New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-05
SYMBOLISM IN THE DRAMA.
MRS. NILLWARD ADAMS TELLS WHAT
CAN BE EXPRESSED BY ATT1-
tube AND ACTION.
..sYMBoIIsM IN ALL THE APPOINTMENTS OF THE
sTAGD.-T1IE PEEsPECTIvE-A NEW ERA

IL
sTAGv.-rIE PEIsPECTIvE-A NEW ERA
OPENING FOR THE DRAMA
Mrs. Milward Adams. of Chicago, gave the last Of
her New-York lectures yesterday morning al the
home OF Mrs Frances LegSett No. q west lm''E-
fourth-s 70 an audience that was even larger IMAM
any preceding one. She will give few more class
lectures to-day and tomorrow IN carnegie man, anu
expects then 70 return TO Chicago.
Her subject yesterday morning was symoohsm
n Dramatic Art" and related TO all those Things
other than language. by means OF which thought Is
expressed In the drama
1T would take pages" she declared. ITO tell what
can be expressed in one little attitude.
In illustration OF this Mrs. Adams instanced the
French ANALYSIS OF Mephisopheles when the cross
h.lted swords presented 10 him. IL is 'he heh'
OF the cross on his heart that he cannot bear not
the sight Of H. for he must often have seen II IN the
public highways: and he tries in every possible
wav 70 take the swords without letting the light
from the sacred symbols on their hits ial on MS
heart
Another example was the character OF Falstar' IN
which the predomnance Of the physicaI nature IL
shown by an exaggerated base: and still another the
Hamlet OF Irving and Booth. Irving believes Ham
Jet 20 have been mad while Booth did not, and tho
difference In conception has been made perfectly ev-
dent 10 the audience. simply by the carriage OF the
head Booths attitude indicating calmness. dignity
and self-control, while Irvng's expressed mind
that could not fix itself anyw here.
But symbolism IS no; confined 10 the action the
lecturer said Il extends 10 all the appointments Of
the stage every detail of which ought to mean some
thing and be a necessary part OF the whole.
at Is the mistake OF American audiences. she
added ITO watch only the star, and thus they
miss seeing the perfect picture.
zone Of the points IN staging, she con-
tnued is the OF perspective. The modern
plays require depth. while the old English COM
edes Of which 1.-THE Rivals is almost the only re-
naming survival, were ali played In front of the
footlights. They had perspective. just like the
early pictures. We have just begun 10 use it, and
now that the introduction Of hydraulic pressure
has made II possible to raise and lower the stage
there is reason why perspective should not be
carried 10 the same perfection In dramatic art as
in painting
Mrs Adams believes that n is opening
for the drama. and that though II has never been
even recognized as a fine art. Il must one day
fine aris-architeCture. painting. music and poetry
and Yields them into a perfect whole by the means
of language-the greatest art of all But In order
10 bring this about she requires men and women
Of larger hearts and brains and Of greater refine
ment and culture on the stage. and more cultured
and appreCiative audiences. Without the sym
pathy OF his audience an actor is robbed OF half
his power. -, ,, - NJ,
IT " Cannon Mrs. G. s. Longstreet, Melville
Iandon. Mrs. Ole Bull. OF Boston; Miss Jennie
button Mrs. Gerard Thess. Mrs tnderWo GOD
Johnson, Mrs. Laurence Hutton: MIS- > > me
Miss clagatt Mrs George W. Waring, Mrs: n. O;
Tavemeyer Miss Thursby Miss Ina ThurSbY ana
Miss Farmer Of Greenacre.
Miss Farmer came to the city last Saturday 70
make arrangements for next summers programme
-, creeracre and caves tomorrow for Laurel-in-
rhe-Pines After a short stay there she VIII re-
turn 10 New-York.