New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-03
THE DRAMA.
DAIy,s THrAIRE-oLp COMEDY


that comedy and revived "The School for scsndaLs
There was a good audience in the beautiful theatre at
night and IL saw brilliant performance Ada Rehan,
az before was Lady Teaze while Charles was present1
by Mr.. Drew. Joseph by Mr. Clarke Sir Peter BY Mr.
Wheatlelgh, Sir Oliver by Mr.. Jepson Crabtree By w.
Ieclerca Sir Benjamin by Mr.. Herbert, Mrs. Candou
by Mrs. Gilbert, Lady snecrwel by Miss Prince. szl
Maria by Miss Crane. 1t Is nearly year since Mr.
DAILY first offered January 30, 1s9D the version q
1.-The School for Scandal that he now uses-a yWsid
made by hmself-and his actors have many times np
resented II IN NewYork and In other ctles' ncindlhs
Paris; 80 that It's pecularites have become familiar
Those attributes OF novelty in the treatment Of the ID
NAV were again observed with interest and generally
with favor The condensation Of the scandal episodes
into one prominent scene seems TO be the most In
portant OF the few changes that have been made
All the tatte comes at and the eoarseness Of
has been expungcd. little of that kind Of cocqy
IS enough and the indelcacy OF the Original was al
ways offensive. Mr. Daly's alterations however, Do
not extend far and the chief motive OF them has been
the desire 10 crcumscrbe each act within sinds
ucture stage-settlng is different thing now from
what IL was I'm the days Of Sheridan and II that expert
dramatst were living at present he would probably
make use Of the facilities at his hand-in winch as
one may be sure that the first act Of his great comedy
would be furnished with something more than pair
OF flats The idea of a drawing room instead OF drss
lng.room at Lady sneerwelrs house was good hea
IL was fecitous device TO close the act with mnEa
instead Of carpenter scene and 1t was obviously wise
10 compress the display OF Charles's Wild fe Including
the sale OF the family pictures from four scenes INTO
one Whenever In the stage treatment of an old piece
dramatic effect be heightened, without sacnhee o.
anything essential in the original, stage MANAGE
would indeed DC a Ounce who should neglect his Op
portunlty PLAYS do not become sacred simply In BE-
coming antique and nothing l. more comic, To persons
acquainted with stage usage than the assumption ths
m old play must never be changed !"
fact Is that no one OF the OLD DAYS.
whether by Shakespeare or sheridan any
body else, is ever acted, or ever was acted
except, perhaps, in the privacy OF college expert
Notwithstanding to the author Material changes
have always TO be made in them. The l1nssst VERSION
OF Hamlet that Is in practical u'e-the version MADE
by Edwin Boo.h-omits nearly thousand lines OF The
original. II yoa were to undertake 10 act hlchaM 1s
Third according Shakespeare feat that neveryd
was accomplished on the modern stageD you could not
get through 1t in than ten hours and your auheae
would be dead at the last curtain
That sparkling minuet in act one and that splntea
delicious picture OF upsy reysiry in ACT three.
which are Mr.. Day's main embellishments Oh lac
school for Scandal" serve to heiGhten Inc iesuua'
and intentional effects Of The comedy, and. accordingly!
they, and all kindred innovations, are "eNom~
The old piece was richly set upon the 'tase-Nuh
more opuence and beauty OF attire ana emJeth'@
ment than have been aysed on 1t before ut any tm'
or in any place. The cast presented only "a IL" H9A
features-and those mostly Minor In the MAIN u sS'
the old cast and each feature OF IL has aireay Osa
| considered in this place. The performance
not a traditional one. few Of the actors indeea
hova tho old business They take the snuff and they
flick the qulies in a that John Gilbert Mn
self woud have authorized and approved. But mostly
they have gone TO the text for their authority ana
they act their parts In fresh and natural ways
free a way certainly as Is compatible "ith inc u
veteiate artifcialty and the verbal tugglcry which
are the fabric Of the play. That play was ARTIFICIAL ~
the first The manners OF frivolous people about the
Court Of George the Third had TO be copied, but ao
they had TO be exaggerated and that method Of en-
phasis It's chief ingredient being afectaton. is as eay
now as was then Artihce may always be more readily
initiated than nature. Given certain actual types oil
character and actual habits Of speech almost any
clever actor samating his mind with the epigram and
| railery and pungency Of the text may add the en-
brodery and the veneer For this reason The school
for Scandal has almost always been acted in one way
The subtle parts in II are Joseph and Sir Peter-the
one plausible knave, the other cynical toleran@
good-natured man of the world punctilious but tesy
uxorous yet resentful Of his inatuaton. These mus
be very difficult parts, for actors who truly Know wa"
! they contain. Every man who has frcquentea 'ne
theatres for many years has his favorte rememprsn
Of Sir Peter-an ideal never be equalled or DISTURBED
! Henry PlacIde, william Warren. W. Il. Blake JONI
Gilbert and Charles Fisher few Of the names is'
people always recall. But the present Is not nue.
| aided by inslstence on the past Mr.. Wheatesh ~
al. along given correct and delicate performance OF sH
Peter and lie repeated his achievement last night ~
defect IS hardness The manner Is so dry that W
comes brittle. The gentilty, which ought onH !" "
| formal becomes eccentric The humor, which @ous'
cynical is good-naucd grows almost Aaturuine' Du'
Mr. Wheatleigh puts mind and heart into the cnSoe'
| end his expression Of his distinct ideal Is per''~'
symmetrical. His denotement Of Sir Peter a.
gentleman is perfect His pathos, in the eonn'e "a,
talk with Joseph, is absolutely true. And MS ms .
| cation OF passing bewilderment, upon detecting u~
yirtuous mans amabe vice, Is both subtle and hun'
| Gus. Ia, nor
| Ada Rehan as Lady Teazle very beauuiui ~
does she I'm any way fall below the highest stanos
| OF execution that has been reached IN thiS 0N"'
| by stl remembered actresses OF the last lo'v -
In her IDEAL OF lady Teaze the simple, hones' ~
| rural English girl has not been extingulshou v "a
artificial fine lady the woman is ehaste and true
Tho lesson that she receives in her adventure NAs
Joseph. does not change her nature, but awsAeas
| moral sense and exats her selrespece ada ne Iisr
is easily delightful In the wheeding OF Sir Iesi,
% t SG mocsefy is drol
although her abundant animal sp nsy stittIsAnes.
She mas an alert and expeditions bearing ~ iea
the piece and her elocuiloa IS sweet ~ 3b eluaK
Of tRe screen.scene than anywhere else ana gmpss
noble woman and a memorable aooress, and he
cxeslis,t art remindins YOU that amid al tn cs %
and falsehood there is thing trae , ,or san
reward the wearest spectator OF Ihe S.' Nh holding
nm It, lace train watching us pai,sa sary rov
near half a century, does mako you n'''' w.
and then. .,..,a,AeS n new measure q
respect aud admiration for his me and Cha
sSrfoSe He is acting this with S orss
vlgor with singular authority nS t,s,om not hitherto
manifested by him and he has thus a noTul q
niaasnr, 10 many admirers. Ills enh v, - srace
PRESSURE ss spfaee IS entirely manly and fall o. mss
Ts csaaeter has been mistaken by somG 81 no
tutors for that Of dream ss dn Ave he drift He y
generous. mpave ia Snessps sSu Sat
al shams and at hollow, p,gglsn ~ NJ viii leave on
sowing his wild oats br and by ana s ne mem
Maria and become one OF tne ns', mssntme land nn