The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1894-09-18
ARMS AND THE MAN"

The Herald Square Theatre started
upon It's career last night in the vast
competitive theatricalism OF upper
Broadway. There was very little about
1t to suggest the old Park. The rampant
ugllness and the irredeemable vulgarity
of the old house had departed where
do such qualities go?-and in their place
IL n modern luxury. an air OF refine
ment and aesthetic culture The Herald
| Square IL charming with its well-timed
| decorations, its sedate colors, its pretty
| fixtures. How II was ever possible to
| make this theatre out OF the old one
Is difficult to understand. What / like
| best in the arrangements Is the wide
carpeted lobby, with Its divans and
plants. Much of the space might have
been utilized for seats, but the new
lessee is evidently ungreedy. Then
there Is n picture gallery, which may
or may not prove useful, but which Is
undeniably ornamental.
| Richard Mansfield opened the theatre
with n most eccentric, century-end
comedy by Bernard Shaw, called Arms
and the Man" At the close OF theatre
cal season. when one has become weary
|
Iains, and our souls rebelled at the con-
ventonality of the thing. Arms and the
Man might please many, for 1t holds
up all the stage traditions to ridicule
| But at the seasons starting-point when
we have laid In n new stock of vitality
to protect us against the brain-turning
playwrights, Arms and the Man" seems
| out of date.
1t is an odd, airy. unusual little affair.
bristling with bright lines, but unattrao-
| tive to the average theatre-goer, who
wants his moneys worth Of stout, usual
beefy dramatic entertainment. Mr.
Shaw's aim seems to be to show that
on the stage fine heroism IL but one
degree removed from crawling base
| ness All the characters in Arms and
| the Man" discover their own perfdy
| The heroine, who Is an attractive little
| liar. IL found out by the hero, who Is
"A chocolate-cream- eating soldier. Sara
non, the heroine's lover, prefers Lonka.
the servant girl, and Nicola. Lonka's
lover gives her up cheerfully. Every
thing IL topsy-turvy. The scenes take
place in Bulgaria. during the trouble
between that country and Servia. and
Bulgarians themselves.
Nobody knows better than Mr.. Mans
| field that such n play as Arms and
| the Man" could never become popular.
| The actor therefore deserves consider
able credit for presenting 1t. The specu-
iative New York manager would give 1t
| a wide berth. but we need II few men
| like Mansfield who are not afraid OF
| displeasing the average theatre-goer"
| once In blue moon, for the sake OF dis
playing novelty. Arms and the
Man" IL nothing more than novelty.
Bernard Shaw has not the knack of
rendering It acceptable. Gilberts satires
are so full OF mlrthful suggestion that
they please everybody. but in Arms
| and the Man" there seems to be grim
determination to be unconventional first
and last. Some of the expressions l
heard from the audience were really
amusing. They took It all seriously,
were surprised to find so unlovely a
heroine. sneered at the hero. and tore
| up the play. what mani" Is the
| final expression uttered on the stage.
My neighbor, as he took his hat and
| Joined the outgoing throng, remarked,
What Il play"
Richard Mansfield did extremely well
| with the role OF the chocolate cream
| soldier. Every point suggested by Mr..
Shaw was admirably elaborated by the
| actor. His manner was easy and nat
ural. and his comedy unstrained and
spontaneous Miss Cameron was as spas
| modic as ever. but In the third she did
| some clever work. Henry Jewett was
awkward and embarrassed as Sergius
Saranof. II. NJ. Pitts. Walden Ramsay,
Miss Busby and Mrs. Rankin made as
much as possible out of their parts.
Mansfield made a speech that was gem
or auiacious satire. 1t was obi as Arms
and the Man" ALAN DALE.