The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-04-29
GORGEOUS KING ARTHUR.
The Magnificent Spectacle Presented by
Irving and Terry.

The large audience that sat In the
Providence. Opera House last evening is
justified in the conviction that in the
production of "King Arthur" by Sir
Henry Irving, Miss Ellen Terry and their
company hey had viewed about the
most sumptuous and beautiful dramatic
spectacle ever staged anywhere IN the
world.
There is nothing in the title OF Sir
Henry Irving, and Sir Edward Bourne
Jones and Sir Arthur Sullivan that is
not justified by long records OF eminent
work and Is still being maintained at
standard universally recognized as the
highest. The chorals and incidental
music of the play are the composition OF
Sullivan, master in his art. Scenery
and costumes are the designs OF Bourne
Jones, artist OF worldwide eminence,
and this set, two leading opponents of
English drama, associating with them
selves a thoroughlycapable company OF
talented actors produced liking Arthur"
last evening and gave to tremendous
audience of intelligent people an artistic
treat so satisfying and so impressive that
memory OF it may we'll endure beyond
most anything that can te recalled from
the stage.
The author. OF the play, Mr.. j. Comyns
Carr, may be deemed to have quite sue
cessfully concentrated in dramatic form
the story and much OF the poetic beauty
OF the IdlyIs OF the King, in which Ten
neyson's verse has immortalized the
Arthurian romances. But whatever criti-
cal analysis may discover of deficiencies
in the text, the setting OF the play com
pletes for every sense the beauty and
poetry of the romance. The stage pic
lures. and "King Arthur" is a tremen-
dous kaleidoscope of them, are almost
overwhelmingly imposing or exquisitely
fascinating. Between the magnificent
"set" OF the Great Hall at Camelot and
the Immediately succeeding scene OF the
Whitehorn Wood is n contrast that Is
more of a triumph OF effect in stage art
than anything that a curtain ever cut be-
tween. The canyasses are superb and
with the accessories OF the mig hest stage
craft in subordinate pieces "mountings"
and furnishings, with the wealth of beau
tiful and richly made costumes, with the
groupings of the people on the stage,
tableaux are produced that are incom-
parably imposing. 1t is to the credit OF
the playwright IL he has penued lines the
thread of which is not fairly lost amid
such surroundings to feast the eye.
Queen Guinevere dominates the play.
She is an ideal creature about whose
name clusters all the charms OF the ro-
nance and legend Of beautiful creature
OF destiny exalted TO be humiiated, to
make a Il kiHg ana a kingdom and -to..unde-
both for the passion that controls alike
kings and people, the power of which
history, as well "a legend and romance
recognizes. No more winning creation of
the stage than Miss Terry makes of this
charming queen could well be hoped for.
1t is of surprising beauty and grace aud
the legend is brought close to the hu-
man neart. In the lines allotted TO him,
Mr.. Irving carries comparatively incon-
spicuous part, but his influence is never
absent, expressed as it 10 through his
queen, through his favorite Lancelot,
through about every word spoken or act
performed by knight or lady, by true
neart or villainy while at the important
dramatic climax he sways stage and audi
torium, already made brssthlessly expec-
tant for his coming. And Mr.. Irving's
vocal trade marks and his slumpiness of
carriage become forgotten trivialities in
the inspiration from his abundant art.
Tonight MIR. Irving Will present his in
comparably woeful impersonation OF Ma
thias in "The Bells, " and Miss Terry will
give us "Nance Oidfield." thus ending q
far too brief engagement.