New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-12
THE DRAMA-NUSlC.
MRS. LANGTRl.


IN the rapid flight OF time the au7Pi ,o"S "rN,'
q. Mrs Langtry on the American stag 'H
u - 49,. - lo,g AGO and in making her re-
,,r,nca which was pleasantly accompnSh'" ia9t
,,yb. nj Palncr'g Theatre, IN c1"''"s
"Gossp" by Mr. Clyde Fitch ana MI ~
s.ein-she accosted new gener'uo" u P''' -
and she must have been seen by man p0'0o'' VIZ
never saw her before Inc o0'..9'' -, 49,.
,r,eroe, and measure. Mrs Languy WouIu Always
-. s,,r,io, bv her beau.y,-which is espe-
o,a,,y tho, % Nrure-and by her charm. when Is
,re. of dlstip gulshei manner ana gracious ana
niousn, po,ia,ity She gained H. on this OCCASION
~, o.ly nv peraonal loneliness, but bl an expert
owl evn,athe,lc impeTsonation OF an unusually
a,r,oahla nort-that. namely Of woman to whom
a,.,o,., has laugh; wisdom. and who uses her
,,fuopce 20 save another woman from rash miscon-
duc, ard rulnous error. Mrs LanGtrys characters
t,c talent has always been for comedy She has the
a,oer face the buoyant demeanor the bithe spirit.
ana the merry voice that should accompany a com
CIV character. She has been fortunate in this one,
and her success In 1t decisive.
''Vhlsperirg tongues poison truth" The play
is called Gossip for the reason that, in the de-
yelopment of It's slender and conventional story, the
tattie of idle and mschievous persons Is found to
have caused a jealous husband to suspect the
fidelity OF his wife, and thus very nearly to have
driven her into evil and shame. Lady Teazle. in
"Thr School for Scandal warns Sir Peter that he
mus; be cautious in his accusations, because she
will not be suspected wthou; cause. There, doubt
less. persons whom pique and resentment might
impe to crime. In this instance the angry woman
only writes mprudent letter TO specious and
unprincpled sutton, and thus places herself IN
tange Of painful circumstances, from whIch s"e -
finally released by her sensible female friend
The story of the play may nelp to indica'e ls
character. The scene is Trouville ana the 'I'o
is summer Mr.. and Mrs. Sanford ana MrS' pay
are members of an Academia party OF Americans
IRONY
4 nervous woman and half an invalid. Mrs Barry
has divorced herself from her first husoahd ana she
finds him established at Trouvie, ana very popular
as a portrait painter. Curiosity mpes her TO seek
him. and she wishes him to paint her portrait
which her second husband consents that he shall do
That situation is treated as humorous. The Count
Marcy young French nobleman, arrives. lie
has been around the world. but now. having IN
her,ed a fortune. he is wishfu, TO marry The
Count and Mr. Sanford have been comrades IN
ranch life and they are firm friends Mr.. San
ford tells the Count OF his marriage and of
the death OF his child. The Count is sur
prised by these disclosures. and he. In turn
tells OF his love. never yet declared. ior
an American girl whom he met. In New-York Mrs.
Sanford enters. and the Count recognizes IN ms
been attracted by the Count, but she now REFUSES
him. The gossips of Trouvle, however. couple their
names, and Mr.. Sanford made furious with )eal-
ousy. suspects his wife of falsehood- whereupon
she recke:y TO MS Msgfy
At this point her friend Mrs. Barry comes 70 her
back from situation OF peril. Moreover, Mrs.
Barry RECEIVERS from Count M faSy Ge HI W.
BY checkmates the ins!dous Count. Mr. Sanford
ultimately begs forgiveness, and proposes that MS
the man whom apparently she loves-a theatrica!iy
useful expedent but nonsensical IN the ngnt Vi
Mrs. Sanford RECEIVERS her reason and avows her
fee so much,-and her aversion to the Count VINO
has been willing only TO- cause her saaelu. b rum
TO have also benefited herself and al ends in peace
The authors acknowledge obligation FOR several
is fouch of juvenility in the treatment OF The
love story which probably is not Of French origin
the wife would not have told the truth ana i, the
sented her husbands very natural resentment Of II;
had not resented il. The husband might subse-
have been for the purpose OF making speechesi me
that she is naturally half fool, and that she IS
afflicted with hysteria. Miss Ellie shannon indde
notion Miss shannon succeeds respectfully in light
characters but emoton and heavy business are be
Welcome again that faithful actor Mr.. James W.
fort G's and It bestowed hearty greeting upon Mrs
Louisa Eldridse. a risky dame from New
ssn hear Ser e@b pmS o %Eo a aa Sn
lover. was welcomed with great cordially. His
Piympton shot off the usual voiiey OF amorous
fustan with an air OF vast sincerity. and con,rved
est Of all rascals is the man who
lures woman by her weakness and. out OF his
low desire, cOuDsels her 10 her destruction. No
sophis,ical talk about passion can redeem such
creature that from utter infamy Mr.. Plymp-
toms powers wasted Count Marcy. He IS
actor requiring manly, picturesque and romantic
parts--and II must be understood that man may
be romantic without being assinne scoundrel
The character OF Mrs. Barry. played by Mrs Lang
try Is compound of nature and extravaganza
Her feeling is sometimes deep and sometimes shall
low. At some moments she s good and earnest
that she becomes noble at other times her shallow
levity runs into coarseness The text that she has
10 speak is not improved by the Of slang. In
again showed her neglect OF vocal training-rapid-
i,y and vehemence making her articulation
fused and the effect therefore somewhat indefinite
There Is capital scene at the recovery Of the let
ter. and in this both Mrs. Langtry and Mr. Plympton
acted o well create and maintain a true spell
Of dramatic suspense This is the full and corrected
cast:
Mrs. Barry Mrs. Iangtry
Mr.. Barry JameS W.
Mrs. Stanford, From York; Eiie shannon
Mr.. Stanford G. J. Rchman
MIRIAM stanford Blanche Burton
s. 'S S.'4 E@ louisa = S%5::
Halo%s valet to Marcy. .......T p Williamson
Servant , s,a,.,, Holden Chandler
Valet. 70 S'ah'oid Tourer
l'E '",.S- ..............W. 7. I0Ten
Castor BaTney. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. Ivan Watson
count MARI! .Ebcn PlympOn
LYCEUM THEATRE