The times., 1898-04-17


has been going on outside is hardly pre-
ferable to an illustrated lecture There
was variation from the talky, drawi-
ing slowness with which the comedy pro-
ceeded. Long conversations on subjects
interesting to no one in particular dreary
rhapsodies on old age and the continual
stretch of unrelieved stupidity bored and
fatigued one. The effect of witnessing
production without single lapse from
the even tenor of its way-without a sit
uation or elimax-without bright dia-
logue or ingenius incidents was much the
same that would result from looking for
ever at long plains without tree or hill
to vary the monotony- The only bit OF
action in the entire piece occurred in the
first act, when an awkward youth, imper-
sonated by Mr.. William Courtleigh, spill
ed cup of tea over the gown of one of
the ladies present. The noise caused by
some one falling asleep and out of his
seat would have been a welcome diver
sion.
In a playwright the cardinal sin Of sins
is dullness and there is no doubt that
first last and all the time THE Princess
and the Butterfly" is essentially dull
There is nothing bright or clever in the
entire comedy. No single character re-
Guires or receives the sympathy of the
audience, and without sympathy interest
is impossible. There is no dramatic work
in the piece-nothing that 1mperils any
member of the company or awakens
either satisfaction or fear. Should such
thing happen, one would not have been
in any way enlisted in lne AFFAIR for the
simple reason that no one was sufficient
ly interested in anyone on the stage to
care what happened to him. There is
no variation to the run of careless talk
that fills the play. Even a duel introduc-
ed is never brought to light and ends
with the appearance of the combatants
as excellent friends without any logical
reason for such a result. An impossi-
BILE old gentleman, an awkward and foos-
fsh boy. wild and improbable girl and
a distressing woman with n face as long
as her body are the people with whom
| one is asked, to make friends in Mr.. Pi
nero's latest dramatic writing.
'rrhe Princess and the Butterfly con
tains nothing to enlist or hold the atten-
| ton. Witty dialogue there is none. in
| genous situations are absolutely lacking,
| and unique or clever intrigues do not oc
cur The comedy element is greatly un-
| derdone, and not at all of the laughable
| order. while the evident desire of every
| person on the stage to impress everyone
else with his age is not only distressing,
! but strained. Here and there the CONVEX
sation reminds one of long passages from
| Cicero's DE Senectute." 1t Is a cruel
/ fact but, in the thcater. no one cares
for old people or antiquation. Romance
! is what pleases, and continual harping on
| the years that have gone-repetition of
sentences like those in 1.-THE Princess and
| the Butterfy"-is not only stiff and un-
| natural and unnecessary, but disgusting
| and tiresome. Filth in the drama has
! of late been much and deservedly con-
| demned, but little thoroughly sickening
| vulgarity would be heartily welcome in
THE Princess and the Butterfly"
Worst of all nothing in the comedy is
at all original. The story Is hackneyed
! and the end of the plot is as well and as
| thoroughly understood when the play be-
| gins as when it ends-perhaps better. The
! humorous element hangs on the thin
| skein of hungry woman-the sort of
| laugh provoker that is served at Ker-
mans and other variety theaters by an
acrobatic dialect artist with white
| streaked face and the title of Duke of
| Hoboken. The one thing unexpected in
| the piece is the curtain, which is always
rung down three or four minutes be-
| fore or after the idea of a possible climax
has come into the head of the audience
! Evidently Mr.. Pinero has discovered the
| places where there is no reason for his
acts to come to an end and then finished
| them right there. "A fine example of this
| occurs in the third scene, when Edward
| Oriel returns after being once refused to
! press his suit. After a moments hesita-
! ton the Princess says some emotional
| things and falls in his arms. To all in
! tents and purposes that is the most cu-
maxical incident in the comedy, but the
author waits until all is over and Oriel
| has started to leave before dropping the
| curtain. The finales for other acts evil
| IDENTIFY take place in the dressing rooms.
BY hard study one learns something of
| the construction of '"The Princess and the
Butterfly y''-probably more than the au-
I
experienced q workman as Mr.. Pinero
could have put together such botch
There is absolutely no reason for 1t.
The two plots are simple and both could
be made and unmado in a few minutes
time. But the playwright keeps intro
ducing side themes without bearing on
the main Issue and forgetting them i'm
mediately after for some new idea. The
result is that the play is full of loose
strings. the ends of which lead nowhere
and only serve to confuse Apparently
the comedy was put together as a man
packs a trunk, putting in tooth brush
here and an extra mirror there, not be-
cause there is any chance OF mis- needing
them but because they might como in
handy The affair concerning that alb
surd duel is one of these side plots, the
only use for which seems to be to de-
tract the interest and attention of the
auditor
THE Princess and the Butterfly be-
longs to a class of play now becoming
altogether too frequent. 1t is a placid
| inane, stupid product tolerated by a GER
tain class of people because of it's non
| descript temperance of ideas and its sup
posed elegance. The stiffness and un-
| naturalness are only equaled by the dull
| ness and wearisome effect of such af-
| fairs They viii never attract the more
| sensible class of people. We are told
| that this particular specimen pleased the
Londoners. If SO heaven help the taste
| of the British!
| Julia Marlowe's new production, 1.-The
| Countess Valeska'' is really provocative
| of praise for the very reasons that THE
| Princess and the Butterfly" wins only
| condemnation. There are grave doubts as
| to the logical strength of the play but
| that it has strength and that of the most
striking kind cannot be disputed. Every
scene is full of life and motion. while the
! effect of the multi-colored uniforms and
| the wit of a court is most pleasing TO
| people who go to the theater for instruc-
| ton if convenient but mainly for amuse-
ment. Some of the emotional bits are
most powerful, and if the heart interest
is divided, there is enough left on both
sides to keep one absorbed in the story
THE Countess Valeska" is a dramatic
! production that does credit to the stage.
Most things are more easily destroyed
| than created but with some few it is
| quite the opposite and the displacement
| of an actor from a pedestal he has
achieved, either in one way or another,
is not an easy thing to accomplish. Some
| eli