The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-01-23
TOPICS OF THE THEATRE.
rrRuAy DRAMA ACTED WIN
.nr IIGH1s 1URNED Down.

an. Matter and Manner or" who
roIn r,,"- Things That Arc Ehecuvo
W." In "Court~d Into Court"-
for,.r,.t,c- OF May urwin's Acting.
,vho wa. It ?" the new piece at the Irving
,y., Mayed on Thursday night Win the
Il", IN shadow most OF the time. In the nrstact
r,,,,s /. the late afternoon. ana as the ACTION
vi" the daylight gradually dles AWAY
r". acme Is laid In restaurant ana al'er
lii waiter lights street lamp mat s'ahus
=. front OF the building FROM tn'e
-. the only light TO tho stasc' ono
.,,h. guest. asks for more iiluminat'on' anu
o "o a gas jet In q corner OF the
vs., This falls on the leading TWO cnaraoueIs
room. n,ay They are a husband and his inti-
...,. friend. who is. unknown 10 him' tne io,er
NAV w,,s These men are left alone playing
OF n'' 'rna .cen, IL in almost complete dark
eu. ,.re for the light from the one gas Jet
mes. h.ow. them Into relief The curtain falls
- man ponders over n move In tho play
V..rd of the act Is very striking. The greater
ln'' =, the second and third acts. which
p p'n =, night, are played In n subdued light.
IT, IT, I. Jopbtless Manager Conrled's own idea,
~ an thursday the atmosphere OF the play
~" ,mnroy.d by these material aids. Tho
,oll.,n seemed correct enough. But II Is
...ou. thing to grow enthusiastic over such
",,.,. When Arthur Pinero's Lady Boun-
.',,,, xas acted originally In London the final
n,ayed in complete darkness. There
80 mick OF approval. The symbolism was
,,-,,x ,raised. The Imagination and poetic
80. ~ the thing were highly COM
n.nnn.5sd But IL turned out that neither the
sn,hor nor the stage manager was respohsoIe'
soomsthIns was the matter with the gas master:
Sea, w.s The reason the lights went out. But
l,.n.ssr Conred's dark effects are always OK.
s,ptIcnslly good. Usually the approaem 2.
m.isod OF turning down the iootlights. But AZ
,h.iryine Place twilight settles down gradually
and naturally. and when " comes 20 sinwina
,,.ing generating quality on tap there which
Il nal eaualled on any other city STAGE
H.. r,,rclnal interest of "who Was It7"
..,nsrns woman. although she is not so con-
..i.rou. IN the actual performance OF the play
,.,nv one OF three men. Nor is her role ono
,h,, could be called sympathetic. She Is tho
~I,. Of the title. She writes the letters TO the
c.r,on, who are gossipng about her relations
nth her lover. She nearly sends him to death.
md abe deceives her husband with no more
,no.r,nt Justification than the fact that
~ /. her senior. She destroys tho
,r.ndshlp Of the two men. and only
=, s sSs,sr aue e. So the audieneo Ia. so
irI.p Tor her. So IL who Was II" ever
s,t, into English II will not be through an act
IN. In tho FIRST act she Is not seen At ali, and
The fem nine interest OF this part OF the play Is
confined entirely to brief scene between q
ronng girl her lover, and her father. The
comedy OF the first act lies In one OF the charac-
tsrstic studies Of German life which Manager
Conrisds actors play so well. The heads Of
An influential local society meet for their
daily session in the restaurant. They are the
burgomaster, q retired major. an editor. ply
sieisn and q bookseller: They are diseusss ins
loyer-into their club. The actors represented
The various types admirably as seated about the
table they drank beer and BETRAYED their narrow
view. and natures. Herren Link. Ascher. and
L. Bret were especially amusing. ana this
spl.odieal Introduction started on the play win
thai was one of the best features Of m almost
wholly praiseworthy work.
In the nrst act of " Courted Into Court" May
Irwin In the character Of an actress 10 seer
studying her part In q new play. 1t Is u highly
emotional passage. and she has to tell "th'
,.ory Of her lfe" The public has an insight
here Into an actresses methods Of study which
mar b TYPICAL or merely Miss lrwin's. At al
sv.nts the revelation 10 Interesting. Miss irwin
tales ths Manuscript, and, being q star, erase'
from the text what does not happen TO appea
toher Then she com mences to memoriEo ths
lines walking back ward and forward repeating
the iinsA Thi. process 10 80 absorbing 70 hoI
that person 81 her elbow screaming at the tor
Of her voice 10 unable to attract Miss Irwin
attention. She continues her walk. repeating
the line. over and over until they have bee,
to remain there. This may be the way In which
all Actresses learn their parts or II may be onl,
X. Insight G n.o TN he .r lie whsi
the nrst act Of Miss Irwin's play affords. She
presents another phase OF the matter when
disirsssss her with the announcement that s,
has excluded all the reporters. The last act Of
"Courted Into Court" shows the strength Of ar
this highly comicai version OF It in Miss Irwin'i
play do not lose one particle OF interest from
the fact that practically the same thing wa
eount,y spnster who sat in the witnesses chair
S SSs' in the lSa,s. PLAY .0a Her u TroS
such Enthusiasm in the jurors that as soon a
ihe sits down three bouquets are thrown to be-
90 comic throughout that 1t has the effect Of
Inc climax. There are moments in the secon'
act that are not amusing. But the trial scene I
funny from beginning TO end. and Miss Irwin
apparently ineIhaustlble natural humor woult
vitAlize work not nearly so good.
May Irwin, who has developed what look
Ike bunptuous self.conceiI In her public row
with hsr managers. never falls to DO captl
vatingly amusing on the stage when she set
Wv W VIC. uer humorous oHOFtb 10 not mis-
carry. They hit the mark fully and roundly
and there Is never need Of apology for her
Most women are merely comparatively enter
minlng when they set out to be comedians
dhsy are nearly rs amusing as mon would b
they should do the same thing. But will
may Irwin the case 10 different. Sh
Is funny In her own independent wa
no man or women ever was befor
hef., Her seeming good nature and amiAbilIt
background Tor her other qualities. and nov
lhAt sho has lust at present taken strong hol,
On the New York public that element OF he
personality must not be ignored In explaining
her success; Another characteristic that win
nsI popularity Is the fact that she does and say
ieN whst many people would like to II the
making reputation for herself. there was on
,,eehe ~ which this quality Was most strik
!nsy shown. She ordered n glass OF win
Hau some salad from q waiter. and then. turn
ns 10 the audience, said. I'D q great dea
tsthei have cheese sandwich and a glass q
nVT, but ehs was at party, and she had |
AZ pn her good behavior she Is constantly In
TTIs'ihg the same characteristics in "Courte
, ruso court ana they seem to be one OF tn
iin n,' potent qualities OF her humor. "Courte
ta.o yourt mas 10 the character played
U.ques Kruger one entertaining typ,
lis the drunken relative OF n popuia
$3.50 ana he indicates without insan
vkseratloh and with great naturalnes
various stages OF inebristy. Possibly the mo.
,husnR phase OF II comes In the last &C
mnel 70 Indicate the feel ngs OF the family, h
Loun es 10 the trial Of the divorce suit dressed
.vay inou' ming, John j. Mentally has pt
sone bright lines into his play and there
III tllun OF The dialogue that Ii not peppere