New-York tribune., 1896-05-05
THE DRAMA.
urNRY IRVING AND ELLEN TERRY.
r,p RETURN TO ABBEY's THEATRE.

,,,c and Miss Terry made their re-entrance
a The New-York stage last night at ADoey's
rpa.,re where they were welcomed with aHec-
Inea"', sooswill and with the frequent paudits Of
''" odmira ton, by great company of apprecia-
me'N. SS.rers Miss Terry appeared Yolande. In
"e -. NAV called "Godefroi and Yolande."-
VIZ ',..on nv Mr.. Irvng's son, Mr. Lawrence Irving
WIZ WIZ. I-,dne appeared as I.esurques and Dubosc.
!, "The Lyons Mall
IN . ,,on. rnon the embodiments of Lesurques and
.Aoso vould necessarily, take the course OF repe-
.,.,or There is nothing new to be said about them
rr.,,o- 70 Mr. Irving's admirers for nearly twenty
To-. those fine representations have always been
80, esteemed for splendid precision Of mechanism
s hriant effect of truth. and also for their Won
a., contrasts of condition and conduct. their de-
''..~, Of profound knowledge Of human nature
NV ,,r conclusive signiflcation of versatile ara
s". ,on,us BY some Of the most competent judges
"S ~ ting now extant Mr.. lrving's performance OF
% a. 60. ,s REGARDED as the perfection Of melodrama
49, ,erribe scene Of deliriuIn and desperation, al
-. - ,ose he reaches climax OF grisy ferocty ara
Ue ,har horrible wickedness such as leaves moth
awe human degrade ton to be expressed. His per-
ns " of Lesurqucs. the other hand, proceed
io'" vein of pure comedy. Is the perfection OF
ne ne,. ,o.ure Other actors perhaps, could vie with
sip % a, Dnbosc: such characters are not very difh-
".. M actor now living could vie with him In
,oues The spirit tina; an!mates this embodi-
-, "a rot alone that Of exquisite beauty 1t Is sub
," The innate power Of character has not at any
49,. q, Mr. Irving's career.-eXcept in his perform
VIZ sofuamlet,-shown ~ itself with more conspicuous
-,aor than in the exquisite refinement and lovely
W",,r and tenderness Of LesurQues. He acted with
We 81. customary art, and with even more than his
..,,arv power, especially at the climax OF the
80 act He had two calls, after the first cur
'' o,d three after the second. and at the latter
49,, ha delivered q brief speech. expressive OF his
,.rrs at being once more IN this capital and his
,hsnks for a generous welcome
~ Miss Te:.y's embodiment Of Yolande the re-
Essences OF those who best appreciate and most
-. hsr fire genius-a genius which blends, as
," n.vs seldom or never been blended In all stage
-, w. the 0bres of poetry. spirituality and human
. on, rrohably linger with some regret. Not that
" -. orso-uance was deficient OF either imagina tion,
sr,l,r ptys!cal loveness. dramatic art, or pei
s,nsl charm Nothing that Ellen Terry could pre-
u,, would lack those attributes The objection TO
.ha ,orrsyal Is inherent in the character Yolande
a, sourtesar suddenly stricken with lcprosy; in
o,b.r words. she Is an image Of moral turpitude
combined with loathsoIne physical disease; and, no
.+.r how we'll she may be depicted. she must. IN
,n essential nature of things, be an obnoxious per-
can IN the eyes Of all Observers who are able to COM
nrsnend the meaning Of what they see. Nothing
that Il said or done by her counts for The value OF
straw toward redeeming her from this plight. SAc
means nothing In art beyond neeting picture OF
terrified disrnay and she means nothing in ethics
.,.ord tho hackneved bugbear Of the frightful ex-
ample. She is completely supenluous upon the
saee and she is as far beneath the genius OF EieA
Terry as the wastes Of a quagmire are beneath 'he
stars There was apparently, in the young autnors
mind when he wrote this play OF "Godelrol anu
Yolande" some idea OF illustrating and extoil'ng that
celestial herosm which inpelied Father Damien 70
sacrifice himself by going among the lepers ana
--lprf m XII
10 the faith which he believed essential 10 their sal
vat,oa beyond the grave That idea abstracty con-
sdered Is noble, but the moment 1t becomes COM
mingled-as in this pay,-with a mans love i9r q
y oniy another example OF reprehensbe theatri-
cal practice which In recent years nus uesoi.e
widely prevalent Of exhibiting harlo,s 2 ana re OF ssca eS
unspakable fools as to be I'm love" with them.
The conception OF grim old mediaevai casl,e, @
With night and storm around 1t, end with the vaguc
shadow Of some mysterious and nafneIess horror
impeding IT, while by no mean means sSaR nnRTeos n
the cement of atmosphere distinct capacity ,r, OF
poetic Ina gination. and 1t also shows BY rs treat-
men, Of the character Of Yolande.-w Is m
hnsed rather than portrayed.-a positive diaihasic
instinct though not potent dramatic iacuity; me
With his grim and ominous antiquities of song and
peech, Is likewise Indicative or subtle artistic
nan Of auspcious talent: but it is devoutly to be
ioped that in his future use Of 1t and OF those
lis fathers ilustrous name. ne will remember that
shakespeare was before Maeterlinck and that the
rood old standards Of pure English itcYa ture stu
hold their prestige and never lose one particle
81 their authority Morbid fancies never lead to
my good result. They the denotements not OF
strength but of weakness. II Is the province of
Rrt TO SHOW the beauty that exalts and not the
ugness that dispirts and degrades:
md as this column has said hundred times. and
should never cease 70 say. the stage Is not me
proper place for ethical lessons or medical
essays The aspect of Ellen Terry. as Yolande.
was magnificent. and her expression OF terror,
when Yoande is denounced as leper, struck the
true note Of tragedy. The feeling Of the scene, as
she inspires 1t. Is that of the awful climax OF the
Bible story OF Belshazzar's Feast, when the i'm
peria reyel surged upward TO its height OF JOY, the
handwriting of mysterious doom flashed out upon
the wall. and the smile frozen and the music
kushe1. IT is only genius that, with such subject
and such materials. could create such result. but
not even Ellen Terry can vital'ze this absurd and
tainted subject.
Mr. Cooper made q vigorous but fruitess effort to
;mpart nationality and serious significance TO Code
fr0i The character Is completely senseless,-a mix
ture Of faulty. maudn sentiment and pious
ncroics
Among the subsidiary characters. the scofilng Doc
tor. by Mr.. Valentine. and the Mad Priest, by Mr..
Tysrs. were alone conspicuous for dramatic force
and finish. There considerable applause at the
the play.
CAST OF GoDEFRoI AND YOLANDE.
Philippe Le Bel. King Of France. MI Percival
Inc ArchDsnop his brother MI siaVy
SIR sagramour young PalaGin. ....... Ben Webster
vVyrHoi tO.peI
Docor Sacntlne
-rtc. cia,h
Hus Vicer y" ias io