The herald., 1897-10-05
|. AT THE THEATERS
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BURBANK THEATER-The drama
adapted from Ouida's novel entitled
Moths was played at this house last
night by the Broadway Theater COM
pany, being the opening Of the second
week of its engagement here. Moths
is in all respects a more arduous task
for dramatic company than the piece
played last week, which was Young
Mrs. Winthrop" Ouida's story deals
entirely with people who move in tha
court circles of Europe, the principal
blackguard is prince and the humblest
person, who is professional tenor, is
really marquis incognito. Even the
American girl has to be transformed
not to be expected that such play
could find interpreters who, besides
having the ability to convey the spirit
Of the story and adequately render its
meaning, would also be able to do so
in exact. accordance with the mann ers
and customs of the people whose life is
supposed to be represented.
There is not today on the American
stage a company that, as whole, could
give faultless presentation of the So
cial life depicted in Moths" Criticism
of the performance of the play had
better. therefore, be confined to the spirit
in which the players attempt their va
rious parts.
And from this point of view, a large
amount of praise must be given to the
Burbank company. Notwithstanding
the little drawbacks attending a first
night, the piece went with great appar
ent smoothness and the applause of the
| audience was frequent and emphatic,
so that there Is no doubt of the com
pany Shawn made good its standing
in public favor.
| The acting was unequal. Mr. Halleck
while better suited in his part of Prince
| Zouroff than he was in his other part
last week, yet wants the force to depict
| the cold, calm, polished vilainy that is
| born of power and wealth and un-
bridled passion. His brutality to his
wife in the presence Of others should be
in "asdes," not shouted in the style Of
stock drover. The Lord Jura of Mr..
|
Clary has an unfortunate delivery, often
| indistinct. which mars much of his
efforts. His fourth act was his best, and
here he brought down the house in his
treatment of the obnoxious prince. He
was as far removed from the presenta-
ton of an Englishman, much less an
English nobleman, as could be ina gined.
and yet he held to the manly, self|sac-
rificing idea of the part, which has no
nationality, and thus obtained. recogni-
tion for his spirit. Mr.. Blakemore was
very satisfactory Duke Of Null, all
the more so as he did not overdo a part
which afforded opportunities for trans
| gression In that direction. Mr. Post had
a very responsible though thankless
part as the singer and lover, Correze. 1t
is part that promises great things in
the earlier portion Of the play, but tht
| finale rather gives Lord Jura the posi-
tion of honor. Mr.. Post IS an intelligent
actor and his lines were consequently
well delivered, except in the first act,
where they were in too low key. What
| he lacks is certain abandon. a romantic
fervor in his displays of affection. II
is all too measured just now, and he is
loudest in soliloquy, which is a reversal
of correct practice.
AS Lady Dolly. Nan Mif11in will do
better when she gets more in TINA te
acquaintance with her lines She is a
favorite with the house, and clever
actress. In Lady Dolly she has a very
difficult part to play. ard one highly
important to the success of the piece.
That she did it so we'll as she did last
night indicates that 1t will go more
smoothly yet. Marie Blossom as the
Duchess Of Sonnaze bloomed in the
first act and afterwards was not ap-
parently capable of carrying the weight
of the revengeful and scheming woman
of the world. The character grew
weaker instead of stronger as the play
progressed. Helen Henry carried on
her young shoulders the horror of repre-
senting as Fuschia Leach the heiresses
of the United States among this crowd
of princes and dukes. Truth to tell, the
fair Helen did not dress up to the oppor-
tunity. In fact, the nonG'escript gar
ment she Wore in the secopd act was a
libel on American taste in dress. Rich
ness OF material is not the desideratum
so much as taste and cut in the form of
the gown. For the rest, the little woman
| f.,
and her lines brought out the expected
applause. AS the prosecuted heroine
who sacrifices herself on. the altar of
duty, Sarah Truax easily dominated
the whole situation. Her rendition of
the hapless Vera is alone worth going
to see. One forgets the shortcomings
of others in witnessing the simplicity,
the straightforwardness the delicacy,
and the quiet heroism displayed by this
victim of circumstances. She is the
only one in the company who carries
| that high-bred air of distinction that
| properly belongs to the character. Her
acting was to some extent a surprise,
as it revealed certain powers of express
sion that were hardly suspected. 1t is
difficult to exhibit the workings of a re-
pressed disposition, and to show by a
| few intonations the possession Of quiet,
determined spirit, and yet Miss Truax
| did this perfectly, and made charm
| ing picture in which there was not a
single line overGrawn, and where the
composition was full of light and shade
With a lovely, velvety voice, Miss Truax
has expressive eyes anda beautiful face,
but, above all, she has the rare in.telli-
gence which teaches her to subdue the
| expression of emotion to the level of