New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-10-07
MR. DAILY IN THE BRITISH METROPOLIS
From Tie London World.

From Tie London World.
Is our TASTE really Improving, or are we merely De-
coming chush and cuLtlee in tns fagvli OF tho
century The unaIimity with which We Lave De
nOuue.d A Nnisn IN as an Eshlt % our elaittd m
tellgence may indeed b5 s.gn OF intellectual eAala
lion, or ii may merely he ~ mptOnI OF t1at national
malady which the French cal "le Spleen Fave ears
agO. unless greatly il ciIor, We were by no Meals
So contemptuCus OF "a Night Cn.7 We did not declare
it WORK u genius but laughed 40 Ii till our SIDES
full revelatoI OF the Ualy COmpauy's delightful art
Now the company IS with lis alii lts ART rs deisnlu
harmless unprctentlOus farce and want 10 know with
Beau Tbbs, why 1t IS not a tragedy OF an enc poem
ironically but in sober seriousness: for my own MOOD
on Wednesday evening was quite a. IS au-Ilbossh a.
as much rs my recollection OF 1t led me to expect and
l. 100. mourned 10 see such talent thrown away upoa
cur first fine careless rapturs did not really show
finer appreciation, at any rate, ulster sense OF
Content Are not .Mss Decma7 Husband ana WIZ
and The Late lamented" the chief success Of te day
excellences Of these enterts nmentsl uiere l u,e
tie "we' in pure humility, not wishing VIC 20
ne we them tSst we should look down Win contempt
upon . Night or" in which, even apart from tne
pieces rolled into one? l don't think we have ever
been quite Just to Mr.. Days merits as an adapter u
ingenuity and that Of no such low order in his worE.
Though the scaffolding on which he builds - ait 10
Srctably ready 10 seize on stale and conventional
expedients for raising laugh his pieces abound IN
theatrical humOrist. Literary merit he scarcely
claim for everything he writes is TOO nicely htted %
form aud stand alone.' But though am the AZ
deny that play is all the better for btlns reaoso
as wei as actabe, am the first to admit tnat gfess
ability may be shown in work which is fted 70 the
stage, and TO the stage alone what criticism ma
estimate after ALL is simply the amount OF intellectual
energy of sheer brain power, IN given piece OF worS
and Judged by this Ultimate test, Mr. DAYS adapI%
very much higher than great deal of work that pass
current and Is literally praised. Nign1 IN IN, II
contains plenty OF clever touches, and is far from being
despicable as such things CO. The simple iaet "a
that for most Of us has lost the Gloss ci soSe S
we so clearly foreSee. Moreover, the Lyceum tov
large house for plays Oh s bo G 10 ey much S mos
crspy at the little srande 1870. l.. -.,..,,ry
"a Night OF" for his opening play but merely ths
we ought not utterly to eontemn either this parieu
play or Mr.. Days farcieal repertoy as wnoe Vv s
hastily conclude, because Miss Rehan aid Mr Dess,
Mrs Gilbert and Mr. Lewis get such admirable eneSe
out OF material little admirable thar -a.u I
after ALL Is creative rather than an nterprettne
art No doubt acting is creative as wen d. uo;;
those eternal topics of discussion which difference
of opinion would be possible IL we would not s,snR
to compress the whole of complex phenomenon uso
a single word phrase. But because Miss h st
and Mr.. Drew actively contribute To tle esui. w. a.
MS the old story of seeking TO determine whether
be the saltpetre or the sulphur IN gnnpoMu'r ,ctors
Tva Ie h sSp0s 80 Do precisely because he
the delightful effects implicit IN them. lie and cs Ms
company indeed, approach In humble way me W i,
merriam ideal OF the poet and the actors working IN
close communion and interdependence toward g.sa
artistic end Du sprlchst elm crosses Wort geSSS
aus the reader may say, on hhding the aaSggS,, r
"a Night on" alluded TO as the poet VEL eas.
an observer. a creator critic Of life. ~, as
is none OF these things, but only ueis
maninniator OF situations, and accomplished payer
upon an exquisite instrument Of his own ne
IN Wit his company. Certainly IL Is agahs, u w
usage Of the language 30 apply the word poet ~
virtuoso OF this description; but think some v'H 90
s,,Ia than one OF conempt opprobium Is que W
the-dramaturge, shall l say ito whom we 0Ss,
directly or indirectly. so many rare and nsi s "a
emo,ions When | remember how l anghed az
cried last year over Miss Rehsns acting in The !, r rs
Jfnknown,b and how the play which, WIN an !is
sants made such acting possible was i1eontlnemgS
damned by the critics who applaud ana % .sat
Miss Decima" and "The Late Lamenied, ieei .s
common sense and common gratitude call Tor 49, ~
Of protest We not vlyidly amused a. We ,ssr
pected 10 be by A Night on, but WIN WIN y ma
1t IL out seven times In a weea than enadurc n
Late Lsmented' once ard that not ohH %, hscaIs
h acted by Miss Rehan and her comrades, Nut osss
il Is written and staged by Mr. DAILY.