The Jersey City news., 1891-09-15

And just at that conjuucture, at what
the french would term 1.-The psychologist
moment" the patriotic music of the
Star Spangled Banner" electrified the
house, ann the curtain rose on the first
act of ''The Henrietta''-slowly as If
the importance of the action. One might
paraPhrase Horace and say:-
Sail smooth, oh curtain, for with you
you bear the fortunes of the Manager"
THE PLAY.
1t would be rather late in the day to
undertake a criticism Of Mr.. Bronson
Howard's play. Pretty nearly everything
that can be said about sThe Henrietta"
has been said. 1t has been tried iu the cru
chile of popular favor, and it would be abb
surd to set up theory against its over
whelming success. 1t Is not only sue
it is presented. 1t was a
thorough, unadulterated success
last night, so much SO that we doubt If
any in the audience were conscious of a
single jarring note. 1t was not the star
alone that won the honors, though, of
course, the inimtable acting Of Mr.. Rob-
son took the lions share; but the people
actually liked the play, and liked every
part OF it and liked every performer in it.
And yet the play Is as far from real
comedy as a Lydia Thompson vaude-
vile; that is if we are to take m odern
comedy as the great masters understood
it, from Farquhar to Robertson, from
Moliere TO Sardou or Emile Augier;
If character and manners are the flesh TO
build up around the bones of q plot, and
II caricature and horseplay belong rather
to the region Of burlesque. 1t is true the
plot of the Henrietta is possible and natural
If we can grant the possibility of such un-
Vanalstyue, Jr.: but it would be impos-
sible to take amy person in the play and
say Of him, "Tbis is a man." Indeed so
totally unreal are the people who figure
in the progress Of the scenes, that one finds
himself astonished and not a little
Jared when they display in some
special episode real human emotion.
The success of the piece is matter OF
animal spirits. Hurried along by a good
company in a rollicking, jovial way, it
carries the audience along with the same
sort of interest that causes one to turn
over leaf after leaf of book of carica-
lures. The American people like to
exaggerated the portrayal the more they
are apt TO laugh. In this play,
there is little adroit fiattery thrown in,
and they enjoy the grotesque and its COM
pensating element at one and the same
time. The old Wall street broker who
spends over million and wrecks a rail-
way to win widow away from hypo-
critical clergyman, and then spends $780,
900 more to prevent any suffering to
widows and orphans, may be q pre-
posterous old humbug when you
stop moment to think about
him; but he is too ebullient in vitality
and too f1attsring to the general vanity
not to be followed by screams of laughter
aud shouts of applause rs he kicks
and roars and grimaces his way from
scene to scene.
THE PERFORMANCE
OF last nights performance only. pleas
ant things are to be said. The play was
beautifully mounted The costumes OF
the ladies in the cast were handsome ana
becoming. The acting was admirable.
Everything was done with the piece that 1t
is susceptible of. It was the first night Of
thecomDany as well as Of the theatre-first
night of the season of course-and there
were six new people on the stage. Not
w1thstandtng this there was not hitch
from beginning to end. The waits be-
tween the acts were marvellously short,
considering the circumstances. The cur
tain fell at ten minutes past eleven
O'Clock.
Where all were SO good it is hard to dis
criminate among the performers. Here
is the full cast:-
Nicholas Vanalstyne, Old Nick in the Street,
Mr.. Geo. S. Woodward
DR.. Parke Wainwright. 49,. Mr. w. H. Ewood
Nicholas Van alstyne, Jr... Mr.. Carl Smith
oci uio Nhhebioby hCs Aio biOtAO a idluo,
Mr.. Stuart Robson
Lord Arthur Trelawney, another.
Mr.. Franclyn Rsglid
The Rev. DIR. Murray Hilton q shepherd,
Mr.. Thos. Webber
Watson Flint, broker. Mr. Aubrey Boucicaut
Musgrave, an old clerk. Mr.. John L. Wooderson
Mrs. Cornelia Opdyke. widow.
Mrs Rose vanalstyne, wife Of vanalstyne,
Junior ......,..; ....-.... Miss Amy Busby
1AeAo'' Miss Olive NAV
Lady Mary Trelawney, old yanalstyne's daugh-
Miss Phi Gbe Russell
If we were TO make any choice. it would
be in favor of Mr.. Woodward and Mr..
Webber, both of whom played copsum-
mately. Mr.. Aubrey Boucicault was so
perfectly easy and natural as Watson
Flint that it is hard to say whether the
effect was due to nature or art. 1t would
be pleasant to think 1t was the latter and
that he inherited the power to conceal
his Methods which made his father per-
haps the most perfect English speaking
actor of his day.
The ladies in the cast were all meritor-
ious. Miss Phoebe Russell has some-
what thankless part, and yet she kept the
audience on her side. Miss Amy Busby
and Miss Olive May are singularly lovely
girls. They were ladylike and sympa-
has just the face, the figure and
the animal spirits to give life
and health aud vigor to the
buxom Cornelia Opdycke, beloved by the
Wall street juggler for her physical
charms and by the Rev. Murray Hilton
for her fortune.
Shall one paint the lilyp Shall weak
words be wasted upon the immaculate
innocence Of BERTHE the Lamb If there
Is a real live figure in the play. surely it
is this inarticulate, this molluscous en-
velope, concealing big heart. OF Stuart
toggery of BERTHE, there is only one thing
to say:-He Is truly lamb.
ACCESSORIES.
Mr.. Mullons presented to every visitor
to his theatre last night, apretty souvenir
of the occasion. 1t contains his portrait
and brief salutatory address to the pub
lics In this he puts forward the well
founded claim that the theatre is the
handsomest in the State, and promises
that the attractions it will present will
be in keeping with the house ITSELF In
earnest of this promise, he repeats the
programme of the season now opened,
which has already been published
in these columns. The list of
the executive staff is given as follows:-
Business Manager, Frank V. Hawley;
Musical Director, Otto Vogier; Master
Machinist. Chas. +. Gudgeon; Assistant
Machinist, Horace Collyer; Master of
Properties, " c. Brown: Electrician, w.
w. Titzell; Gas Engineer. Frederick
Richardson's; Chief Fly Man, Henry
Schroeder; Doorkeeper, G. J. Milton;
Chief Usher, Arthur ]. O'Brien; Officer,
Peter Sennet; Advertising Agent, Isaac