New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-23
THE DRAMA-MUSIC.
"sPIRITIsME" AT THE KN1CKERBoCkEh
DILL AND TAINTED PLAY.

nm, in fact II Ia the same old story OF vice ana 'iay
with which French dramatists nave ai"''eu -
stage and bored the pubic. from time 'n"'A'."
The only difference IL one OF fabric. !" '
other dramas on the breach OF the marriage eo"
the elderly husband. whose wife runs away WIN on
other man. Is absorbed in science. or ART OF o"''
or po,I,ics. I'm this piece Is absorbed win SUPP
stitious mana-that is to say. he Is "a sp"''"a
and to the neglect OF his spouse, ne passes 'u'' -
I'm the society OF charatans ana s'mpe'o'''' -.
for the sound OF ghostly knocks, and oosefv'"s Wv
.vra,Ions Of inspired furniture. IL was goou Jus
noes" no doubt to introduce that eieneht mo VIZ
oil, ,heatrlcal mixture Of blind husband, iran wiz,
and Iibertlne over-for the world Is wen suppn.'
with FOOLS great numbers OF whom are suoJeo' " VIZ
singular delusIon that. although completely nm"
esting to each other they possess an irres,s'oe 70,
cinatlon for the denizens OF another sphe'e W."
h,ao bacs IN earth for the Joy OF CONFER
ring with them: and all such persons ,e'
naturally be expected 10 flock after yam"
which even remotely intlmafes the re-y'"
here below Of anybody who mas hao mo 80
fortune to escape from this vaie Oh '
,axes Rut the expedlent will not impose upon ih'e
,,, n,rds "splrtsme" Is a vulgar problem
n,,y" unon a tainted and hackneyed subject ana "s
admixture OF the hocus-pocus OF seahces an"
.table-tipping serves only 10 mpart the e'enen' u
Stiffness TO a body of sophistca REASONING """""
sentlmentay and theatrical trash .,,.
Mr. Sardou's piece is of course. constructor WI"
.,'a ain ., an expert There are three acts In
,be arst Of them the time, the place. the charac-
tors and the circumstances are adro''y s.o"',
and + is made clear that the sentifneh,a' WI. Va
the infatuated votary of psychic humous tn'""
herself neglected, and Is on the prlnK oi an e'o9
mont In the second she has taken the plunge
having left her husband and Joined her lover ="
,ba third her husband who has been maze 10 De-
uovo that sho has persisted in fire, seeks co"i-
munion with her spirit. and thereupon nc
amazingly gratified by her NATURALIZATION tha''
having heard her ghostly tale. he forgiVes evr,s
thing and shuts up in measureless content i"'
climax-well managed as to accessories '"ous'
,ntrinsicallv fimsy and acknowledgements u
embodv the chief significance OF the drama. ine
obtrusion OF such subjects in theatre 10 o,.o'
and public discussion Of them Is impractca'0'
Where there has been breach OF the marriase
contract the parties that contract are douo'-
less the best judges to the course ol couuN'
which II NAV be agreeable for them severaIiy 10
pursue To submit such matters 70 the tribunal Vi
a theatrical auditory is to commit an imper'ihe"ce'
Persons OF and refinement DO not ~ " 'ne
theatre for the purpose OF forming expert opiioi'
upon matrimonial infdelity. Aside from that SUD
iect Mr. Sardou's play contains nothing essentially
novel or striking The persons implicated are
little more than names. The spirituailst Is "
doddering fool. the wife n blithering idiot' the
lover a conventional "masher'-that Is TO say an
insensate ass. The wife's cousin Is drawn as d
man of sense who his relatives weakness
and nerI. hut he makes no conspicuous exhibition
If discretion in suggesting the fraud that Is 10
reinstate her as wife. There Is a pretence 'h"'
the action has hinged, not upon crime ou. III.
discretion-a device suggestive OF the coioieu
brother who with the chicken In his nat was
ignorant of poultry The acting was jealous ana
nothing more IL Is not the actor who brings Tor
ward these decoctions of extravaganza, pad TASTE
and foy IT is the theatrical specuator-a pestifer-
Gus being who has almost completely overrun the
stage and very nearly accomplished its ruin.
fhatr hos
more than prosy mechanism could ratIonaily DE eA-
nected of them-for the simple and sufficient reason
that men and women who are placed In imposs'Die
situations cannot behave In a natural manner anu
this play, which was devised for Mile Sarah BERN
hardt sacrifices probability and everything else In
order 10 provide two three moments Tor the I'M
petuous oquacity. the tenuous wall, and the iinoer
and long-drawn lamentation in which that per-
former Is exceptionally proficient. NO woman 80
completely destitute OF guiding intuitions as TINS
Simone is represented TO be ever existed. NO such
conversation as that which occurs between the
wife her seducer, and her champion would De pos
shle outside of a madhouse. All manner or mean
ness is possible among men. but the v'lest OF hu-
man sneaks would never take the tone OF that Sc
ducer I'm the presence OF another man. AS copy
of life and manners the drama Is carcature. Inc
actors bore with admirable sob-ety. the discussion
on spirtualism with which the piece opens.-a dis
cussou which epitomzes all that is usually said
upon the subject. both for and against IT, MI Mel
son Wheatcroft In particular carried himself with
peculla- dignity and discretion, alike at that point
and in the scene OF tabe-rapping Immediately
seauent 10 H. Upon him rested the chief burden.
In act third lie is supposed TO spirit. To ordi-
nary mortalc that seems inexpresslbly awful
experience A spritualist Is. perhaps privileged
and II may be said for Mr. Wheatcroft that he did
not finch But surely that is not the way TO re-
celye ghosts Miss Virginia Harneds management
of the powder-pIn seemed TO be much admired
almost as much as Mr.. Barrymore expert use Of
the button hook--but the lady would be more in
telligibe. actress, If she would bestow some
slight care upon the enunciation and use OF Eng
lish words There no hint of feeling or i'm
aglnation in anything said or done by anybody.
aside from Mr.. Wheatcrofts excellent Manifesto
ton of excitement and grief in the scene after the
supposed death Of the heroine. momentary ripple
of eccentric humor by Mr.. owen. as sceptical
doctor was made TO diversity the proceedings, but
in other respects they were CHASTITY. numerous
audience received "Spritisme' with attentive con-
sideraton ana especially signhed intelligent APP
prevail CT the "seance."-a diversion which has
become toerably familiar in this community since
the days OF the lamented Charles Foster who with
scarcely more brain than rabbit. contrived TO
awaken a desire for ghosts which has never been
fully assuaged
CAST OF "sPIRITIsME"
ManocI Maurice Barrymore
Vaientin cIayie-es smones cousin. j. H. Gilmorr
Robert D'Aubenas smone's husband Nelson wheatcroft
I DR. James Douglas. Scotch scientist 80 tnares HaIDury
George u Aubenas Roberts brother. Fritz Williams
Arthur Des Auhiers 'reorge W. iio"dtu
D
]
7
Roberts wife. Virginia Harmed
Thecla, Smones frierd .oiiNe oh'er
Eavnorde Georges wife. Margaret Robinson
Gllbcrte. Arthurs Blanche burton
pelntine Louise Napier
ACTORS ON THE ROAD.
Mr.. Hare appeared last night in Rochester,.
~ c. Goodwin will appear In New-Orleans next