The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-11

So ~ OuAOt " iuuuh uuhl VI Y XIII OL
equal intensity Mis-; Lewis deems Herself
ssis 1ttsa with tho Kind q CT Character ss' that atm n,s sdo
sSsSISSis slSa s ! sSSs e S. lsf slsso H.lsI 1ISS SfaySsS :,
has written "a Puritan Romance" for her.
self ind hor s!s'Gr; I.SscllS Evesson, e go
Sun that shC Is bothered in tho s%eiectlon Ola
leading actor, os she can't and one who pleascs
an actor who looks like a Viking King, viii
E%ssiSS 5 %SU ai :n a sa eS1sS s SRa,S, S SaS, Miss as
H . as. Mis. Gt snySS9l Si GPi1lG sn e her GS5 Pl5syi is th"tit
s%Sntinas. S6SoTSsts. sitSonFS 'wSlpspoi By Tlts'
bott is q eood.looking fellow, and not absurdIy
incompetent as an actor. Sullivan, however,
stage. and Fitzsimmons is so u~ngainly that his
managers have thus far dared, to show him In,
that Sullivan and Mtzsimfmonss viii be sent
1 sSsae It, f9E With win II b E q % SEiSs sTS tho principal
Bernard Shaw. In his criticism Of William
Gilletto's Secret Service" detected tho essen
tial quality Of the piece when no declared that
It was rs thoroughly me!odramatic "a tho av-
erago Adelphi drama, and differed from those
works because the American nuthor had been
ablo to do deftly and neatly what tho British
writer's have generally treated in bald and
obvious fashion. Tho delicacy and aptncss of
Mr.. Gillette's method did prevent his subject
from appearing to 10 entirely mclodramatic, in
the modern meaning OF tho word. when as
matter Of fact In theme and character "Secrot
19rsieo Is as ,norougniy moloaraiha as INC "a
to conceal this quality. He could manipulate
his figures with such fne craft that In tho sus-
pense created what they did seemed possible II
not probable, and they took on some resom.
blaneo to human beings; and. above all. their
actions wero thrnlingly Interesting.
1t Is significant In connection with Bernard
that no English molodrama is announced for
p roaaeson mere re- IN inc aasum nj. ~ nus ,a rat ans
nappenea ior .he past nve OF SIX years .ha. one
The : death a. Of Sir Augustus Harris may have
been in a measure responsible for this, but since
he died several plays Of the class previously i'm.
ported have been acted, and at least one, Tho
Duehss. Of eoolsardio." has me. With some sue:
Is im to 81 sEonS jast over wear 10 %a ass from phs P RGlSda and, sn,
Pcrior as n was 70 the average british Work OF
the same kina, there were GeE on G9ait,rs u
witch prevented Il from gaining really great
popularity. 80 even pnefre dc Soureei,e' , wno
trious EMERY. VIII not DO represented on our
stage next winter; .
vice explained. as well as l. did the particular,
excellence OF tnat PIECE, me presenI STATE o.
passed. and It has disappeared because Ameri-
S cans aram The am er : s1eHi nteiiIS ve !, 70 thai a1 would
be Soa absor hsS in h% Secret : Service. + i h Heart @pt Of
Maryland" and .shenand9ah would revoie
Of the clumsy, heavy; ragged develoPTmhen1 o, a
Lane spectators and those of the Adelphi are
able to md pleasure IN any sitaanon tn nat
j aeve!opeo IN y iasnlon sui.ed 'othe
Arc suited To no other. Recent successes in
British melodrama have been made only through
tne eGgregatIon OF Y eapaoiTT b ne'n olsy or tb pe eap
have steadily refrigerated in character. 1t was
not because The World was o novelty when
PEouaGeh 20 !" the usart. ~ = "sRmEmah"
THE Lights of London" was far more absorb
ing and ensrossing than The Prodigal Daugh.
ter not merely because IL was zen or amS nos
lion to the rate at which the number Of their
authors increased. When these pieces were able
70 ooast our OF W. " a Inv AZ ~ son notcS anu
II is mo wonder in view of the fare that Lon
don audiences get when they look for mclo-
y am ma, tn snch snncess there Hcre In America
the demand Is for the local work. The deft-
ness. the aptitude, and the inyentiyeness OF the
zane 1p nibe ra verv ddissimiiar hrain WorEE' tTSss
productions OF melodrama in this country will
never again bring forward such heavy examples
as have been used in the past. There is no pub
lie for them in any OF the theatres. There is. In
decd, no portion OF the American public able TO
tolerate those British efforts any longer. The least
pretentious of our American plays contain moro
qualities suited to our, audiences; There are
more humor, action, and spirit in them. When
1t comes to the highest grades OF our American
m "seeqee sesv iee the sl neafe I'll He over the b sns
of the English work is 30 great that nobody
need wonder why It is the American work, and
NOT the English. is getting attention. The
mnIoSrama oT our hest authors ia the melo.
n.Ua % SarJon connareJ 70 hitch the Ems.
III III !. 10 ~ &c - hr n Ill ~
nsh Il hea'y ouhsiihs'
-
William Archer, in an admirable review OF
the victorian orama' written IN connection
with the Jubilee celebrations, said that II the
~ -.
plays OF shakespeare "ere o continue somo
thing of what was known as tho tradition OF the
49, eL..,.a 49,, ro,,5 L,-o -.
later ShakeSpeareah "c'o,s wouiu nav W.
revived. Mr.. Archer named Edwin Booth II as the
Iost octor IN nossesa those qualifications Thu
iaet Y ~ poese '-o' AA
writer evidently believes that the Shakespear
eon acting Of Beerbohm Tree. f. s. Willard. and