Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-01
SWEET AMY R0BSART.
Marie Wainwright as Scott's Dainty
and Distressed Heroine.
CRANES CREATION, THE SENATOR.
Gantell in the Corsican Brothers---The Old
Parlor Match Burns Brightly.
ALL THE PLlTS IN TOWN CRITICISED

century men and women, are not romantic
in color usually. The commonplace and
,nodest-toned character of civilized
life is sad hindrance to the play
wright who would erect an Aladdin s
nalace for his hero and heroine OF
TODAY. But if he will turn his back upon
the United States and pass lightly over
three centuries or so to the days and coun-
trv of Good Queen Bess he may revel in
romance, and riot in the gayest colors that
have ever shone at one time IN history 5
web. If this century of ours is black and
white, softened at most into gray now and
then, the age of Elizabeth was surely tlnged
with carmine, overshot with gold, and
sprinkled with dust of diamonds, in the
shape of men and deeds, that shine still
as brightly as they did then. The very
school history of that time is dramatic,
romantic and poetic against its will.
Sir Walter Scott in "kenilworth
was at his best, and while he may not have
been as careful of his facts and as natural
in his romancing as Mr.. Howells would
have had him be, the story is charming
of that time brilliantly. From this
story the drama "Amv Robsart' was
built wears ago for Adelaide Nelson;
then one of the Vokes family played the
ilI-starred heroine, and last night Miss
Marie Wainwright put her beauty and art
into the balance at the Grand Opera House.
II may be as well said first as last that
Amy Robsart as a Play
Is a very sorry affair. There are two or
three scenes that appeal strongly to SYM
pathetic audience, and almost every one OF
the four acts is provided with a closing sit
uation warranted to bring down the gallery.
Ifclimaxes were all that play need" Amy
Robsart" would be bowling success, for 1t
has so MANY that they overlap each other.
But the plav has strong human interest, and
as Miss Wainwright has staged 1t, it re-
produces to a considerable extent the
romantic picturesqueness of the Eliza
bethian age, as it was manifested IN
architecture, in courtiers' clothes, and
ali the pomp and circumstance
in which the Virgin Queen delighted The
story and the staging counterbalance the
weakness of the play, and the good acting
of Miss Wainwright and her associates
brings the scale down in Amy Robsart
favor. This was the emphatic verdict OF a
large audience last night
Miss Wainwright is little thinner than
she used to be, but this is not saying that
she is any the less fair. Her beauty is in
deed undimmed. although in the character
of poor misused ABy, it is chastened into
grief and forbidden TO radiantly shine for us
as it did in Shakespeare's divine Viola
The character is not a substantial
one, and it is monotonously tear
ful, but Miss Wainwright makes all
that can be made of it, a thing of beauty
and a supplicant for sympathy. That her
appeal succeeded was evidenced in recalls
after every act.
Miss Wainwrignts Great Act.
In two scenes Miss Wainwright was pow
erful in dramatic way; the first at the
meeting of Anay ROJsdrf and Queen Eliza
beth at Kenilworth, the second in the half
hysterical appeal of Any to Leicester
in act va delicious and truthful bit of
pathos this, the trembling voice, twitching
face and the very embrace telling of a wife's
passionate affection. OF course Miss Vain
wright's dresses are exquisite. There is one
of pink satin figured with wild roses, and
with huge crepe puff on either shoulder-re-
minding us that women TODAY are going back
three centuries for their fashions-that is
almost regal The Ellzabethan ruff figures
in all the costumes, and it is unguestiona-
blv becoming to pretty face. But Miss
Wainwright looked as well in the severe
Grecian robe of white, which she wears in
the latter part of the play, as in anything
she wears 1t is kind of odd that Amy
Robsart should travel in such gown as
this one of white-it escapes all Journey
stains, too!
Miss Blanche Walsh, very promising
Young actress, whose work in Twelfth
Night last wear brought her into promi-
nence, makes a very comely Queen Elizabeth
How far she departs from the great original
it would take a jury of historians to de-
cide-and they would not be likely
TO agree upon a verdict. 1t is tolerably
certain that the Virgin Queen had not the
amiability and almost saucy sweetness Miss
Walsh cannot repress at all times. But
while Miss Walsh's Queen BeSs flatters her
Majesty as did Sir Walter Scott's, it is
clever attempt, and the queenly dignity and
royal rage which she exhibited after the in
terview with Amy certainly approached the
true Tudor article.
Mr.. Barton Hill as Richard Tdrney has no
adequate opportunity, but it is a nicely fin
ished performance, and the condensed and
subdued yillainy of the man are well
shown. TGr9sey dies in A,nyS place, fall
ing through the trap door at the
last moment; departure from the novel in
order to give the play happy ending for
hero and heroine. The Earl of Leicester was
in Henry Miller's hands, very good look
ing courtier he makes, but not strong.
loveable man-partly the inherent fault Of
the character which is a contradictory, loose
iointed creation, and partly Mr. Millers,
for he does not seem as manly as his garb at
times.
The Scenery Is Really Beautiful.
William Ingersoll put lots of fire into the
unsatisfactory part of 7ressilia1e, a young
man who is always getting left, but is un-
soured by reverses. Mr.. Backus, as Tom
Foster, shows remarkable makeup, and his
acting showed frequently a care to details
of expression literally reaching to the
finger-tips, care that should lead him to
refrain from believing Fear nothing"' to
his timid daughter in the last act.
The scenery really demands separate
and extended notice by itself, but it must
suffice for the present to say that IL is of
almost uneyampled beauty. There are
views of Greenwich Palace, of the exterior
of Kenilworth Castle, of Elizabethan in
teriors and glimpses of English landscape,
that are pictures in themselves of real value.
Only one blemish could be pointed out, and
that could be readily remedied. The moon
which lights up the Kenilworth Castle
and all the country round for 20
miles, in act shines from a sky
in which there are many cracks.
This is not remarked in unkindness, but
from sympathy with the moon, whose
effulgence is rivaled by the riffs in the sur
rounding skv. Taking 1t altogether "Amy
Robsart" is a beautiful production, and
reflects great credit upon Miss Wainwright
and her manager Julian Magnus.
WETrnNF SENATOR