New-York tribune., 1896-12-29
THE DRAMA.
NEW PLAY AT THE EMPIRE.
.r-xDER THE RED ROBE"


The Empire Theatre Stock Company returned 10
It's home last night and presented ro"a",,'
drama. based upon Mr. Stanley Weyman's we'll
known novel entitled .Undsr the Red Robe" The
attendance was .arge, and the play ana the
performance were observed with much interest MT
Weyman's method, many readers are '"a'e 10
TO involve "A picturesque and ardent young gentle-
man. usually military and generally FRENCH III cn
cumstances of extreme peril. and to PROVIDE. more
or less mira culously. for his rescue al each anu
every one OF those supreme moments wheh rescue
has become an apparent impossibility. That me'h-
oil serves TO keep the reader IN CONDITION OF "ei"'
ulous suspense. and to Illustrate iof HI" '''e IA
cessant operation OF auspicious stars ana e'.i
lasting good fortune. There Is always a iauy l" ''e
case and at the end Of his ordeal OF dangers '"e
adventurer Is always rewarded with her matri"o-
Mai hand Some readers have grown little weary
of Mr. Weymans iteration, and there are Ie" oio
fogies who believe that novel by Charles feaoe
IS worth whole library OF the stories tha' "a'e
been furnished by the moderns. In this particui'.
line of fiction The remark that Whipple made upon
g. p r. James can. however be appropriately
made upon Mr.. weyman: He hit the builseye at at
the first shot and ne has been rins sactce
peases many readers. and the Weyman novels ah are
widely popular Under the Red Kobe Is, Pronp %
ably the best OF them; at all events Is one OF te
shortest; it contains character studies as wen as
Incidents. and the psychological part OF IL .s , ~"
to perform a seemingly virtuous deed, put. uhuer
the stress OF circumstances. he finds that his pvr,
he has no alternative save 10 persist IN MS lu- l
nlment There is love affair. but the experirIce
through which the soldier passes Is more than anna
tory and his behavior. under the trial to winch & ,e
Is subjected is made to develop his hner qual'ieS
and display him at the last as man oi nne be he
novel than It was in the play Mr. Dohsos ho Sends a9
forth the cavalier TO capture his enemy ana 81 Pr
Favcrsham appeared the gallant emssary OF the s
cardinal The former was crafty ana the ia''e'
picturesque
The play IS les absorbing than the novel-and
there l. more scope for analysis. explanation ana
subtle shading Of traits and motives than there % ra
h,. I'm a scheme Of intarpretative action IN"
drainatst. Mr.. Edward Rose. has. however zone
his work with discretion and 20 g3od erect. opey p
tators who have read the book VIII ENJOY ,ns P.ay,
and spectators who have not read me book can
nevertheless follow and 'omprehend the 20
OF the story. The first act - SLOW III co,.ns , x ~
IIecba and the last Yci + SOW & IN com.9 %dYas Win
interest Tire intermediate acts are chiefly De.
votedl' was ayoidoe1o 81 m: , os~'%pnSlr' S lrnsl,
and in fact be is the play. The character OF
Eichelicl Il only sketched. ana the sketch J. made
In strict accordance with stage convention. huL""r
provided the pattern. and all later portra''' nave
The Cardinal appears for only a few moments in
the first act. and he makes only second hrigt ans
closure OF himself In the last one, vi; DylS"r
cmbodin nj was severe rather than ioimd"o.e;;
but while deficient In weight. duhority, an1
power It had that deicacy OF seS,ur, n a.' from ro,
at.steriiy OF intellect and refinement or cons'l'u,
ton. and II possessed also the air OF command ana
the suggestive sadness OF lonely age;-and thus II
provided as a background fer the action, sense
regulative government TO which. at last All mus,
be accountable. Mr. Faiershams = performance OF
DE Berault was defty planned and with fine Intel
ligence but. because OF intense nervous excite
rneut+ Il was roughly executed The opening quar-
rel was well carried and all the lighte- positions
the scenes OF hypocrisy and those Of satire or de-
nancc or reSOlute action were made more enectlNe
than the scenes Of passion. Miss Viola Allen. very
cordially welcomed. impersonated Renee with
fine continuity Of cnara ter. ana with many nashes
OF noble scorn and deep feeling. The truth and
the capital byplay OF Robert Edeson as the Lieu
tenant greatly helped the effect of the general rep
rcscniatior. All tho chief performers were re-
called The production Is successful and Il Will
readily keep the stage for som" time