New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-06
THE DRAMA-MUSIC.
THE DEVILS DISCIPLE"

THE DEVILS DISCIPLE"
Some persons viewing THE Devils Disciple" b
George Bernard Shaw. might regard 1t a drama
OF unbeef. 1t Is true that the Christian Is win.
dcated. but II Is the unbeliever who Is glorihed.
Yet the play shows what those who the au.
thor's former work, Arms and the Man." might
have been justified in doubling. that Mr.. Shaw
himself really believes In something. He believes
In wholesome. vigorous sort OF manhood. II
seems not easy for him to imagine character
entirely untouched by either cyncism or humbug
but he has evolved one which, with the inevitable
strain of the former quality. has also unassumlng
courage honesty and steadfastness Of purpose.
What does anything natter" says Richard
Dudgeon, the reckless American patriot whom
Richard Mansfield is impersonating just now at
the Fifth Avenue Theatre. That question does not
sound as II It proceeded from the truant son Of
Colonial family Of 1777. But the audience does
not believe Richard Dudgeon really thinks that
nothing matters Mr.. Shaw has taste for witt.
Ing puzzles when he writes plays. and he gave to
his deneatlon Of Richard. quite from force OF
habit. as 1t appeared, little Of the outward sem.
blance Of a puzzle. But nobody Is puzzled. 1t IL
clear from the start that he is Mr.. Shaw's idea
OF hero. The man himself says that hero Is
the same thing fool But again nobody is
puzzled He does not believe It any more than
Mr.. Shaw does.
Mr. Shaw puzzles his audience with regard to only
one character the minister Anthony Anderson. and
perhaps the clever ones not deceived even about
him. In Arms and the Man" 1t was impossible to
feel sure about anybody. Different as the two plays
are in subject period and scene, they have like.
nIss especially their leading characters. for Cap
tain Bunchey, OF Arms and the Man." might have
been Richard Dudgeon. II he had lived IN his time
and country Captain Blunchley is modern gentle
man, and he would never be guilty OF some things
that Richard does without blush. He would prob
49, 70 40 thav
In the presence of other persons. and he would not
use profanity In the presence Of ladies' and clergy.
men, but II he had been brought up in strict New
England family OF the middle OF tho last century,
and had then escaped from 1t to wild and dissolute
companions, even he might have lost the sense OF
proportion in such matters.
The two men are both serenely calm, no matter
what happens to them neither of them either fears
or desires death; both capable OF doing heroic
deeds and neither cares to bother with gratitude or
even appreciation. The elaborate indlHerence 70
everything In the world Is but an outward show with
each OF them. and the real man Is underneath Ana
this f. in It's way whether not It ever occurred
to CAPTAIN Bunchey or TO Mr.. Dudgeon or TO MI
Shaw, Just insincere as bit OF cant on the paT
OF an overrgid Puritan.
But the two characters are not so alike tnat
TO have seen one is TO have seen poth, NeitheE
IS 70 haYe acted one 10 have acted Doth. MI
Mansfield shows the unlikeness OF the newer paV
tho likeness He expresses the complete self-pos-
session and the undisturbed readiness for an
emergency now as we'll he did when he was
first seen in the former play, but he also shows
the result Of the totally different environment Of
whose part he is now playing Even
while he gives utterance to modern cyncism he
shows no sign Of tho modern cynic. His thoughts
proceed rather from scorn OF certain persons ana
hatred OF certain shams that he sees about him.
1t IS possible that the presentation OF some OF
these sham Is a little overdone by Mr.. Shaw
Doubtless a New-England household OF that day
was an unattractive place for children. but the
people who made It were not as rule dshon-
est or bad people. Their children have since
worked away from OF their mistakes but
they were the fathers Of their children and the
fathers OF their chldren's country. and they made
It and started II on its way TO be what it is now.
Moreover Mr. Shaw's temptation to be humorous
has now and then run away with his discretion.
General Burgoyne would scarcely have said what
he does say IN this play TO the patriot who asks
that he may be shot rather than hanged: :" You
speak like n civilian: have you any idea what the
average craftsmanship OF the British Army is?"
But little flaws like this and the trife Of anach-
ronistic philosophy do not initiate against the
fact that Mr.. Shaw has made thoroughly In
terestng play. He has given 1t a story that keeps
the spectator waiting and anxious to see how II
Is TO come out 1t is never bore and It is orig
lnal After credit has been given to Mr.. Mans
field for his excellent acting OF the title part
and for the capital production which he has given
to the piece, 1t should be awarded in passing to
Miss Beatrice Cameron for her pretty performance
OF Judith Anderson 10 Mr.. Johnson for his vigor-
Gus and gratifying acting of the clergyman, to
Mr.. Andrews for a capital little BIT Of character
acting. and to Miss Monk for a careful perform.
ance OF q minor part.