New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-02
THE DRAMA.
MIR. CRAWFORD'S "DR. CLACD1Cs."
FIFTH AVENUE THEATRE

In Mr. +. Marion Crawford's well-known novel OF
OR Claudus" first published In 1888, there Is
delicate sympathetic. and gracious portrayal Of the
awakening and growth Of love between a man and
woman Of exceptional character,-both being re-
markable for beauty and distinction OF person and
nobility and spirituality Of mind. The man Is
studous rccI,Ise bearing the name Of DR.. Clavdus
and living as lecturer. at Heidelberg. The
woman Is the widow OF RUSS" noDleman. and
she Is called the Countess Margaret They meet
az strangers at the famous ruin In Heidelberg;
they become acquainted with each other at Baden;
they make the Atlantic voyage TO New-York
aboard a yacht, as guests OF an English Duke and
his sister: they avow their mutual love. and they
plight their roth under picturesque circumstances
nj Nowport: they are temporarily separated, and
during the period Of their separation iase friend
ende ayors to make mischief between them. and 70
win the ady's hand and finally they are united In
hardness That Is the substance OF the story
rot in itself important. but made effective by lite
rary treatment, atmosphere. the art OF the writer
his sincerity and other pleasing attributes OF his
personality.
Tho false friend of the lovers Is an American,
named Barker.-a shrewd. specious, expeoitlous.
vol,ble somewhat furtye and altogether OBNOXIOUS
nerson whose character the novelist mas drawn
ui,h tact. vgor, and felicity. Bsrker's method Is
that of insinuation. Dr. Claudius mas been de-
clared heir 10 a great fortune. left by one OF his
relatives New-York merchant. and 1t Is the In.
s,dious purpose OF Barker to deprive him both o!
his fortune and his sweetheart, by priva"Y slim
uniting suspicion OF his identity ana causing MIN,
in hts absence TO be considered an impostor. The
lovers however are strong in their truth and
s,eadfast in their constancy, and Bsrkers scheme
comes 10 nothing. The discontinue OF That spite.
ft nerson would occur in the natural order Of
events but it Is promoted by the proVident con-
duct OF the English Duke and by that Of potent
diplomatist named Belllngham-these friends be-
l.r =
hui I'm fact "A royal German Duke ana being also
aware that in his absence, he Is dong an IN
PSnpn Of the inight.erran made ha;
he has been to ST Petersburg 10 gita
the heroine's inheritance. and likewise tha' ne 10
not merely M Gu, RrdHcG novel have not
been REPRODUCED in his pay wbc f is ne gem Of Is.
upon the Sswp9r' cooay on he
stage In fact the play is a conversation, divided
into four parts The frs; and second introduce u,
is devoted to Barkcr's inslnustIons. The fourth
depicts the opportune return OF oucs an" tha
he is Serene Highness OF something 700 1Elul 10 oe
named No movement occurs at any No 1o person s
s s1es ana 4 only serves to Illustrate more
fSe radical difference that exists between things
tbs, are imagined and things tia; An
ing his mind 10 the magical allurement OF mag
nation and the fascinatin charm Of style; Il Is
"a P6ta facts 1i and visible action In this case
if sees nothing: it only hears knave talking
against absent gentleman. ana trying 70 ALLEVIATE
il is kept until the last in ignorance and there
fore in perplexity. 10 the gentlcmans true
ders it to know who Dr caudlHs really IS and
by them the impairment is gwen ana pracucaIy
has an effect which is co,niczthat 20 disclose his
docs the disclosure when made convey any I'M I'm,
that. in American hotel he overheard the talk
of two servants. about himself. That sald one
er?' Temporary DISCUSSES sometimes do well upon
another fras in The Dukes V Motto and another in
The Ticket Of Leave Man" , But in genera! they
audience is in the secret. The characters in play
may mystify each other; they must not mystify the
Mr.. Crawfords play was well set upon the Fifth
Avenue stage, and the character OF the unscrupu-
ps Sy M F. X o Gsf whe L.
made up for the late Sam Ward from whom BeiIing.
sasacious. accompished versatile and amusing men
seeing him in this play. Mr Joseph Holland who
as c9ad Sa not b born G py n
hdelity Of the German student and prince: ,.
This Sa IT of o ss app AND
this indicates the actors true vein, which Is not
Sa tsat Of GF e
The character of Barker is confused, and Mr.. E y.
e Sans Maa hS Of h fa'
aversion. No felicity of acting, however, could re-
piattudes, and prolix talk about nothing. The
piece is dulness incarnate. The audience was
numerous, and II viewed the proceedings In
friendly and patient spirit. needless ca9ue
assisted. with the usual denotsmsnts Of inds-
after the fourth curtain. and in a brief speech Of
thanks he indicated the presence Of his coaboref
and assured his hearers that without Mr. g.
Maur's assistance he could not have written tne
play at ALL" Many persons who like Mr. Craw-
fords novel may like to see what Il becomes
when converted into drama; but Mr.. CRAWFORD
would be wise to rest content with his prosperity
and fame as a novelist. He. IS not dramatic
author and the faculty Of play-writing Is born,
not made Charles Reade and Wilkie Collins.
alone of the great novelists OF modern English
were also dramatists. Thackeray failed utterly
as playwright. Mr.. Crawford's experience
not singular.