mansfield adoresseu
himself long aeo-starting with the idea that Drummer
should be made, what certainly ho never was mag
inns
cure the happiness of two young hearts Engllsh
character and social in the time OF the Re
ccncy were, incidentally 10 be depicted The result
Of those cogitations-in the working out OF winch
another ard an incompetent because totally lnexper
enced hand was unfortunately implcated-is TINS
Hmsy piece tissue of trivial incidents interviewer
with fatuous prattle, in which good SUBJECT Is
spoiled and which has only endured because OF inc
trenchant phrases and animated stage business 'iat
the actor has woven into texture together with the
nrofound earncsness artistic skill and personal Charm
with which he has embodied the chief character
The public gain from this play is the ENJOYMENT
that may he derived from Mr. Mansfcld's art Those
observers OF Beau BrummelP who imagine tha' VieS
are looking at anything that resembles hhslSh so0e!
a, any period since ever English society existed would
bc wise TO Danish that Illusion from their minds INC
notion for example, that Richard ,Brinsley sheridan
was the vapId donkey who wanders about In TINS
piece or that the Prince Regent was the lmbecAe anu
monumental ass that this drama would have MIN 10 pe
is merely ignorant. Historic truth may NC h"uiHO"
or varied within for the sake OF dGWauc eeoV
lint N vtate il in that way is impairment. sem
s,be auditor soon perceives that the legitimate purpose
Of comedy-which is ~ portraiture OF manners, maue
brilliant by means Of delicate eXaggeration ana mace
entertaining with eQuivoke-has not been accom-
pshed and is not to be expected. such SPECTATOR
however will perceive that clever actor. worAlhs
with the material Of a thin sketch, has made a capi
taI porraiture of character Mr. Mansheh emnouics
an image of dandyism, the artificial TOP OF an aF'
time and place, but also he embodes an phage o 's
prnciple and vrtuOus and afectiona'e heart liis
ronchalant air continues TO be-a 1t was III inc H'S'
ulace-more German than English; but he is more d
human being and less stage figure now thah wleh e
first undertook the part, and in that respect ms en-
bodiment has grown better. In other ways IL Is 'o
same In his denneation Of the exquisite me genUe
man he is not beyond rivalry. Other actors "ouiu no
doubt do this as well, each in his drereht way
Several actors OF not distant past would nave uohc "
superbly-Wallack, for instance, or Mark sinful Vi
iIIam r. Floyd or Sothern. 1t is not in TINS vein ina.
MIR Mansfield has made his exceptional disuhctNe anu
brilliant success 1t is by tho subtlety with winch me-
ano,as eentla nature beneath the veneer OF ar'hoo
i'm this way preparing for the pa'eeu3 anu u'e40
climax of his mpersOnauon-that he SHOWS INC III
.,tion and exerts the spell Of dramatic genius ana
also II is by the deep feeling, the ample power a
.no exouste self control with which he maintains uhe
condition of pride and dignity and even OF gnosuJ
nlcndor in an environment Of destituton ana anna te
lurid lights and gIisly shadows OF mental dseSIaon
and physical decay. -, mo
The scenes in the ballroom and in the park are
s,,nid and tresome: bud at the beginning Of the
niece and toward it's end Mr. Mansfield improves OPP
nortunities that were ingeniousy invented ana hc
creates perfect and touching liiusio' 'Ho VI
mnation of the piece savor5 both OF aosuluN anu Vi
nnt-clmax Its natural end is the death ol bruIh'
neil after his display Of halluclnation Nothing mas
heen shown or implied in the character or cohduct u
tba Regent 10 indicate even the least likelihood that
no would come to the ruined man upon hearing ol HIS
misery The two should have been maze "lc'
tionate friends and the breach between theh siouN
have been effected by serious means anu Ipcden Of
81" Gral reconciliation Mr.. Mansfield cisaipaieS
part % "I lives or dies lie was particularly fine last
night i'm the in the lodging mouse, Wh!,T; ~
GTIants fut II is necessary 10 intimate that the
materials Of This work are mostly OF ripe az, asv,
Irnmmel By Blanchard Jerrold, in which ne incl
dent OF the phantom guests Is emPlDS Gu L farnar
n the stage in the old play Of The Last Man
Geofrey palel and 1t was me- ,iape ~ 10 In
CORPORATE Beau BrImmell7 into ms rep,rt0fy' tho
Th interesting Of the female &c Ne Cmeron
Tie most difficult of them, Mrs St. Anbyu 70 MISS
Te neveeless has heart suffers from
her sincerity Considerable care has been GxpehGCo
gSq ts dT SSTed o. Hf crompon in the single
eQnyocal scene, bears himself 20 as 20 enaOc ~ q;
aS "a vnSeh tt s sd his Nj Mariana to ard he
Ada David GaIIick, was asaH COhspi'uutS -
tTcrrson repeated his excellent performance OF NOT
timer the valet-one Of the nestest ana mos, dScdce,
bs OF acting that have been seen OF Ide Sed''' anu VI
great value although only a sketch. -. ,4 Ia
The recurrence of " Bean BiumineHr cilnoS ~. -:
deemed fact OF serious public import The important
fact Is Mr.. Mansfcd's return. Opinion continues 20
ciaerand TO differ widely respecting INC mfmii "
This actor but tina. is Of the strongest ildcauos
Of his originality and Individual force Amo ,S de
Younger actors OF period no name "a SO Conspicuous
as thar of Richard Mansfield: and no competitor has
shown such audacty Of enterprise snch vsTsatN Ul
taLcnt such nvctefate purpose and mcesSsnt e'rpF;
NE who attempts the achievement OF mEh anu