The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-03-17
PLAYERS WITH NEW WORK.
mrs. MIDDERN-FISKE MRS. MAR
LOUE-7dBER, IND MR.. MIN.


~ "f w HN-FtNn Es IN. III h-
LOUE-7dBER, IND Mr.. Willy.
For the First Times in This tlsy Thry Per
fern the Principal Characters In the
Plays. Marie DcIocbe.' "Shr Stoop-
to t%onduer,'' and The Fooi's Revenge"
Minnie Maddcrn- Fisko looks like rernhnrit,
acts like Dusc. and Is us original as either Of
those greater ]gcniuses IN her methods. While
artistic singalnrity Is quickly admired by tho
few, it is but slowly appreciated by tho many,
and therefore Mrs. tiskc will have to earn every
whit OF her fame. II she were to encounter
no audiences less sympathetic and obscrrant
than tho one in the Garden Theatre last night,
however, her rise to rcnown might DO rapid.
Tho people to whom she appealed responded
with genuine enthusiasm when her acting was
%eifcCtual and were lcnicnt when II was not; but
her merits were prcpOndcrant, and her success
was not left In doubt when she was called out by
hearty applause ut the conclusion. How much
OF popular quality there Is in her performance
Is quito another question. and one which need
not be taken into account In estimating her as
q bold and commanding ramnt artist.
Tho play In which Mrs. Fiske appeared was
an English version of Alplonse Daudet and
Leon llenriquc's French work, here called
Marie neloche.' 1t was reviewed In TnE sun
when performed In Brooklyn early in tho sea-
son. 1t Is an unconventional piece. Tho hero
me Is an nhDlIuhl. persistent. ana COnsclpnCcleSS
liar. She lies her way from ill-repu,ei into respect
ed wedlock. and does not stop lying until death
silences her. The only point in her favor. and
1t is almost, II not quite. a winning point sym
patbetically. Is that her love Of the honest man
whom she dccctves IL sincere. aud that sho
The work is directed wholly ana cleverly to the
Development OF the peculiar heruinc's character
and story. The adaptation by Harrison Gray
flskci is we'll worded, and he has impaired more
OF lO.enian Haturalness than the play possessed
In the original French. Mrs: ,Fiske's tendency is
strongly in the ramc direction. Hut she
Is not in this Instance an example of
mohotonous acting, or an apostle of the
altogether satisfactory to those who believe
that the best art of the stage is exaggerativc.
She does rise out of the commonplace, She does
become vivid and eloquent under emotional
stress, and she does thrill the auditor with her
intensitles OF speech and action.
Julia Marlowo Taber's impersonation OF Kate
Hdrdcdstlc in G~oldsmithIs farce. "She Stops
to Conquer was unknown to New York until
last night, when she came forward in the char
acter at Palmer'a Theatre. 1t was not a per-
Torrance that is likely to increase the good i'm
preston which the actresses Jutiet created here
last week. In fact, beyond her personal
lovelincss and evident appreciation of the
comedy elements in the role, there was
very little in her Interpretation to commend.
1t was. indeed. curious at places to find such an
obvious amateurishness, such u complete lack
OF authority, as there appeared from time to
time in Mrs. Taber's work. 1t was artificial
throughout. and there were scenes, notably in
the second act, when 1t appeared rs though the
actress had really no feeling OF the stage. so crude
and colorless was her playing. The lines were
spoken always with intelligence and agreeably
read in Mrs. Taber's pleasant IL monotonOus
voice. But there was no life or nature animat-
ing them. no Illusion that the woman who was
arna L ~ than IynI in ran1it, Cha lT... I,.l
cdStln of Goldsnlith's play. Undoubtedly the
piece is artificial, but even the semblancc Of
its artificial life was not created by
Mrs. Taber. But she was a beautiful
sight in her housewives gurb as well
rs in her silks, and AS a picture she was con-
tinually delightful to the eve. Following so
certain and maturel "A performance as her
Julitt there were inconprehensible weaknesses
and Inconsistencies in her acting last night. 1t
seemed throughout the tentative performance
o! IA beginner. and one that gave no promise of
acquiring deeper color or feeling.
Mr.. Tabcr was an intelligent and occasionally
admirable Mr'jplr. lacking always In polish and
courllincss, but throughout appreciative or the
humor of the scenes. it was an uneven inter-
probation. as u rule. and it varied from thorough
effectiveness TO obvious misconccption, as In the
s wSi"n OF ~ the n hPst meeting N Win -W W%s ma'dcnstie.
baShful country lout, not a gentleman cinbar-
Passed ut the CIRCUMSTANCE Of meeting a
was graceful, and natural. There was an nd
inirnbie Hhr!hrIHti' in the person of William +.
''"'li, anu ITO ~ 'iiiiN ilstIt lis WIG Ttntly |
langhable. The production in its entirety was
devised with exceptional taste and intelligence.
and the performers were all capable.
At the Broadway last evening George c. Min
and his companion players were heard In -
Fools Revenge Mr.. Min, of course. was
HcrtncriO, and great as the contrast is between
the different moods of this character, 1t is
doubtful if they were ever made to seem more
unlike. When playing the %butroon, whether
a. ,yn5 60 tI. ..l,- - |
tiers, his quips were delivered with n gusto
that made him out to be the happiest Of men.
But this was only u beginning. and in cvcry
succeeding scene that found him engaged in
the duties of hts office his manifestation Of
glee were more and more pronounced. As his
daughter was borne away by her abductors he
accompanied his spasm of JOY by n series of
hops that might have furnished val
But even this was not the climax of this side
of the character, That came i'll his ending
OF a scene with the Duchess at the castle OF
satisfied him that she would complete
the, plan OF revenge that he had SO carefully
laid, and he rushed away as fast IA bent back
and crooked limbs would carry him. His speed
high, but il did not convey his delight sum.
GENTLY. so as he neared the door he sprang tor
II. struck II with a bang, and passed out OF sight,
both his heels being q foot and q half from the
floor AS he disappeared.
Not less strenuous were the moments OF pas
sion. though they were slower in reaching their
unit mere. WAS u Durst OF NOcllerOus declaim-
ing at the end OF the first act. when It seemed as
|! the morrow would complete his revenge, and
a violent o%uthurst accompanied the appeal to the
to look less like her mother. Similar
prevailed when the maiden an
nounced that she had been beiricnded by
%idic0'fr'S wife, ami AT intervals in his recital 10
the daughter of his history. With SO much OF
IN gesture and speech. already In
evidence. H. seemed rs II the subsequent death
throe, must seem calmncss by cOnpai Ison. but
hey were entirely SAFE from such criticism. IL
an unmistakably hard death to die, and
was accompanied Mt the final collapse by n really
stage fail.
In one scene Mr.. Min was stirring, and il was
n mis- pleading with the ~courticr that h. might
% admitted to the company whose laughter,
'Oming through closed doors, informed him
hat his child apd her abductor still lived.
t was a worthy effort, and moved his
thoroughly. II was one of n few
.lnps IN "A n,plturn l,t Ua,D tho skipninr SnoIar,