The herald., 1894-04-15


" ia little rough on us. Uncle
Toms Cabin one week and Hazel Kirke
the next.
Is there nothing new under the drs-
matte sun nowadays?
=+&
People generally seem to have been
pleased with Magda, Madame Mod
jeska's new play, written by Suderman.
Fitzgerald Murphy in his Figaro warmly
praises it, and writes intelligently his
reasons But Mr.. Murphy is a drama
tist and realist himself. go his opinions
are unconsciouely biseed. perhaps.
Magda belongs to the fin de steele school
OF plays, of which Ibeen 10 the chief ex-
ponent. All these dramas ara based on
some social sin-sexual shortcomings
aud while generally devoid OF anything
essentially dirty or suggestive are full of
q morbid analysis Of their motiuls,
which is in ils nature debasing.
This class of drama is all directed
against conventionalities. These latter
are, it is true, oitentimee stupid. veEy
often irksome and frequently unjust,
but they form the main barrier between
society and chaos, between safety and
anarchy.
Some of these conven tionalities appear
trivial, Others appear monstrous. One
10 that gentleman should lift his hat
IN saluting a lady; another ostrscizes
and socially crucifes the erring woman.
But how necessary both are to main
tanning the social equilibrium. A dram
atist, like poet, takes an ideal point OF
view-th is, before be is 40 years old.
There are very few relormers-except
those for revenue only-among those
who have passed two score birthdays.
A play may violate the conventionali-
ties and be entertaining and instructive,
but play that breaches, advocates such
violations, is to be condemned.
Margaret Flemming is a case in point.
The main scene in this play, which ia
now on in New York, is where the
heroine takes in her arms her husbands |
illegitimate infant, and unbsring her |
bosom prepares to suckle it. 1t takes a
rabid radical to think that scene is one
conveying good lesson.
~%l
Time deals gently with Madame Mod.
jeska, though it has not enabled her to
entirely overcome a very pronounced &C.
cent when on the stage. She was cor
by her large audiences, who evidently
playing.
xS#
And Mr. Fred Warde and Louis
James, though playing against la fiesta,
were greeted each night by crowded
houses. Both OF these gentlemen de-
serve fully their success. Both are
nIr NJ do hoo
vested himself to q great extent of the
which once characterized his appear
ances, and Mr.. James has attained
finish in the use of his noble voice that
should cause him to coD6ne himaelf |
strictly hereafter to the classical.
aSx
One of the most absurd affairs has
been the reported engagement and its
abrupt conclusion, between Howard |
Gould and Miss Odette Tyler. the
actress. To nv mind Miss Tyler
ia one of the most charming
women on the stage, and l
believe her capable of better roles than
the light comedy society parts she usu-
ally has. But apart from her talent she
is member OF q remarkably fine fam
lily, and has an unblemished reputation.
If there is any aristocrscy OF blood and
lineage in this country she belongs to it, |
Yet it has been authoritatively stated |
and not contradicted that the Gould |
family employed detectives to look up
Miss Tylsr's record and antecedents,
whereupon che dismissed her
faint-bearted tiance. To New
Yorker the idea OF the Goulds
posing as exclusive or aristo-
cratic, or questioning the standing OF
one of the old families in the country is
most absurd. There are a few New
Yorkers who will not admit the Astors
right to social recognition; there are
many more who bar the Wander bilts,
while the Goulds have until very re
Gently been regarded as impossible.
Miss Tyler has reason to congratulate
herself.