New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-29
THE DRAMA.
SHAKESPEARE AT DALY'S THEATRE

beautiful production of of the sweetest and most
interesting comedies in language-tle comedy OF
"Loves Labor's Lost" This piece, In It's original
FORM is much overlald with rhymed passages irregl
lar and variable versication and this pecularty
combined with literary conceits and elaborate articles
Of expression, imparts to it character OF aTectaton
One part OF it's authors plan to satirize the
artificial manner Of spcech--the Eupmsm-that pre-
vailed in fine society in Queen Ehzabet's time, and
this purpose he has accomplished at some sacrifice
OF dramatic point and brilliancy. For scenic IN
vestture and theatrical representation accordingly the
piece has to be freely cut and rearanged. II seems
always to have been regarded play for the library
rather than the stage. 1t may have been and probably
much admired by the audience in shakeepeares
day,-alhough there is record to that efect,-but
it not revived in England during the period OF
theatrical enterprise subsequent to the Restoration
1t not touched by Garrck; and IL seems to have
lain disused until about fifty years ago, when the
sumptuous Vesris and the enchanting Louisa Nsbett
acted In it, in London, at Covent Garden. Phelps
effected revival Of it, at Saders Wells in 1857, and
in the next year 1t was performed at the Arch, in
Philadelphia. In 1874 Mr.. Daily brought IL forward
once more at his theatre, then called the Fifth
Avenue and then situated in Twenty -eghtlisi.
and since that time 1t has slumbcred The
same energetic manager reproduces Il The
sion that he offers is his own, and it is effective
one-brsk in movement, pictorial in display vlvacous
alike in talk and incident, and richly sufused with
the rosy light Of mrth
Mr.. Daily has used scholarship, skill and taste in
looping away the undramatic portions Of the original
dialogue and in bringing close together all the effective
ingredients of the comedy He calls 1t dainty
comedy, and it is but, his arrangement of 1t.
The piece is than dantyt is sharp, incisve and
brilliant with concentration of its satire, ludlcrouS
with its eccentric humor, and lovely with poetic scntl-
ment and romantic feeling Yelled and eDtangled In
multitude of words, there was dramatic structure III
"Loves Labors Lost" and this has been liberated i'll
mt tNeam NJ H.
made the dramatic subservent to the literary ele-
men had he written this piece in his mature years
He would have fitted ii for the stage, and what he
would thus have done has to be attempted now He
wrote the play in his youth, and, probably at much
earlier date than the earliest that has been aXed
10 t. For student O! Shakespeare " Loves Labors
Lost, has, therefore, peculiar significance and "a
special value. 1t is the exponent OF his Poec young
mind II prefgurcs his mental drLt. IL may nave
been his first production. All of his subsequent
comedies are less distinctly animated Win IT,
IN structure character and incident. 1t shows the
young eagle trying his wings. 1t shows, IN thcir
germs the amazing powers that were ore day 10
people the wood of Arden with images OF poetic beauty
and at the same time were TO create faIstaH' II
strikes at once and clearly, the note OF wise payiul
ness tender grace and fluent humor That was I"
sound throughout all his later comedies and TO auteh
,ic,te them all AZ the work of and the same
ma,rhlpss mind. Biron and Rosalinc are the
first draft OF Benedict and Beatrice Armaoo Is nio
sketch for Malvoio. Dull is the outline or Dosoerrs
Holofcrnes is the prelude 10 Sir Hugh Evans 'aluc
Meta contains, in little, both Maria ana aubrey
TIE machinery of the garden scene and of the masqueI
ado was used again. and with a frmer hand III huc'
Ados Tho farcica pageant of the Nine NoItmee Ii
repeated in effect, in the scene that Is the paenV VI
all buriesque, the intcrludc OF Pyramus ana 1hsO0'
Loves Labor's Lost" surely was written as early as
1850, when Shakespeare was twcnVsN years CIV
lprobably much earlier, and, no doubt, it was re-
vcars later it came from the press In 1875 ana IL Is
The first OF his plays that bore his name on the Title
page that of author.
For an audience. Loves La5or's Lost possesses
the charm of u romantic lCvc-stoIy MADE pIquaht "i'
nmhIe froIc and satircal mlrth. Ferdinand King OF
Navarro and his three lords BrOn, Dumaln and Tonga
vie) dedicate themselves, for three years. 10 s'as
They arc TO dwell alone They are to be frugal anu
yciIant They are refrain from the society OF Euic
They are 10 be temperate, placid, chaSte' pure au
cold In word, they are 10 be dedlcaueo 10 MINI
The King of Navarro however Is obliged TO receive
visit from the Princess of France, who comes 10 NM d
su ambassador from her royal father, ana VINO is
ACCOMPANIED by three Of her ladies', hOSalie' Maria '
Katherine These handsome young "o"e" anu
as soon as they invade Navaries sciehc Ic'IV"' u.s.
four consecrated young men ihcohtheh'S ian
I'm love with them, and each endcaVors 70 press IA" ~
in secret All are thus iOrsworn, ana ml'h mei1i
is extracted from the cXpedent OF mahlhs e"v "a t
hot,v his secret 10 the Others until they all sla'u "
comic discontinue together. Al inc 'as' '"O - -
nation OF their error in making 1ool'sh 'o'''I"
snosen In words Of signal eoquence anu pc'"'' N'
-. and nerrlcst of them, Biron On all inc oiD
comics of the play this name is given as ber""1'
On, ,lo Cr.t has only humO.ed Navaircs caP'l'0 ''i
nonastic,sm but has never believed III us "''uo'
These lovers are much teased ana '"' -,
s,arltling French girls when their ap7uiu tt
1, disclosed but in each case, happy INC o'0
Youths is reciprocated and so oOmiof'soIe p"'iN7
inf yVhP
a., tho royal father OF the Princess has dleu' M
nnvn Nv naV omts from his version, so Us 10 90 e..
clude all sadness There can PT nV enninored King Of
wear Loves labor is lost: me ;1, Tie fro!
Savare must prove his fidelity by paticnJiC. and
rsnnie iron must tend the sick for tWelVcioi'i -,
SsoJk i.oIf t"metning ter than facer III orGcf
10 be worthy of his Rosane IN inc uiq L Pa"iasiicai
naniard Armado. held In an0rons CAPTIVITY W dT
country wench, Jaquencta, atoHS , HUI Witch AMI
eCdnicai Illustration OF the central uu u te onIi.
mates the play. No man can escape ifo'" ''' 0'N'
nance OF iosc scene in the comedy IS that III
which be trenchant satirical Bir1n conc ,c and
ovoTheaIs the icspectye @ 81 d. v Ills comrades,
ond On Coming forward taan them Is mZe The
whelmed BY The Gio[io' 5a M, n in sprshtllne5 and
,ischevous spirit Is the scene IN VIII "a e,itnrs
lllncess ~" ~ them in lie gar of Mu>coytcs ID
The former scene ecstasy OF aolpS love verses
,'riy Expressed In some of the swcc,eSt I ne White
~ h were written. Is displayed unqer Vo thc
III, of Sudden ard clever ridenle; ~ "' nevitaie
dilemma enu 6 in Diron sonorous manifesto the rleht.
fncS Is vndic Gated OF love ara OF The Spirit that
arcrvbero prevails is that OF cOIuctiS az ,",iTs and
an The ndies are less in love man c he various
erei0re and MD all the action Of the comedX he
scenes of eccentric mornthose 1n 4oatcpneS and Sir
NaDe and Motore d e,s ' nnS Igc he ' and more
1thi tdlo arts 81 This work for In them ShbRe
Mie dloely is dcgh'tny n Gd.eSncebcns much
uic Io .'n he seems be or than ne WoiIu i"n ~
spposed aud there is most %mGrCna are decatey
N,.iod in uol6feries and Nathaniel ana DII "a
indeed are precious scenes I" oTs ,hem effective on
wonderfully line tfeat"0"' ~
The stage . .o,or.od bv Mr. DAILY in 1874 the