New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-06-14
THE PLAYS.

Why I, NAV be asked II Sheridan Is so difficult
an object Of admiration. Il ne 50 constantly gives
the reader pause why then Is his sway through
"a sort Of fascination" 50 freely admitted! Inc
mystery. If such II be. is readily cleared up D!
reference to his plays little group OF productions
much more familiar to the general pubic IMAM
a,thor the sneeches or the personal history of
tboir author Take any one OF the most famous
Of these plays The School for Scandal Inc
Rivals or THE Critic and they are reduced
without difficulty 10 their simplest terms wherein
they exert "a certain sort OF Fascination MI
RAGS observation that SIBERIAN Is the great
est dramatist since Shakespeare may moi DC
acccnted in fact 1t passes the bounds Of reason
but criticism may stop long distance this slo'
o. If and still leave the object OF the eulogy on
q distinctly conspicuous plane. There he mas
charmed the world for century and bids fair
:, charm II for a century more. but the certain
cor, of fascination he preserves is-Ot certain
car, It Is perfect In its kind. but Ito kind
,ocs the felicity OF the greatest writer's and when
Cir Henry Irving says, as he does in criticism
cuoted bv Mr. Rae that the secret OF Sherdan's
LONGEVITY as a dramat!st lies in the pervadin8
humanity OF HE work" there is the same shade
Of dissent provoked that too wholesale lauda-
ton OF Sheridan invites all along the line Sher-
idan's plays live because they are fuH or cyhl-
cal truths and half-truths. amusing TO mat
mart of our nature which hovers between sym
nathv and indifference He wakes a laugh over
fo,bjes which everybody admits 10 be real a3
life Is constituted and because the laugh Is spon-
taneous because the eye follows bis characters
through the drama with unabated eagerhees
II is not altogether wrong to say that the
preservation Of Sheridans plays has something 70
Al with humanity But it is not very much; the
lea nd
very deep or sensitive. A dramatist with
humanity gets down into the hearts 1T men. he
sees what Is good and what Is evil. he paints
both with searching solicitude that puts the
figure on the stage before us. sentent and thrill
ing a man or woman suffering or happy with
genuine feeling There Is measurable depth
70 this kind Of dramatic humanity. The plumb
line Of criticism funT In curiosity from its shores
Is lost in a sea deeper than the drama as deep
as human life itself It's beauty IL the beauty of
a living soul In the plays OF Sheridan. all this
gives place TO an undoubted fascination, but 70
fascination whose moorings are In tho shall
low places Of the world. We forget this when we
contemplate 1.-THE Rivals" irradlated with the
mellow light OF great actors genius; but read
calmly, The Rivals is not many degrees re-
moved from the acidulated temperature Of THE
School for Scandal" Both comedies. and the
little farccRl gem, THE Critic. are triuInphs
of astrngent feeling and consummate mental
agility. The man who wrote them sent them
from him like dainty vessels Of exquisite texture
and apparent fragty. but let them drop to con-
tinue the figure, on the rough. uneven surface OF
! life and they do not break-the thin porcelain
Of which they seem to be made is not even
scratched On the contrary. 1t rebounds as though
possessed of toughness like that Of brass and
leather combined The plays are lacking In sun
shine. in gentleness. In the warm human SYM
patty which springs from true greatness and
elevation OF mind.
Sheridan leaves this mixed impression. and
yet it Is good to have Mr. Raes biography oi
| his celebrated countryman. Sheridan requires
that justice should be done him. at least, and
when the proper deductions have been made
| from Mr.. Rae's fervid text-deduct!ons very easy
| to make-there Is left more servlceable and