The evening world., 1893-09-12
THE LIONS MOUTH"

-
There are worse barbarities than the
lions mouth and the torture chamber OF
the Inquisition. The march of civilization
has polished and refined all cruelties,
and you can to-day avenge insults by
other than physical means. For in
stance. II | had a bitter enemy whom my
soul loathed. 7 would march him bow
to the Star Theatre one evening when
he was feeling particularly dolcful
Then I would pinion him to an orchestra
seat, with stout %pinioning straps. II you
please. and force him to sit through four
acts Of Henry Guy carleton's play 1.-THE
Lions Mouth" produced for the first
time In this spprecit tive little village
last night.
The piece is so utterly pretentious
and bombastic hat you feel instinctively
that II was a sort OF a college theme,
evolved when Mr.. Carleton was a pratt
Ting youth In knickerbockers. In II are
beautiful pieces for schoolroom use,
and juvenile recitation. The common
school primer with such inanities as
How do you do. old dog? The dog
cannot say how do you do, but the dog
can say how-wow." are not in II with
Mr.. Cartoons delightful blank verse. 1t
would keep n whole schoolroom quiet
and knock the Joy out of the most
frivolous.
The play is cast in Venice, in the six
teenth century. with scores OF courtiers,
sena tors. soldiers, maskers, gondoliee
and fishermen who all come trooping in
from the sides with the slightest provo
cation. They trip across the stage. and
| qnenh most nf fhetv. tip,o coxlps sIA,
ay." They look like our jovial east-side
rioters. done up in TUNES and togas.
They seem to get fat on saying LAY, ay,"
and from all appearances they use those
interjections for breakfast and luncheon
and dinner.
The first act is a very hopeless mud
die. and you are not quite sure whether
II IL a farce-comedy or tragedy. 1t
wouldn't surprise you in the least to see
the Doge get up and sing HE Wore a
Worried Look" and for the beautiful
Linora Doge 1.-THE sort Of young woman
who would sign her letters Yours truly,
Miss L.. Doge') to do a se,pentine dance.
1t is such a tangle. The second and
third acts, however. are much better.
They tell you that a tragedy is brewing
and that Pat di Novara. who is hunt
ing down the wicked Doge, athirst will.
vengeance, has gone and fallen in love
with that gentleman's daughter. When
he discovers hat she is in reality the
Frauiein Doge, he is fearfully put out,
and makes quite a scene about 1t. He
does one of those fiendish "Ha! Ha!
Has" that are always so popular in
melo:drama. and he is most thrilling.
His language grows so 'mpassioned and
beautiful that you ~instinctively wonder
why 1t Is that people to-day. when ex-
cited, use those coarse words that can
only be expressed by blanks and big,
big DIS.
1t all comes right in the end, and the
gallery boys will be satisfied. It Is a
great thing to satisfy a we~ll-appointcd
gallery, but THE Lions Mouth" will do
1t. Mr.. Carleton has evidently read
Shakespeare. and perhaps he imaglnes
that the bard's mantle mas fallen upon
his shoulders; that he Is going to be
a Shakespearian sequel, and that he
will be appreciated when he liz dead.
ould not, however, suggest to him
the ACCESSIBILITY of relying upon this
expectation. Shakespeare lives to-day,
not because his verses are clean, his
language good, or his plays well con-
structed. but because of the superb
thoughts. the Incompatible ideas. and
the exquisite knowledge OF humanity
contained In his works. In 1.-The Lions
Mouth there Is not a single character
who could breathe the breath of the
world. All the people are of melo-drama,
melo-dramatic.
As souvenirs of the occasion the audi
ence receives slices of the beautiful
clean white paper. IL this were not
amusing it might be looked upon as 6
piece of insufferable conceit. As, how
ever, 1t Is amusing, the question of con
ceit need not he considered. Humor Il
lprecious at any and every stage. Their,
are two stars in THE Lions Mouth,
Frederick Warde and Louis James. The,
o do not conflict at all, for James II
devilish and Warde Is heroic. James h
the chief OF the Benedetti, and Ward,
il the Evolutionary Paul. Warde Is yer,
picturesque and pleasing, and he speak
nearly all the beautiful pieces that ar
m printed on the slips. The others In tn
company are scarcely worth noticing
IThey seemed to be out OF place. Thei
Venetian garments were too many 10
them. They appeared to be masquerad
!, ing all the time. although their inten
10 tons were probably good. 1t was n Yer
long cast, but 1t shall not be individual
ICED. Silence Is often golden, and muir
,,e Is a most desirable word.
ALAN DALE.