New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-19
THE DRAMA---MUSIC.
IyCEUM THEATRE" SQUIRE KATE

the experience of two English grs-orphaned sisters.
,,ident on a farm in beautiful Slssexwho loved the
same man and whose aectonate intercourse was there
upon temporarily interrupted BY anxious misappre
benon and Jealous This effort las resulted I'm
me fabrication of play that fits the stage, because 1t
nrvdes opportunities for the actor and for the scenic
artist and because its Is enlivcned by incident
and crowned by effect. But this effort has been
dueted with little regard for reason, coherence
or the asccrtaned facts Of human nature; and hence
The comedy, while it may please at the instant view.
appears in the retrospect both fail In construction
and trivial in substance. Ii seemed In various ways
10 please a numerous and refined audience last hight,
for very richly caparSoned, and the lnrid and
fantastic aspects OF its highpesstire love-stor, TO-
ceto with its occasional nerIdes of bovine farce IN
which absurdity stands for humOr were interpreted BY
actors OF salient talent and deep sincerity. 1t Will,
therefore, enjoy a Temporary vogue. \ play that is
false however, Is for that reason ephemera
The great truth OF feminine intuition, In all matters
q, love- has been absolutely ignored throughout this
niece and when you put aside all thought OF its adOrn
ments and look with clear vision at the heart OF IT,
snd that it offers for your contemplation nothing more
important or more impressive than the spectacle OF
Young woman afflicted with hysteria because she mas
found out that the man OF her choice Is In loNe WIN
her sister This fact in actual life, she would nave
known without the Intervention of any thearcai MA
shiney apprise her Of il; and whatever ieehhg' III
,ctua life she might have had, upon this subject she
vouh most sacIedly have kept to herself The woman
in her senses-who becomes violent in her conduct
and vuperative In her language because her love IS
not reciprocated may awaken pity, but certainly must
forfeit respect. The woman-out OF her sehses-"ho
rsers and RACES because of an amatory dlsappoh'-
nent is q subject for a doctor and not dramatist.
Tn. heroine OF this play Is either one or the other
md whichever way she Is viewed, she is sad TO con
smpate and painful TO remember esquire Nate
Ia been put together upon the principle that you must
nj your effect, matter how you get II, ana hence
tn nlAa ven
Mn, when its novelty shall have worn on who II
entertained at the moment. completely indifferent
alike TO dramatic mechanism and dramatic substance.
no number Of that audience, meantime Is very lsrsc
Mr. Puchanan's first title for this piece was The
Little Sister," and that title might wisely nave Deeh
retained. The name of squire Kate" is suggestive
Of 1.-THE Squire by Arthur Pinero OF which drama
Kate Verify is the principal character In each case
furthermore the heroine Is farmer and In eafu case
she Is beloved by the patient, constant. manly ana
much.cndurng overseer Of her farm. AT that point
however, all resemblance ceases. Mr. Buchahih'
though Hike Mr.. PineIo, has obviously felt the Ill
nuence of the great novelist Thomas Hardy-of whom
II NAV be said, II originality, imagination, absolute
.ruthfulness passionate feeling splendidly curbed,
shskesperean humor and fine style are decisive Is the
best author OF fiction now writing the Ehghsh nm
guage. 1t was Thomas Hardy who introduced INTO
literature strong, peculiar, female characters
full of the qualities OF their sex, amid their unique
surroundings in the rustic life Of England; ana when
once he opened the path he soon had followers
both conscious and unconscious. Mr. BUCHANAN III
The making of this play OF esquire Kate has Duiit
| mon the basis OF La Fermiere," BY NM. Armand
l dArtols and Henri Puget; but the English soil IN
1 which his French roots planted IS Enthusiastically
/ that OF the novels OF Thomas Hardy. The ola
shepherd Jasper Arundel and the sombre anu eooiiS
r-otesoue scenes at his lonely hut, wherein the des
perate Kate Thorpe comes to bim for a IoVepmitei
| and the sordid old ruffian and scmmaniac Carer
Kingsley comes TO him for poison, are strihlhgF
significant Of that orginal-not necessarily IN 'ler
pnn but I'm their attributes OF character and in Their
| atmosphere. The suggestions Of haunted Solitude
| v,rd moonlight q bleak wind, and the lamen'hbie
| sying OF the birds Of night make those scenes eA
| seedingly effective and supply for this comedy q
/ genuine touch Of poetic feeling such as would DC
| nluable il any thing came OF 1t. And III themselves
| apart from, their context, they excellent.
CATER Kingsley, the stcpfath of George Heath-
W,t- tho youth who is loved by Kate Thorpe ana w
her sister Hetty-is the strongest character In Mr
Buchanan's play but just Kate Thorpe represents
lite dementla Of thwarted love- docs Gamer Kingsley
| rprcsent the denentla Of thwarted avorice lie Is
eermiucd that George shall be married to Kate, ana
tnce Hetty stands In the way he VIII I'LL Ie.9
I Nth poison wherefore he mysterlously seeks ,h'
neent shepherd by night and obtains, under the most
suspicious circumstances. the drug most deadly ana
most fit for his purpose; and 50, over THIS as o'ci
almost everything In the piece there IS the gafe
4 II extravaganza and the disillsoa OF Importantly
Act first, indeed pastoral picture and as d'pS
the posture Of the characters toward each 0tet, e
Perfect II arouses romantic interest at INC eao
lme that ii pleases refined taSte IN un mI civ
eeoey Dooaes dySuoa to salrs hate Is toIs s made
entirely clear and the slure who Is a9%u' ing
sy nhe sa 'Ns 1ortuHe Act
So ctatoi TO believe that uncommony clear
woman would accept at second hand and from "a aus
credited offer Of marriage from her sisters
bver.-moves rapidly to climax of deiirum A St
aec a sd3iniraton Of it, and his pit Gus E
when menaced with an exposure Of his cruel ana ana
comat.d The Younger sister saved, and the elder
-momentarily under suspicion Of having tried 70 DC
from the hateful thradom Of passion and Of sin;
she has had the common experience OF loving and ci
nave seen tina, she has Iot borne it well The yane
could only be depended to teach the young men and
sSn %sC eS SsSs It ss psTssy aH
In dramatic sense the mos; meTcrpc psr! and
loss Ills object. This character Is drawn with yigor
force Of sardonle Will and snarling hnmor by Mr.
Aoyne The mahen Is prnHS" nnt he nm Improved
The sustanment OF the personality i even ana otet,
There Is however, tnge OF unconscious MndntSo IN IN
te humOr that Is inappropriate. ana the cApc>>lOh "a
henied terror is far less effective than that oi ehed
,age The action while actually gyins ne pos ,r
needs transparency. Concentration must not De UT
Wildly .ps dsH; and d oaes @ss called BACK upon
.eene Miss Georgia Cayvan succeeded better in The
yel that are provided for Kate Thorpe than III
1 the delirium. Nothing could be more sweet or more
true than her poftraiture OF the happy country lass
put the moment she struck the false note-wheh Is
Rates unwomanly conduct at the close OF act seeon3-
she became artificial and merely vehement. An I'm
psssoned and sustained performance OF the lover was
contributed by Mr. +. j. Ratciie who has the charm
q grace, and Mr.. Herbert Eclccy carried with fine
keing, decatey expressed the cunbros and coorless
part OF the patient waiter who does not lose at last
| The piece should at once be shon OF some Of the
\ tQmpkin talk and OF the vatuous gable OF the tax
\ collector. This Is the cast
Ksheflne Thorpe Georgia Cayyon
Hstty Thorpe Ehe Shannon
Amanda Jane Tnistedown Mrs. Charles Welcot
0eofrey Doone. Herbert keIcey
ehher Kingsley. william j. lie MOVIE
Il George Hesthcott.. Edward D. K1cnhc