New-York tribune., 1896-12-02
THE DRAMA.
Mr.. CRANE IN "A FOOL OF FORTUNE"
FIFTH AVENUE THEATRE.

OF prosperity, everything goes wrong Such "''
Elisha Cunningham. the central hsure !" '''
new play BY Miss Martha Morton, that was P'o
duced in the Fifth Avenue Theatre last high'' Wy
Mr.. Crane, and such Is the image OK charac'e' "
experience that this admirable humorist now pre-
This time the cap and bells are i"u "''u''
II Is not the Jester that fills the scene; IL Is the
Comedian. The writings of Balzac have, OF ia'e'-
through the intrepid and persistent ihdusu! VI ~
Wormeey.-been made generally accessible anu
Miss Morton appears TO have perceived uia
matte possibilities in the novel of Cesar Birot-
teau." Like the stanch and honorable Birotteau'
this later fool of fortune loses everything; ike MN
he fights hard to retrieve his losses; and like MIN
he dics-of heart disease-in the hour OF victory
Birotteau and Cunningham however, are not iuc"-
ticaI The dramatist has drawn an American char
acter. typical OF class. and of It's kind eXceeh''
and Mr. Crane. as Cunningham. has. at last, some
thing with which to concern himself. besides the
trivial business of making mirth for vacuous
multitude: he so utilized his opportunity as to gain
one of the most signal trumphs Of his professional
life
The best portrait that ever was painted OF
broken-down man OF business Is Thackerays por-
trait of old Sedey. In the novel Of "Vanity Fair"
1t would be very diffcult.-probaby impossible
to place that figure effectively upon the stage
Mr. Cranes impersonaton forciby brought II TO
mind. Cunningham Is not the same character.
but he is variety of II. He was a shrewd,
gained large fortune He had lived for a while
in Europe with his eldest daughter. Marjorie. and
i'm a jocular. semi-satirica spirit, he had assumed
the manner. what he thought to be the man.
ner, of an Engshman. On returning home he
brought the Count de Cluny to America. thinking
to train him specuator and TO marry
him to his daughter Marjorie: but that noble
man fortunately fell In love with Marjories sis
ter Jennie and Marjorie was. thereupon. In due
time left free to follow her heart into the keeping
of an earlier suitor. named Karl Worresdorf.
Meanwhile Cunningham, rcsuming active business,
and.-under compulsion of necessity,-ioi-
lowing in the speculative wake OF his partner
Nathaniel Lloyd invested the bulk Of his money in
stock, betrayed by an associate named Powers.
and at last plunged into penury, and then
began his long and lamertabe struggle with mis-
fortune and grief. "All the rest" says Shake
speare. "is bound in shadows and in mseries. The
old man daily dwiniled took TO drink became "A
wreck and "A shadow.-haunting the Exchange
and. with fovcrlsh. forlorn eagerness and half-
crazed purpose. specuating upon the wretched drio-
lets and poor remains OF 4 once prlncely revenue
A friend of his youth. Cornelius Green was faith
ful 10 him. and Marjories lover. Kari
Worresdorf and the Count de Cluny. work
ing under the name of La Crosse but friendship
cannot heal breaking heart In the end a
fortunate combination was so directed as to re- re-
trcye his losses. and. AT the same time. to punish
his trcach"ros sncny SO IN a lar grande, or ctory
ana upon much more rT%o1S fnr 1Se rayaped Sn1
broken Lear But ;ho struggle had exhausted his
endurance and the moment Of his triumph also
!, Is ihe l,voritc cant Of criticism that nothing
be- sad In a world of evanescent things
wl.n ,iouoc and grief the inevitable con-
comi,ants OF time. and with death as the certain
end OF all.-therc must be no reference to ne srr
Ous facts Of our mortal existence. AL tne
greatest works in literature stand against that
doctrine. and no artist Will eyer attain to ns iull
stature who fctters himself by H. Mr. crane -
much more than farce-monger and he l. wise to
assert from time TO time: IN" strength OF his emo
tions and the authority OF his mind ~" presented
highest order tie assumed a sprchlf iuehuF ana ana
he maintained IT, His imporsonation was dis
power and rich with implied testimony az to his
obserI alton OF human nature and human life. He
but because ne lives: because. as the natural prep
aration for the final catastrophe he passes through
expcfience % % Of "a ruined life 10 ingenuity was ex-
gra s'F weakncss SS of the pay"and the sign Of
superficial thnksr:-that he disaster to Cunning
In actual life the failures and mseries are.
something inherent In the personality OF those to
whom they come. This play uses the time -honored
vidcd by a saint. and al the evil by a rascal When
once the situation Is created. however. the actors
70 70 IL: indeed he furnished much more than he
found. The cleverest part of The dramatic writing is
the scene of equivoke in the second act The
death scene already intimated. is variation OF
that Of Cesar Birotteau. Mr. Crane had the ex-
Gods finger touched him. and he slept
II is not meant that the play is A sad one All the
foreground OF Ii s full OF sunshine. The shadow does
not all until the end. and when II does fall II comes
at the right time. and IL passes There moments
when the cooquy rembles the verge OF farce. but
for the mos, part the piece is consistent comedy and
although the materials of which it Is composed
old. they freshly treated. and they are made
tributary cumulative dramatic effect The several
feminine character aptly Disseminated The
OF a coming crisis Is early inspired and it is
made 10 continually stronger. The gradual
breaking of the principal character is Indicated
closing situation is made trembe with deep and
Wild excitement Mr.. Crane worked up that stu-
alton with astonishing power. and when the final
curtain fell. he was many times recalled, with
;husilstic plaulits and ringing cheers
There was much To interest the observer, in the
subsidiary acting Mr.. Mackays remarkable
powers seen with admiration. in his cmbod-
mcnt OF specious. furtive. cruel speculator. The
could not be better displayed and the frenzIed sup
pliriiiOn was instinct with genuine passion and
pathOs The cast is competent. and the general rep
sentation was agreelhy smooth and crisp. Mr.
Percy Brooke distinguished himself by q remarkably
natural serO-cOmic performance Of a tE.id and ner
vous broker Miss Eflc Shannon presented lovely
image OF caprcious girlhood Mr.. Edwin Arden
particularly happy In the character OF an ingenious
foreign nob.eman somewhat mys;ified by American
manners Mr.. Boyd Putnam, actor OF fine intell-
gcnce and unusual distinction impersonated ret-
cent over with true dignity and tenderness. The
OF Mr.. Cranes new venture cannot be
doubted
CAST OF "a FOOL OF FORTUNE"
Elisha cunningham W lllam H. cram"
Nathanel Lloyd terty BROOKE
Kari WOrresdorf Boyd Putnam
Count dc Cluny. Edwin Arden
Cornelius Green William Boag
Ezekiel Powers. T. +. Mackay