The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-03-19
THE FORRESTERS,"
Lord Tennyson's New Play Pre-
Sented in New York.
John Drew as Robin Hood and Ada Reham Us
Maid harian-lt is Also Enacted in Lon
dOn-A Favorable Reception
lsrecial to THE acknowledgements Dispatch

! Especial to THE HERALD-ExaIniner Disnatch !
New YORK, March 1S-The presenta,
ton of play by Lord Tennyson is an
event possessing deep interest to all Eng.
disappearing people, and the numerous
and brilliant audience which assembled at
Days theatre last night to witness the
first production OF his poetic comedy, 1.-The
Forresters," formed only an ininestiual
portion of those curious to know whether
the great poet had at last written some
thing for the stage worthy Of his renown.
The play, when Lord Tennyson first out.
lined 1t, was to have been named robin
HOOD" Then he changed the title to
| Maid Marian" ard it was generally un-
derstood that either Mary Anderson or
Ellen Terry would perform it. During
Mr.. Days last season in London Tenny-
son saw Miss Rehan in four different roles
and cecioed then to reform the play for
! her. The Six acts were reduced to five bv
LORD Iennyson and subsequently 10 four
| by Mr.. DAILY. The American manager has
re-arranged much of the play A certain
amount of curtailment was necessary with
| Sir Arthur Sullivan's music.
Inc success or failure of such q per-
| Torrance as that of last night is not easv
to define. Tennyson is in no sense a Sar-
dou. The one conveys his story to an
audience by force OF stirring and original
dramatic situations, the other by the no
teucy and witchery of words. There are
but TWO climaxes in the play and neither of
them IS violent, yet it is the most delicate
and poetlcGl comedy that has been seen on
| the stage OF recent years and at every
| period there Is sense of music whether
the words have been spoken or sung.
The story of 1.-The Forreslersn deals
with the loves of Robin Hood and Maid
Marian, but Lord Tennyson has not con-
structed more out of the timeworn theme
than series OF pretty pictures to pretty
! ripping words, which occasionally find
| sentiments that cause audible smiles.
| There IS not vigorous situation in the
whole play. Friar Tuck is the character in
| The torresters' who was made apparent
| ly to look at, for his lordship forgot to give
! him humorous words, robust action, in
TACT, anything to Go or say. There are in
reality only four active parts in the play
Robin Hood, Marian, Kate and Little John,
which were Delightfully."- impersonated by
John Drew, Miss Rehan Miss Kitty
Cheatham and Herbert Kresham. Tenny-
son has allowed his fancy to play as freely
as the author of Midsummer Nights
Dream" and Much Ado About Nothing. ("
1t is purely classical in phrase and at no
time throughout is the ear Jared by a
| phrase that is not in rhythmic
The delicacy of Sir Arthur Sullivan's
music is in delightful consonance with the
general spirit of the play. 4 number which
precedes the third act is neat and dainty
paraphrase of a merry dance, and much in
cidental music is fanciful and gossamer-Iike
IN the extreme The lullaby which is sung
IN the first act will ind its way to the pop
ular heart within fortnight, and there is
a Serenade which ranks with the earliar
melodic work of the English composer.
Inc whimsical manner in which the com
poser has interviewer the rustic music and
folk-songs of an earlier era, forms an
amusing speculation. Unquestiouably much
of tho more delicate effectiveness of the
music is due to the orchestration OF Sir Ar
thur Sullivan.
The end Of the third act is marked by a
remarkable spectacular scene Maid Ma.
ran goes to sleep on bank of grass and a
troupe of fairies enter and dance and sing
about her. The music is in Sulivan's best
vein, though the melody is at times slightly
suggestive of the maidens' chorus in "Pa-
tieucen