New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-04
THE DRAMA.
ADA REHAN IN NEW CHARACTERS.

purposeare the constituents OF the remarkably fcic
tous dramatic bill that offered last naht IL Days
Theatre. That bill consists Of romantic drama
In one act called The Knaye7 and version In three
acts OF the sparkling old comedy Of The Bellies sri
agem.' The former written by Miss Oo
Graves an author who manlfests positive and dell.
cate talent for dramatic construction. The latter a.
most readers know, is the work OF Mrs. Hannah
Cowley Q743-18O9), and first acted In 1890 anl
printed in 1882. With the generation OF old play.
goers now receding THE Bellies Stratagtm' was a
favoHte when waack's Theatre was in Its prime, and
also 1t win be recalled BY them prominent feature
In the rcpertory OF Jean Davenport Cirs. Lander),
when that sterling actress used to present Letitia
Hardy, with William Wheatley as Doticourt. 1t u
almost the only one Of Mrs. Cowley's comedies she
wrote ten or more Of them. besides couple Of
tragedies and a farce that has practically survived
and Mr. Days version OF 1t, while emitting the
of two acts. preserves its story and all Its
sential elements. The revival brilliantly accom-.
pished and 1t gave much pleasure to a a.
semblage.
1t is known that Mrs. Cowlcy was charming
Observation-Disclosures. refined. sprghty, and Of AZ
fectionate disposition gentle manners; but that
might have been gathered from her writings, even
II 1t had not been recorded. Ideals Of character and
conduct inevitably indicate the nature from which they
spring. The persons In The Bellies siratagcm' are
representative persons and they manifest exactly what
their author considered TO be best and most delight
luxlrian IN health and spirits. unconventional, capa
bic OF the fondes love- but also capsbl" rs she her.
self declares, OF being the soul OF within and the spirit
OF variety, and Of resentlng ll,reatment by an In
petuous and scornul defiance Of the prophecies ana
the world Doricourt, though a man OF pleasure 10
a man OF principe-young, handsome, ardent. gay,
and he will take the world lightly, doing no harm In
It, but making nerrImcnt all around him. II mis-
fortune falls upon him. he declares. 1t will sink Mt
once TO the bottom Of bis heart, like pebble In the
water and leave the surface uhrumed
Mrs. Racket the qualified nirt, the
Incarnation OF good natured vivacity, and there
are few lines In comedy that have neatef point
than her remark, to the perpcsed cavalier that u
he is really resolved to visit the other world he may
as well take one night OF pleasure In this. All along
the current OF the play there are kindred denoemehs
Of the healthfui and vivacious spirit benean H.
Flntcr-wLo Is all that his name implies-faiis nov
10 please with this sell-same quality OF buoyant mrth'
and nowhere fully As in one sentence. spoken oy
him. has the writer conveyed the characteristic tone
OF her mind Your wise men, excaims fluter.
are the greatest fools upon eartl-for they reson
about their enjoyments and anayTe their pleasures
II Is more than n hundred years since that was said,
and the wise still reasoning ana anayHhg'
and s,lll the roses bloom spriehly and blythe was
Mrs Cowley and full OF Soy l. her comedy Of The
Bellies stratagcmr; and the audience OF to-day heeds
no more than did tho audience OF her own period 'has
the work =, neither very original nor very probable
Congreve and Farquhar were sl potent influences In
Mrs. C0wley's day, and undoubtedly her style was
modelled after those brilliant originals "The Bellies
stratagemr IL obviously reminiscent o. Ceng.eves
a Love for Love- and FarQuhar's "inctrs'asf. 10,
same oil situation recurs The hoy and the girt
have been betrothed, but the young man and thu
Young woman insist upon the romance OF their YOUTH
and there can BE- marriage unless there Is also
love The ady will act the gawk and thus VIII chahk,
her swain's mood from indifference to aversion ana
then, a stranger masqued and disguised she VIII
attract and iascinae hin. The youth WIN act the
iunatic In order 10 escape from his dreaded Marriages,
and ut last will so almost distracted with JOY 70 ma
himself tr,cked into a union with the woman whom
he loves That was a favorte theme Will the writer's
OF English comedy In the last century The sehue'
man often goes mad In Jest and the lady often stoo
to conquer in "The Bellies sraagem' the manner
Is artificial and the expdlens are improbable; but AZ
least that arncality Is consistently sustained ana
Won understand that you looking, not ut actusi
life but delicate eSaggeration Of it-of which, ~
the same time, the elements are real. Your oe1o
would readily irvalidatc the nationality of Lolita ana
Dorcour your senses. all the sane. perceive them a.
delightful and lOvable human creatures
Ada Rehan obtained triumphant success. not alone
Us Lettia Hardy, but MockwOrd In Tho knave';
for IN those two characters she sounded every note
I'm q wide scale OF human and poetic emotion her
portrayal OF Lctitias assumed awkwrdneS was easily
perfect. Her adroit OF the Milk-Mad song cast
n dow OF delicious humor. comungled at the same
time with the perpexing spell OF latent refinement
over that image Of rosy rstcity; and II was quite
possible 10 sympahize with Doricourts bewiider7nent
when be said that he had in her eyes an express
sion that seemed 10 mock the folly OF her lips. The
essential attribute Of Leta Hardy Is feminine fascna
tion-and that Impaired to every nbre OF tho
embodiment. In the masquerade scene the VICTORIOUS
air was sustained with nhexible refinement and I'M
dcyinting grace and those exquisite speeches about
d.lyercame Of In ripping tones Of the most musical
oice and the most melodious English now heard upon
our stage In demeanor. likewise-in the preservation
OF n certain stateliness and hgh-red soiauoh-
the actress was at her best, and unimpeachaole No
one Of her predecessors Letltia Hardy docking
back nj least. AZ far the springtime OK MIS-
Barrow has acted the part with more intrinsic loiu
ness Of woman-ke spirit with dignity and grace
Z bearing or with a more fortunate assumption VI
rustic Stiffness in the hoyden scene and no one OF
them has made II essentially dii'usive OF woman
like alluremcnt 1t was n very brilliant effort. and II
had the great charm OF ease In Mockworio thero
WIS the same buoyant and fluent humor but there was
nso n deep heart. The character Is picturesque
vagatond. The scene Is an old town In Germany.
The time Is more than 500 years ago. The vasaoohd
has saved lovely girl from the clutch OF tyrann'ea
nobleman and has subjected that potentate to humi
ton and sgraceand. thereupon the tyrant mas sSueo
a proclamation booming him to death II Is near Tue
crd OF a summer day when that chvnlnc oui'" orh's
into the market place Of that old town, where TIE
written mandate OF his doom has Just o'eh
displayed. lie Is asked TO read H-Shce
m, one else then present can read-aha ne
does read IT, with slight variations, ana though
suspected he temporarily eudes detection. lie
entertained by the Magistrate. and he recounts some
OF his adventures no; only TO that h1rionary but vi
the hearing OF the girl whom his courage ana ciait
have saved The girls fancy is taken by him. ana "
!, ,y,dsp, tha, her affection would soon rpen into
love. The two speak together and the knave soon
surprises the secret OF the girls heart II Is crisp
and pretty colloquy-not word being wasted ana the
drift being distinctly and steadily dramatic. Inc
heart of the Knavc Is touched and he knows that no
might here find the happiness and peace OF io'o.