The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-01-26
DRAMATIC SINGULARITIES.
ILLUgTRATIONs OF THE THEORIES
OF IBSR.N AND DELSARTE

The NorwcEisn'a Appniiin~ Frnnkness IN
ComposItiOu and the Frenehman'r hethoas
OF Ge.ticuiattoh-"Th Tnwing OF the
Sbrew" by NJ. CoqueiIn and Nine. HsdiHe.
Henrik tbsons Ghosts" the play in which
the sins OF n father are horribly visited upon q
son. was acted again at tho Garden Theatre
yesterday afternoon as the first in a series
Of weekly representations OF the Norwegian
authors remarkable dramas The audience
was composed largely Of experts in literature
and theatricas and the presence OF such 200
pie proved that a genuine interest in Ibsenism
had been aroused In this city They WINGED
vsibly however, under Courtonuy Thorpe's
depletion OF nervous malady as suffered by
a mentally and physically wrecked young
man. who believes he is solely the victim OF his
own excesses but learns that he Is also an in
heritor VI disease from his father; and 10 they
had encountered the Same nastiness unex-
pectedly at a theatre. they would have rushe cd
out into the better atmosphere OF the street.
Mr.. Thorpe Is not accounted powerful actor,
his Rffeminacy OF manner n nearly overbalanctng
his proficiency. but his portraiture OF the poor
fellow In Ghosts" while ropulsive 10 the point
OF nausea, was something as uniorgettaby
terrible as Richard Mansleld's embodiment OF
Mr. HYDE The question OF the propriety Of
such an exhibition need not be dis
cussed here. nor did Yesterdays audience
express itself on the subject. the closest
attention being given, but hardly any APP
Dlause. Mr.. Thorpe's stage companions were
Ida Jeffrey5 Goodfriend. who was dignined
under adverse circumstances as the mother;
Alfred Fisher. who made the hypocritlcal car
penter a type OF character; Olive Oliver. whose
healthy and stalwart half sister gavo the de-
sirable contrast with the feeble heir Of iniamy
and Arthur Lawrence. who was very Ill, an
apologist said, but who acted the clergyman
a. 4 4 ~.
band Of musicians in place before the play be-
gan. but they went away with silent instru-
ments and did not return. Had I-b-s-e-n spelt
bankruptcy for the management alreaIy2
A craving for the Delsarte matinee lie one OF
the earliest symptoms ofthe culture com plant
which is epidemic this winter. Yesterday
afternoon Genevieve Stebbins treated a house,
full of patients at the Berkeley Lyceum. Mrs.
Stebbias wore flowing robes. which displayed
her large. white arms to excellent advantage
and addressed her hearers In soothing. pro-
fessional notes that would have done credit to
the most eminent specialist that was ever
called in consultation. She spoke pleasantly
Of plastic art. Of the stories, told by
tho silent; dumb statues" and OF what
the human form was capable OF expressing
That she is u woman Of dorp erudition and
comprehensive classical research was proved
by her scholarly illusions to suAiI little known
topics as Apollo and his Tyre. Venus anu her
apple. and the race OF Atalantas. At the close
81 a brief and Instructive discourse. she imi-
tated, by series II poses craven images OF
Diana. Apollo. Hebe. Ceres. and other ladies
Of the ~ n Ss Snd the
else OF her peculiar skill are known to have
seriously compromised themselves by their
carvings on " with cont EN- pOraneous gods
and gOdd"sses. Mrs. Stebbins's audience gave
no sign Of disapproval.
given by the Delsnrte apostle. which, accord
ing to PRINTED statement on the pro-
Of her own lips. told the s'V story Of Miriam.
the prophecies who received a divine COM
sos n 6s Wsa asleep
Mrs Stehhins portrayed the most exhilarating
features in the career OF the divinely appointed
maiden by means Of what she termed dra-
matte pantomime in three acts which ended.
like a farce comedy; in grand dance ia
the destruction OF tho Egyptian hosts
Even more interesting than Mrs. Stehbins
her and which seemed to consist entirely Of
women who have never before been seen at
OF to S Eso most "ss
@oS!hsi and wiie'syst. d. to the most t?iy5%i
msnt of Art" where these ee people eomo
from. where they, hide themselves when
TO attend aud from what source they obtain
the hats which they wear ut such solemn and
ternoon. are themes worthy OF the attention OF
an advanced student OF sociology.
lHefe Is on" cult OF n hlEher lntellectual
order than that OF Delsarte. and its disciples
may be found in nightly attendance at our ex-
cCllent free schools. 1t is the cult OF the slate
the pencil and the pot-hook.
It's the unfailinG custom OF the English stage
otreat Shakespeare with reverence. We act his
comedies with tho same high respect OF the
matter that We do his tragedies. 1t Is not so
with the French. They have none too high a
regard for his tragedies. and when 1t comes to
his com edies they misuse them without COM
Function. version OF The Tanning OF the
shrew." made by Paul Delair. has been de-
scrbrd as vulgar and impairment At Abbey's |
was performed, and IL proved to be all that
had been expected In the way 81 misuse OF the
original work. but II had many merits. neyerthe-
less,and some OF the bold additions were clever |
Audacity. NJ CoIuelin was the Ii9rHchio. aud |
no more than DelaIr did the great comedian
make any obeiSancs to our lllustriOus dra-
matte poet. This actor il mRtchless in roles |
enough TO comprise greater variety OF char |
acteriZation than Ia possible to any save a |
very versatile artist. but he cannot make him
self look like a EtIIt"tt1 whom English eyes |
will recognize and his tanning OF the shrsw Is |
not often enough more than the bullying OF a |
woman; lie has been quoted. and oubtless |
correctly, as agreeing with Delair in the |
opinion that the play Is low comedy. and |
he renders 1t accordingly Therefore, We must |
hold TO the view that the part is unsuitable to |
wrong. In other words, he could not play II in |
our way II he would. and would not IL he could. |
We will continue to admire him in other plays. |
and even lorgive him for his share In the |
was equally culpable. for she was an un- |
Sha ksspeHrean hd'tdrJIs. though very charm.