New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-04
THE DRAMA.
SHAKESPEARE AT DALYS-ADA REHAN
AS ROSALrND.


chronicle Is due to her At Days Theatre. last
night. Miss Rehan again presented her brilliant en-
bodiment or Rosallnd. in Shakespeare's lovely com
edy Of AS You Like It." and again she was re-
warded with the cordial applause OF n numerous and
sympathetic audience. The production of "As You
Like It" under Augustin Days management has
been accepted with delight in many cities and TO
the local public its merits familiar. The old the
atrical custom was TO give TO that comedy an au-
tumnal investiture and certain tinge OF melan-
choly Mr.. Days stage treatment OF It sufYuses Il
with unalloyed sunshine and stimulates the flow Of
It's current In continuous tide Of sparkling mrth
The old theatrical IDEAL OF Rosallnd laid stronger
emphasis upon her intellectual and poe,Ical quail
Ties than upon her feminine enchantment Miss
hehans IDEAL. essentially human and ardent. whle
II does not sacrifice either the intellect or the poetry
or the Character. gives especial prominence 10 It's
attributes Of wo nanllke fascination and copios
and lncessant glee. II IL the IDEAL, not Of an alb
stracton. but OF n woman who walks upon tho
earth. rejoicing In human love and finding ample
reason 10 rejoice In e.
shakespeare's women greatly differ. The gentle
sadness which underes the radiant mIr,h OF Viola
is not characteristic OF Rosalind Viola might b
defeated, Rosalind Is born for conquest She sweeps
away every obstacle: she trlumphs because Of per-
sonaiiy intrnscaily victorious; and therefore II,
character exacts from It's representative an inces.
SAINT impairment OF physical charm mental vivaclty
and the irresistible grace Of a temperament both pi-
quaint and tender. To that exaction Miss Rehan's
performance has, all along. responded Her chief
feci;ies In the part adequate vitality Of
sensuous alurement and the note OF Joy. No one Of
the comedy women In Shakespeare Is 90 difficult as
Rosalind, for an actress. The passage OF noble
sentiment against the unjust and cruel Duke being
dependable upon inherent dignity, generous feeling,
and Evolutionary skill. H. for a high minded woman
comparatively easy. The strain upon the actress
comes later. From the beginning Of the third act
until the scene OF the wedding there IL continual
draft upon the riches Of personal resource and the
entire fabric OF the comedy depends upon the alac-
rity. variety buoyancy, mental force. teeming Wit.
deep tenderness and incipient but gradually cumu-
latye passion Of Rosalind Miss Rehan long ago
met the test OF this character and she plays the
part now with all her usual briliancy and with
than her former precision The power I'm her
acting Is that OF spontaneous impersona ion, and in
respect is this more conspicuous than in tho
yigor and the sparkle with which she sustains those
OF arch mystifcaton and banter. in the for
est which. usually given. IN former times.
often grew tame and tedious. Just as ADELAIDE Nell
peerless in Viola. making artistic i'm
preston, and leaving Vial image never to 10
effaced or forgotten so Ada Rehan IL peerless in
Rosalind.
The auxlliar characters in LAS You Like IT, have
been with discretion. and they acted
with excellent effect. Orlando. gentle. learned. fun
Of noble device and best loved by those who best
know him. is played by Mr.. Richman in manly
mood and with an ampler detonement than for
merly Of sensibility and grace Mr. sidney Herberts
embodiment OF Touchstone. shown here for tho
FIRST time is impressive with subtety OF intellect
delightful with d-o humor, clear, fluent, and con-
vincng In delivery, and c.ear-cut and sparkling
In style: It should grow In ease. in mellowness, In
dry. meditative. quaint. waggish sapence.-and
doubtless IL will. but II stands. II is %
the best achievements OF our time. in Shakespear-
ian comedy, and bespeaks actor OF a most
suspicious order Mr. George Clarke repeated his
success In Jaques. presenting a type OF humorous
sadness" such the text warrants, and widely
departing from the hearse-horse standard OF for
mer times The embodiment is image OF ripe
thought noble presence. beautiful speech. ana
quantity erratic character and therein, certainly,
Il is true and right Mr.. Edwin Varrey carried his
audience 10 enthusiasm by the lovely simplicity
Of his reverend and pathetic embodiment OF Adam.
The demeanor and speeches OF CORN az played BY
william F. owen. seemed particularly notable, be-
cause Of their singular propriety and because OK
their apt denotement OF a character matured and
saddened by long and hard experience. II IS NOT
always that little part Is played so well MISS
Irene Perry, who is new here as Audrey, showed
exuborant animal spirits and caused much rnerri-
ment Mr. Craigs revelation Of the dark spirit
of Oliver again proved his fine perception OF the
subtleties Of character An equally harmonious
representation of this great comedy has seldom
been given.
one Of the scenes that Mr. Daily has set for
AS You Like It. is based n photograph made
by Mr.. Grea tbach. of Brming CHAM showing a glade
In the only existing remnant Of the old Forest OF
Arden Ia wooded region lying at Packington. about
midway between Birmingham and Coyentry) and
this is indeed a beautiful picture. The scene Of
Thomas Lodges novel of "Rosalynd," upon which
Shakespeare's comedy was founded. IS laid In
France: some of the names in the play arc
French and there is in the text a single aius!on
to France which may be held 10 imply that France
ia the scene OF action. on the other hand
there are discrepancies between the play and
French locality, and Shakespeare scholars, In
general have preferred TO consider that the scene
is purely fanciful-placing 1t anywhere or nowhere.
No person who is familiar with Warwickshre.
however can harbor doubt as 10 the source OF
the poets foliage color. and atmosphere, when he
drew those pastoral scenes. The sylvan dels or his
woodland comedy not those OF arid France. but
those OF the English home that he loved. In
day the Forest Of Arden,-well known
to him. and known to him by that name,-extended
over a large tract of country. in Warwickshire.
verging TO the north and west bank OF the Avon.
and reaching even to the marSe OF Stratford.
Shakespeare was, practically. native OF Arden.
and II is notable thai Arden was his mothers
name. 1t natural that. when writing n pas
tora comedy, he should depict the scenery OF his
native land: and as matter OF fact. in all the
plays OF Shakespeare. not even excepting the Ro-
man plays. the rural scenery and the people are.
substantially English. In the original play OF
As You Like It," as distinguished from the stage
version, there twenty-five scenes. but there IS
not single stage direction in any one OF them that
restricts the locality TO any particular country
and. II sentiment and fitness count for anything.
the scenic investture of the piece should be that
of yerdurous slumberous. brd-haunted warwick
shire-the original Forest OF Arden, ana one OF inc
loveest places In the world. Mr. DAILY has done
wisely 10 fashion his scenery In accordance WIKI
his Judgment His treatment Of the music
mostly by DR. Arne and rendered with deep sym
patty and exquisite taste by Mr.. Lcke ana ms
aex While tender yocalism OF MIR. Nell McCay. as
Amirns added a special charm TO the representa-
Ion Thers Is n good female chorus. FOR "Hymens
Masque" The minor parts were acted IN that iaith-
mi and thorough manner which indicates studions
attention and severe rehearsal AS You Like It.
vii hs ,ven al DAYS Theatre until next Tuesday,
Whom A. will he succeeded by revival OF THE