New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-29
THE DRAMA.
MIR. TREE.

from the certaintles Of an assured position. merely
to tempt fortune in fresh field. The rewards Of
such an endeavor. taking them at their best. can
hardly be worth the anxiety and toll that they i'm
pose The risk is great and to fall must necessarily
be to lay up a lasting store of disappointment and
sorrow. Yet, in theatrical life man who is dis
tnguished at home finds his advantage. even with
his local admirers. in being also distinguished
abroad. and therefore 1t is not unnatural that the
effort should often be made to repeat before new
public the exploits which have been admired by
old one and to extend If possible, the numbers
Of frends<and the boundaries of fame. Made at
any rate, that effort often is, and the suspicious
entrance OF Mr.. and Mrs Beerbohm Tree-which
was very pleasantly effected last night In Aboeys
Tneatre.-affords conspicuous illustration OF It's
briiancy and its courage. The wish is cordial and
general that it may also afford example OF It's
uhequivocal success. The house crowded. with
one or the most brilliant audiences that this capital
can furnish. and it gave to Mr. and Mrs. Tree and
their associates an American wecome-that Is to
say welcome that heartily wishes prosperity 10
the stranger and Is glad to see him and hopes for
him brave heart and an equal mind. whether In
success failure of the enterprise he has begun
The principal note that Mr.. Tree strikes is the
note of singularity. He is not an actor of power
either physical or Intellectual He is an actor Of
subtlety, delicacy refinement, complex method and
ingenious device. He Is not capable OF those ire
mendous and Overwhelming manifestations Of emo
vehement delivery which were characteristic OF
Forrest and Brooke and the elder Booth; neither,
Upon the other hand. does he convey an impression
OF that VITAL predominant Intellect ana that high
and rare spiritual charm which are victorious at
tributes in the acting of Henry Irving. He neither
thrills the feelings. nor dazzles the IMAGINATION
nor enchants the soul. He affords however. an
exceptional qualification to the mind-frst because
he is singular. and next because his method Is 30
various dexterous. and so neat Wherever ne
moves the attention OF the observer follows nim
He curiosity he satisfies the sense OF clever
ness he peases taste All this points to fine talent
not to genius: and fine talent is Natures gift TO
this actor-a faculty that he has conscientousy
developed and worthily used For the rest his
person. which Is tall and slender. is agreeably
eccentric his movements. without being graceful,
are 1.-THE, expeditions and expressive; and while
his countenance is infexible and his voice is me-
tallic yet by intensity OF rapidity OF glance.
and crisp delivery. he denotes the quick play
OF thought, and he sometimes produce strong
effect OF sympathetic emotion His most eloquent
moments would. apparently. be those o. pensive
revere and those OF self-abandonment and abject
surrender-a, when resoue mind feels that life,
after al, is an appalling and baffling mystery.
and that circumstances are too strong 10 be
moulded and subdued Upon this occasion he
was much more dramatically effective In
the expression OF specious dupcity and sin
lister. velvet craft than in the denotement
any OF the higher and finer traits OF human char
acter. His diplomatic spy, Demetr.us. was much
more authoritative and convincing than his dream
driven poet Gringoire. Judgment in these matters
readily 90 astray. but thus far, by way OF de-
scrlption. IL may be said OF Mr. Tree that he is O.
comedian.-that dstinctvely and that alone,-and
a comedian. possessed OF a special. perhaps
unique talent for the portrayal OF eccentric char
acter. He shows sensbility rather than passion.
and his afiintes with tragic feeling appear to be
slender: 10
butes that with comedy. His humor. indeed. 10
dry and transparent.a sapient, jocose manner. not
spontaneous. not worn with pleasure,-yet IT Is hui
NOR and upon occasion it create ludicrous
effects. His mind Is self-observant and exceedingly
alert. His temperament is nervous and restless. He
without becoming ridiculous. And he Is apt in the
felicity OF abrupt transition from pleasantly
to gravity. Those traits Of come
dian. and of comedian with broad range.
Mr.. Trees nimble intelligence and versatile
talent. combined with solid self-confdence and much
experience. would make him a satisfactory repre-
sentative of many sorts Of character; but those
types OF human nature which he seems lifted to
present with special and pre-eminent effect are
such combine hard purpose with bland ANA
bty. and general quaintness Of personality and
demeanor with the soft plsusbillty that covers.
without concealing ruthless viii. Among the
Dickens characters he would be more II home
with Mr.. Tuknshorn than with Tom Pinch, and
in French me.odrama he very probably would he a
striking representative OF the grs.y ba.efI side
OF Robert Macars. lie comprehends. with mark
able accuracy. the dram lc value OF salient cnarac
teriscs and OF situation. and his practiset com,
complete that whether ne Il doing something or
SS1s nShs to egsTy p I
born actor and good one-end there probably, the
in his eHdowmens or "r in his art has not app rd
Persons who remember Charles Fisher wneA NJ, ne
Lysander Thompson. or John Seton. or j. w Wal
lack. jr.. or James H. Haekett or who regal ceE-
Mackay are not likely to be astonished by the act
ing OF Mr. Tree He fully suos'an,a'ed ms ms os
thoughtful critical esteem. In Gringore aitnousn
come So but IN Demetrius his art was network Of
ingenious devices. and. though completely uhin-
Mrs. Trees acting revealed the eager. earnest.
sympathetic nature OF an accomplished graceful
omsite taste. and Distinguished manner. 1t also
denoted that she must have adopted the dramatic
had become formed and settled. Persons who at
6 dsmp ac; 5nsca their arop ef the that they
can entirely veil self-consciousness. nor en-
to impersonate woman or arstocratc stati9n ana
affectionate solicitlde and who must be cool and
firm in moments OF extreme peril-with occasional
went to pieces. but for the rest she was entirely
competent and successful. and she won her audi
ence. almost from the first by personal graces.
The Ballad Monger' is one-act play from I'M, tns
French of Theodore de Banville by Messrs. W aiter
Resant and Walter Pollock The original piece,
called "Gringoire" has been seen In this city, ana
an excellent English version of ii. made by Captnn
Alfred Thompson, under the name OF The kings
Pleasure" has long been known here; II was pro-
1889 and that earnest and gentle actor gave beau
tfu performance OF the poetic enthusiast anu
picturesque vagabond. Mr.. Tree was wise, for enc
reason TO associate Gringoire with Demetrius ana
for niuch-and In the picturesque tatters of Grin
golre he was q pleasing presence. Moreover, ne
looked like himseif-whereas in Demerius he was
disguised so to be portly old man with gray
head Seeing him in two characters 50 distinct ana
40 strongly contrasted the audience could at once
discern his versatility and the eXpertness OF meth
cd which while never losing the impress OF strong
individuality was to be apprehensive OF many
traits and pointed and flexible in the expression OF
them a.,
'"The Red Lamp IL a four-act melodrama. by
Mr. W. O. 1ristram. and 1t Is novelty here. al
though its subject and. substantially its situations