The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-01
PERTINENT TO THE STAGE.
THE GERMAN COMPANT BEGINS
uTTH DIE GOLDNE EVA"

tho H1FNt NlUnt OF - Nv hNh
nance O'Ncni'a Good nnd Had Foints In
..led A.trnJu-A nurleseuo or merode-
Tho s..sop At tho Irving Place Theatre opened
lsst night. There was tho usual large audiences
which IA an annual accompaniment TO this fea-
tuna NJ the theatrical year. There was, moro
ovar tho customary cordially to the play and
tho new actors. for the spectators last night
maao the acquaintance OF several new actors,
na well as hearing a new drama for the
ar,t time. This was Tho Golden Eva"
nv Franz Won Schoenthan. Tho author OF IA
Might on" and q long series OF less successful
farros mas Of late hid his failing inventivencss
In the Rarb Of earlier ages. The output OF this
overworked dramatist grew weaker year by
year. Countess Gucki" made clear the posi-
blity of success when the familiar types
aud the familiar situations we're tricked
out with old.fashioned costumes and placed
In q scene that had an antique at
mosphere. The favor which greeted that
experiment made 1t seem possible to Horn
Won Schocuthan TO keep the mil rolling regular
Is SO long as these novelties in detail hid the
threadbaro stuff. which grew thinner every time
II was held up to the public view. Audiences
wore able to see through It several years ago.
So THE Golden Eva" followed the "Coun-
tess Gucki," and the scene was carried
back to medieval Germany. The atmos.
phere of "Die Meistersinger." with Its guilds,
its apprentices. and its impostors, was ripe to be
plucked. SO the rich widow Of q goldsmith and
the head OF the guild long for place in the world.
She would have an impecunious knight had not
her own heart and . knowledge Of her suitor's
baseness led her to the young goldworker, whom
she really loved. This is the slight story of
"The Golden Eva"
Thin, indeed. the intrigue Is, but is gracefully
presented, with something like . mildly roman
tic charm in the verse Of the play and the
delivery Of the narrative. The whole structure
10 intensely modern. 1t Is the essence Of the
genuine Won Schoenthan In spite Of its Middle
Age costumes. it's period. and its verse. There Is
It. Almost like a masquerade OF the drametist's
familiar types does the piece seem. Its interest
10 languid and its humor almost Insignificant.
but there is dainty flavor to the whole, and
some OF the spee~ches-notably that OF the lover
scene for the action Of the play. 1t is an old
S Sss% never ln ofofsa amy s%ng. iaS Ff Sesssr. Place fh'''F'
OF the new actors there Is something else than
sSo issdin Pf role foil. Is a Teil.trs:neS actrsss
with an exuberant temperament. which her art
does doe I not siWoy' h hold iSi In nS Shes OK. I MsE sSPs sss SiIS,
were scarcely ever at fault But alas. every.
hin, him i i not sFa . 2 and end. t h.rSs, wa' y but
delivered the best speech in the play with con.
uninteresdns. Gustaf .seynsrtitI seemed, %
exnggerate unnecessarily o strong marked
mund Hanno played admirably the part OF q
hitulous nooleman- The play will have. deli
cate, soothing charm for very patient people.
In o review of the 1rst performance Of Tho
Little Minister" at the Empire. TIE Sun said
that Maude Adams was not only received with
tumultuous and prolonged applause upon her
entrance, but that tho curtain had TO DO lifted
I'VE times at the conclusion Of the drst act be-
- 49, ~
made any particular impression. It was q
z~ealously friendly audience. and It could not
wait to applaud until soOsthing had been done
to deserve such communication. It was noted,
too, that Q largo number Of young man. in par
ties throughout the house. led In these incon.
siderato yet mona the less sinoere demonstra-
lions Of enthusiasm. Many newspapers In other
rities have gained the belief from THE SUNs
comments that an: orgaOized ~"claaue" had
been introduced at the Empire. No such
meaning was Intended. 1t was Q cash-paytng
assemblage which crowded the theatre. Hun.
dreds OF persons with money In their hands
were turned away at the doora- The unreason'
sbie applause ct tho outset was honest, and 1,
was the result Of NO prearrangement by the
management. Some OF 1t arose from the
esteem In which. Miss Adams is held and
did her harm for the time being, because 1t in
Is T.S1 had be aaap earned. However lowe ft Miss A UisGas
has saved herself from those good friends, and
Is now getting an ample amount Of applause
Upon her merits.
The ether ens. 1 s. ney shsstEtcal %yc1t9 Are Of n,
and 1.-THE French Maid" at the Herald square
suffered ON their first nights from the readiness
OF the conductors to grant eneores which were
tedioqsness in both cases was caused by thu
mistaken rePctitiOPs Of sonss and dances
overhauled, the excuses Of matter cut out, Thu
casts changed and the merits increased. Their
Rice, profcients both In building up entertain
ments OF the. kind, will come out on the win
ming side this time as usual.
Nance O'Neil's talents seem to lie in the mid
die range. The heights OF tragedy are not ye
for her. In Leah" the strongest scenes lay be
yond her reach. In the delivery Of the ours,
she appeared no more than terribly in carnes
and very vociferous. But in the human pas
sases there was the deep feeling with which sh,
touches everything that depends for its hes
expression on emotional force. That Is Mis-
O'Neill's finest achievement to-day. and {
seems likely 20 remain the one in which she will
always be seen TO the best advantage. 1t L
doubtful II her methods will change. lie
crudites are not like the deficiencies OF a be
ginner. They seem to be the requirements Of
fully trained talent. There IL nothing In Mis-
ONeills manner 70 suggest that abe Is no
pretty certain Of her artistic rectitiIde. Their
10 scarcely q fault in her performance Of ar
mande in Led Astray" this week. As tn
other role showed her limitations In one direc
ton, her attempt to act in farce had ~reveale,
them as plainly in another. but as the heroin
Of Dion Boucicault's old adaptation. her talent
were not strained. The interview with he
husband-a remarkably effective scene Of
wholly artificial and theatrical kind marked
possibly. her highest level In the piece, and will
Its naturalness and intensity moved tho spec
tators 70 the expression of genuine enthusiasm
Miss ONeil Is playing the old repertoire II
which emotional actresses OF an earlier Bchoo
won their triumphs. But she is not play
Ing In the old way. Saturalness and sim
p!icity are nearly invariable accompaniment
OF her work. Sometimes she throws them b
the winds, and the result is failure. The clos
ot the second act Of "Led. Astray" shows strik