New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-09
THE DRAMA-MUs1C.
A NEW PLAY AT THE LYCEUM'
"THp MAYrLOwER."

nroduced last night in the Lyceum Theatre, and It
was received with considerable favor by numer-
GUS and kindly audience. Mr.. Parker. by MS pay
of Rosemary" has deserved and has obtained '"e
admiration Of judcious observers or the stase' ""
It was natural that this new work from MS p."
should inspire interest and should be viewed WIN
respect The choice Of subject, especially LOT u"
American public is manfestly fortunate. me
story relates, indirectly, to the Puritan fnsI'.'
and the old Colonial days. The period IL le.o-zi
The action begins at Amsterdam proceeds AZ f'ym-
outh, England and terminates at Piymou.h' y"
Massachusetts,. There three acts. the hrst ID
constructed with exceptional ingenuity. Inc ee'
ond becomes a little dhfuse and Signify susseo"'e
OF patchwork. The third dwindes from romanos
into didaoticism. and Is faccid In texture anu
languid In movement.-the author, apparently nav
ing strayed from the purpose OF telling roma",'o
love-story In a direct manner. in order that ne
might imply a Sunday school rebuke Oh SEM
mental selfshness. There was no OCCASION io' '''"
semi-rcligious twist, and the resort 10 IL mas mar"
what might otherwise have proved capitai play
There Is surely enough preaching IN the puppy
people do not require II In the theatre.
Aside from its hybrid quality. however. Ine
MayAower Is an honest and earnest piece OF or's'-
nal dramatic art and It contains various me SUB
gesions Of character, and a few telling strohe" u
dramatic effect. This attribute OF creative oeS,s'
Is not the least Of Its merits NO previous p'''
has been pillaged for its fabric, and no mover mas
been devastated for its story. The influence VI
Scott's Woodstock" possibly. Is perceptDle III inc
characters OF Roger Mallory and Tobias Mardyke.
but those types might have been conjured out VI
social history as well out OF old literature. Inc
play Is certainly genuine 1t might De "isheu ma.
tho affectation OF od-fashioned language had not
boon emp,oyed and that the nsipd illusions TO
Sbakespeare had been omitted. IL Is surely 10 DC
wished that the third act had not degehera'eu nv"
foolishness Of conduct. mpossibility OF ihcoen''
mawkshness OF sentiment and moral t"anuie' i"e
promise OF the first act is singuiariy piisn' ~
although the heroine's all-absorbing love ior 'he
hero is almost precpitate as her la'"e'
efusive and unlikely acceptance of the advances
OF strangers and although the comic man Is lho'e
absurd than humorous. the opening scenes cie'.o
n charming Illusion: and this Is well sustained III
spite OF cuckoo-ke treatment OF the in'e'o.
utors until the end of Act III, when presents
an embarkation OF pilgrims for the New World
During two-thirds Of the way, accordingly. THIS
piece serves a good dramatic purpose and Is meas
uraby successful Allowance has to be maze ior
distortion from nature in the character OF roy
nings No man ever did or would. or could, con-
Germ himself In that pertinacious and oficous way
from mere philanthropy in the love anars Oh d
male friend.
The story Of 1.-THE Mayf1ower declares that
Roger Mallory together with his daughter joan
his niece Ccey. and his housekeeper. Bridget NUS
kyns were residents Of Amsterdam In loZV-they
having fed from England to escape persecution.
In that place they were found by Lord GerVase
Carew who fell In love with Joan Mallory. INTRO
duced himself to the family under false name.
fattered the literary vanity or the tather, anu
made an easy conquest OF the daughters heat|
Lord Carew. however was embarrassed py inc
restraining interference OF his friend Jack Poy-
r,nps n genial drifting careless good fellow, SELF
Amounted 10 prevent the young noplemah ito'h
doing a dishonorable act; and, furthermore lie
was recognized by his old tutor, TOBIAS Marry re-
and exposed to Roger Mallory as the son OF MS
chief prosecutor. Under these circumstances ana
finding his daughters heart engaged 10 an "n-
worthy person Roger seized fair occasion 10
emlgrate with his family to America anu ''u'
to elude the mpassoned and expeditious Nale"'
The removal from Amsterdam to plymouth, Ehs-
land was readily accomplished. put whiie '"e
ma rtv was waiting for the Mayhower TO sai joan
w,s lured away by her lover, and she only escaped
disgrace and ruin because pursued In her n'sn..
overtakcn rescued and restored to her 1riehuS ny
the vcilant and indomitable Poynngs-who there-
upon himself determined TO become phsriih
IN her and to navigate for Plymouth ROCK Al '"'S
,uncture the character Of Carew underwent
change He had been bent upon lcentio"s Viiahs'
He now became resolute FOR REFORM an" III '"
translated condition he took passage III the next
shin and followed his love across the sea. Ihere
was much suffering in the little colony al fyin-
outh Mass and on his arrival at the set
Element Carew was able. by adopting disguise.
and Notwithstanding both Indian tomahawks an"
White rifles to confer mysterious oeheH's upon
the larder Of the Mallory househoiu' II was '
mistaken belief that Joan and Poynings wouiu
soon he welded. But. in the end. AFTER joan ha"
suddenly ceased to be sentimentally selfish, and
tho napnanimity Of Poynngs had become COM
p,etelv angelic his benefcent presence anu MS
regenerat, I'd nature were simultaneously o''c'oeu'
and after delivering a prophetic GRAFTON upo" 'ie
coming greatness OF the United States. ne was
ono,,od N loan and their marriage received
Nor fathers sanction This tale. II VIII De op-
served implies that love will always ma OUT a
way and that true affection TOT goo" "o'n,"
will change the profigate heart ana MAKE II hoos
and true. . ,,. ,.,
oa,,or, scencry The Dutch interior. for act first,
and the English Interior for act second are exceed
ingy interesting compositions. ana each Oh the" IL
ponted would make a charming picture mere Is
much music In the piece,-a particularly sKhiu' use
of Il having been made. by the INTRODUCTION vi
HYMN 10 illustrate the march of the pilgrims to the
s.a.hore for their embarkaton to America. No
osnec,al attempt has been made to portray Puritan
character No part In the piece Is especially exact
ing for an actor. Mr.. Hackett easily carried the
light burden of Gcrvase Carew, during the carrier
scenes OF devilment and mlrth. In the contrite
Pathfinder mood he was less signifcant-as indeed
might have b>sn expected. Miss Mannerings simu-
,ation OF woman-like surrender. in Joans interview
with her lover Just before the elopement. Will be re-
membered for felicity OF sweetness and FOR truth
This bit recalls Olivia and Squire Thornhill In
Willss drama The sincerity of Mr.. Morgan as Jack
Povnings made that character seem. at times al
most authentic. An element OF fun Is furnished By
Cicely who a tease. and by a Dutch youth named
rJundius who somewhat nexplictly. Is at the
same moment both phlegmatic and amorous Those
parts were acted dscreetly and with right effect by
Miss Tyree and Mr.. Wheelock clustering and SUI
perfuous mariner named Jones exploded profusely
in the copious hear;iness and ample vocabulary of
Mr. Walcot Roger Mallory. who. like the old knight
| in Woodstock" bores his hearers by quoting
poetry is assigned to Felix Morris. an actor whose
speciality eccentric character. either grabbed or
bland and who does not harmonize with either the
fatl,o ha ros 4 long N