New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-02-12
yCABLE TO THE TRIBuNE.)

Luz" u,ore than Tennyson's. He has transmitted |
n.msvbst dull historical poem into a play that |
No. and movement. He has put it upon the |
~ 18th that knowledge Of stage effects in |
"ss We he has admittedly no equal. here or any
W. In his hands and by the force of his
VIZ the Chancellor Archbishop, whom Ten |
FD had made lay figure for the wearing of
w. and machine for metaphysical ingenui-
i's' t..oses thins of flesh ard blood, a
W" ..,ssoue aud powerful figure, impressive alike
~. .ve and to the imagination. 1t is not
~.....utation II is u creation.
r.. oldest playgoer may tax his memory to
~ .uch a first night as last Monday. The
no 70 which filled the Lyccum came imagine,
" .t a very high expectations. Tennysons
VIZ" nd been long before the public. lie had
~ described it az unsuited TO what he
49,. "a call the cXigencics of the modern stage.
%, Irving will tun il into fine spectacle.
rs., else can he do with it?' said the critics;
....,,inx perhaps, that the artist-nature is not
w., Int constructive. They went on TO re-
w., that having already played Richcleu and
u..sr he could not be expected to give novel
..,aa,inr OF third great eccltslastic. lie had
.vh.ust.d the resources of his art In that direc-
en-, They thougnt that he had in fact TO con-
,.,a with himself, and there was besides the
.h.so,v Of -hc uncertain success OF his Lear tnaC
, .~ mon him and darkened the hopes of the
.r.nnr. All these forebodngs pade MS success
~. more splendid, and contributed to II,
inc, as TOO great expectations have so often heipeo
~.L. a moderate success seem more moderate
% not mean to say that Mr.. Irving has maoe
r..,vsors "Recket, into great play. No ma
.;.sn coud do that What he has done Is 70
- ~ u into a play that can be acted, and then
in
w. 10 weakness and brings out the strength
"'"Dv.o, had the good sense to perceive that
4, Irving understood the stage and that he HIM
.st did not, or did not in any such sense as
ronld bring him into sympathetic relations with
ii. audience The dramatic instinct is wanting to
T.rrvson. He never possessed that intuitive per-
.sn,;on Of the dramatic points of story without
which all work for the stage is of no avail. Inc
,,,s,est Of his Beckett is historical, controvcr-
ala, noetical. ANYTHING you like except dramatic.
u. w,nders away from the central points He
.oncerns himself with theological niceties, and
thinks that he can coax Lyceum audience into
carinr fer the Constitutions of Clarendon. No
doubt they could have been made TO care for d
broadly drawn contest between the Roman Church
and the ENGLISH State or better STILL between the
pope and the King. Still more readily would
they have followed the fortunes of the personal
conflict between Henry and Beckett.
Tennyson could only take his own view and
treat his subject in his own way, with this curious
result, that he seems TO have avoided every point
OF contact with his hearers. lie obscured what
was plain in the story he inverted the natural
order of events he substituted description for ac-
ton; and reflections often judicious and often OF
beauty, delayed the march of events. To rewrite
the piece was neither permissible nor possible
What Mr. Irving could do and did was 10 restore
the dramatic order, TO rearrange the scenes, 10
suppress what was superfuous, 10 bring the play
together to connect what Tennyson had dislocated,
TO make the piece Ineligible and interesting.
He added nothing except that human element
which was either wanting or imperfectly devel-
oped
Beckett" as now produced, is certainly not q
dramatic masterpiece At times it seems but a
sries Of tableaus loosely strung together Its de-
iees Of structure could not be wholly got rid Of
but, thanks in part to the mendng of it by these
kiful hands. it becomes coherent. if not always
convincing, and the acting makes 3" Beckett con-
vncing throughout. Tennyson dealt with alb
rractions, Mr. Irving has preferred realities; ana
Tennysons statuesque figure of Beckett. very noble
In Its own way, becomes at last alive and active
Never was the great actor more master OF MIN
rlf and Of his hearers. If he has over relied
upon mannerisns. he flung them all away HE
methods were simple, natural, genuine and pas
sonate. One secret he has always possessed
rarest Of all upon any stage, absolutely unknown
to the very best of living French actors-the
secret Of distinction The French actress has IL
Nile. Bartet, fer example, in supreme deIrec
but never the French actor. Ii has always Deer
one Of Mr. Irving's points Of superiority over iii'
French rivals Beckett is tho best expression o.
it. To say that this refinement and statellnes'
& dcmcanor could not be acquired might ne u
say too much, but in Mr.. Irving 1t is clearly III
divdual
II is all the more marked in Beckett because
Henry has it not Mr. Teriise's admirers urge
In excuse for the want of it in his Henry VII
that he chose TO bring out the Bluff King Hal
But this Henry is no more kingly than the other
II may be in homage 10 the democratic spirit INA
Mr.. Terriss makes him OF common clay. IL may
be that he has no porcelain. Democratic or nor
the Smpathies of the audience are won from u'
start foT the Chuichnan who is both plcDeiah in'
gentleman. If to be admirable in bearlng De
manncrism. then Mr.. Irving was hammered III
was not less admirable in dlction "hao WA
faulty in Lear had vanished. Ills articulation
was distinct from beginning to end. every wore
ehlselled and every line given with due attehuo
TO rhythm and to metre. There were no break
or halts; the verse flowed smoothly on: the clio
euton was even and as easy as it was iorcioie.
Mr.. lrvings Beckett has from the first momch
aforcboding Of his doom. When the curtain rise
% him as Chancellor, it is the face with It's STAN
q character and intellect which fixes the atten
ton. The costume whether historical or not,
very striking The whole figure is picture, an
his many changes of apparel never loses I'M
returesqueness lie passes through scenes equail
wrong and solemn. He asserts his dignity IN III
Hsesce Of the King and his authority IN Tn
P'e'seas of the unruly Barons with the sam
qa'H eonviction of superiority. He has entere
mo Ais character and made it his own, and ha
impaired to others his conception Of it, all by Tn
passnt use Of the imagination. Thus and nc
othofVisa rousf PecrAt hayo Looked and born