New-York tribune., 1894-10-29
THE DRAMA-M USIC.
RICHARD MANSFIELD As NAPOLEON.

prCu,PD MANSFIELD AS NAPOLEON.
>,,r,orons attempts have been made to employ
Incidents in the history OF the hrst Napo'eoh az
dramatic material Plays in winch the emperor
was made TO figure have sometimes succeeded out
In such cases the real dramatic interest usually
orcerned itself chiefly with the persons. Napoleon
anpearing as a part of the picture or the group OF
characters but not its centre or It's apex by the
selection and the judcious treatment OF some single
,soae of his life he may yet be made the subject
~ q NAV but his career as a whole does not read
nv lend itself to dramatic representation The play
=. sve acts entitled Napoleon Bonaparte." by
7 orner Stoddard. which Richard Mansfield pre-
sented for the first time on Saturday night at the
IJerad Square Theatre does not solve the problem
Whatever character Mr.. Mansfield attempts to
nor,rav he embodes with sCrupulOus and studious
care. with trained skill and poetic appreciation. and
he gives it distinct and picturesque form and color
and living interest This he has done with Ma
noeon no less than with his former portraitures.
t the present picture is set in an inadequate frame,
~ rather il is unframed Mr. Stoddard has tried
% treat the life of Napoleon from time previous
70 the divorce of Josephine to his death Intervals
~ months or even years occur between the scenes.
ond the scenes themselves have little or no connec-
,ion one with another. If the first four acts were
nlaved in other order than that in which they are
nlaved there would be scarcely any noticeable
change in the effect of the drama The drama has
m beginning and middle, though il has un-
doub,edly an end, when its chief character-in fact
its only character-dies. The other personaSes m
troduced are disconnected incidental accidentai'
tame and colorless. like the scenes
In the first act Napoeons valet, Prince Talley-
ssa talk to one another and audience and con
yey some useful historical information qul'e as
a good school dialogue might do The habit OF @ the
actors talking great deal to the audience preNalls
throughout the play. The two monarchs get heated
on the subject Of the proper number OF buttons ioi
a corporals coat. Queen Louise or PRUSSIA I'M
pores Napoleon to spare her country ana th ne ls rs
moved The little scene between them Is the oesi
in the play. but Queen Louise. having aroused
some interest in herself thereupon retires perma- ma
nentlv from the stage. In the second &C; the En-
press Marie Louise. the Empress Josephine, Queen
and Sa the % ap6s%n P6 of is SaSd
abdicate the throne. and instead Of abdicating II
spirator misses Napoleon with pistol and he de-
termines to leave Eba; The fourth act, Ike eacn
gives a sort Of tabeau with dialogue, of the night
Before Waterloo. In the nth act Sir Hudson Lowe
Each of these acts is just complete without the
other four as it is with them Eaeh sn1 emds we nuehd e
forward when the time comes TO drop the curtain:
and Is not led up to ana se from %
who come nearest to having dTamauc mere, pr,a ace
Taleyrand valuable in the order named The valet
heroically stands by all through the play put .he h
Prince and the Comesse vanish like the G rest t,rt lhe
one in the second act and the other IN the i9nrtn IN
and neither really accompshes ANYTHING. All he ,he
1ayrs pay as Pif they tn S4 weTe eD all servants
ures and as such Mr. Mansfield made the most
of IL that he could. His own presence IN II was
ALWAYS graceful, commanding anu lHlpieSsiNV, "I'N'
he seized upon the personality of Napoleon al many
fascinating moments and gave gninpses OF t,ll n
which were vivid and memorable Ihere "elt l!nc i
instantaneous pictures when Napoleon STOOD IN the
door of his tent-the first sight that was caush.
OF hiu-when he in melancholy loneliness anu
desolation on the steps of the throne. when ne
stood erect under the canopy and oVerset the thiVe
itself when he gaZed away across the sea Iroi w IN.
shore Elba, when he stood the ceiitre oi ut, T y
eroun Of his faithful soldiers. when he awoke WIN
desperate but unfinching determination, lot the
battle of Waterloo and when he died. win the map
Of Europe before him. . .,,o, ,ho
Al ali these times Mr.. Mansfield ennooled me
character with a finely poetcal touch OF conscious
majesty and lonely dignity and grandeur lie made
NO attemnt 10 express the unaIniable ana seIlsh
qualities of the Emperor. His purpose opvlousIE;
Was 10 gain sympathy for his impersona tor. aIiu
IN this end he laid el the emphasis on the heroi.
side Of Napoleon's nature and on his picture.qu.
and gloomy isolation. This Is the part on MN ne ir
appeals most strongly TO the poetic lhas1at I'm ~. lor
and the part which can be deNeioptu VIII uIe %,
Eject for the aesthetic taste. If Napoleon ever
becomes the central figure Of a great draina i
likely 10 represent him much as MI MahSneiu ud.
represented him in this play. let history say VIII
II will of his character az Whoit ne pt'.or,
work suffers more from its adherence to hlstory,
where il does adhere. than from any departure IIoiH
81 where II ventures depart.
Eycent Mr. Mansfield there Is not much Una,
needs TO said Of any OF the actors VINO pessltte
the play Miss Beatrice Cameron was charming
IN APPEARANCE as Queen Louise OF Prussia arc
added greatly 10 the pctorla! beauty OF Ihe one
moment when she on the stage. -. ~ mar
kins gave a promise OF dramatic value IN ny & P",
of prince Taileyrand. which he was prevented from
fnliing by the untimey end Of the frlhce as d
personage in the play. Miss Catherine gray cor
tributed the charms OF personal beauty ahG
ness the part Of the Comtesse Mare "ai,tI frrn
ance Mr. Mansfield placed the drama upon tht
stage with every effort TO make II attractive Aho
successful in environment and execution