New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-09-01
THE DRAMA.
1.-THE DANCING GIRL
EDMUND YATES

The dramas Of Henry Arthur Jones have strength
seenteness and a nobility of purpose. with power
and determination OF accomplishment, that raise Vo"
far above the common plane OF the theaulcal enlei-
talnments OF the day. In the performance Oh A"o
Dancinr Girl which given at the Lycenm Iheatre
last night, there the added interest OF 'he TO
onpearsnoe of favorte actor, who is welcomed mere
more and more warmly at each annual VISIT lnc
election of this play for Mr.. F. H. Sotherns engage
nent gives IL n deeper import than IL has ever hau
before. Hitherto he has aimed to amuse anu mas U01
gratifyingly successful In "The Dancing orA W
voust teach This is new and a higher mission ana
,he play OF last night showed that the teacher WI"
lhely 10 prove abundantly competent IL.
n IS something OF an accomplishment for the wrier
N drama TO teach clearly and unmstakaoiy anu noV
preach. II he breaches, 1t need scarcely DC suu Sta'
he Is lost. But MIR Jones IS not on tral as 10 'ns
Qualification His lesson is enforced so as 10 eaVe ITO
doubt Of its intention and pertnence' So' 'he iu0''
bv which Il is brought home 70 the spectator
an unfailnc dramatic vgor and lack nothing ~ arusto
finish Two figures in the story hold equaiS u,e III
,sgest an. sympathy Of the auditor. one IS prongae
,, ,ho Duke Of Gueebtry-prOfgate, selfish
na cruel only through thoughtessncss OF any ouy OF
accountability on his own part The other Is the
woman who is tempted and lost through hm' ohe Is
the daughter of a sternly upright QUAKER Vi lhe ocnS
Islands The life Of London daIzles anu h'oAlc@es
her She becomes dancer in the thealcs WITHOUT
DOWNWARD and wishes to arrest it, she oegs the DUKE
.. r,.ko her his wife and he has little less than
tho reou,site manlness 10 grant her prayer Later MS
better nature is aroused and he is ready even eager
make PREPARATION He asks her now 10 De MS "lie' Out
&c Mortified 10 find that his own work has gone beyond
his control She her life OF roses and wine and
she cannot live without il The Duke Is broken In
fortune She would be well pleased with virtue ana
the respect OF society," but at the sacrifice OF luxury
The Dukes regret and contrton at what he has made
Of one who might have been kept pure and worthy
NJ the love Of good man all too late and leads only
TO despair
II is not easy to those who have life before
them with everything 20 gain and TO keep and to en-
joy and at the same zine hold out hope TO those
who have lived only TO find that life is nothing more
than insomnia" How can the beginner kept from
error by being told that there is hope at the end in
spite Of error! And how can he who has erred and
suffered long be encouraged 10 late amendment II
re made 10 see nothing for such himself but de-
spair Mr. Jones has blended these purposes skhuly
The woman is lost or if she Is saved It is only with
diving hope. The man is turned to better purposes
and uses for those among whom he lives and works,
vet il not 10 be thought that he escape from
a haunting remorse and an increasing regret for one
who had been wasted 10 herself and to the world
through him. At the last the men whom he has sup
posed to be dead In far country by his fault return
safe TO live and to work for their families and their
happy II Is peaceful and bright
Mr. sothem's personal opportunity in this play is
not perhaps so great as in Of those in which he
has before made himself familiar to this public. His
part performed with the graccfulneSs and con-
seertOusness that marks all that he does. It is rare
power to be able to play the libertne in such way
as to keep the sympathy Of the audienceto work evil
upon others and vet TO show the punishment and the
SUFFERING that place the evl-doer In the MIND OF the
spectator on the same level with his victims All this
with
admired more when seen repeatedly ard studied, not
such enfoFces itself the merely careless aten-
ton Of the idle amusement seeker Though Mr.
SOthern may add little to the breadth OF his fame by
pOrtIayng such character as the Duke Of Gulse-
bury. he will gain in the appreciation of those who
watch the stage studlousy and with the desire to
honest and faithful effort and genuine achievement in
its artists.
tho most Conspicuous Of the piece. The attempt to
assume II is for her an ambitious Miss Harmed
has been known hitherto chiefly a Of sumptu-
Gus beauty Of face and form. That she com
petent actress in not too exacting part also
varied capaby and finer depths Of feeling than those
who had watched her progress prepared expect
be drawn clearly and firmly and with deeper
purpose and suer conviction but the lines of the pct-
and their meaning be seen and well understood.
There need be no hesitation in saying that Morton Seen
has never before appeared here 10 thing approaching
the same advantage rs last night The Hon. Reginald
Slingsy has been familiar to the stage for many wears
but when he Is properly acted he always entertain
ing. and in this Mr. Selten has struck true note
Augustus Cooke and Wright Huntington acted an old
ard young quaker with a ssill that rose now and
sented angel OF the kind cannot fly or even walk
well. She is actress OF small experience, but OF
such esrnestness and sincerity as merit communication
Rowland Blackstone Miss Bessie Tyres and Mrs. Kate
PattisOn-Selten also deserve mention.