The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-25
TOPICS OF THE THEATRE.
A NEW PLAY PERFORMED M THE
LHCEUlB STOCK COMPANY.


The play presented at tho Lyceum Theatre
last night was bold, but not bad in either mean
ing of that word. The theme had raised an
expectation Of immodesty, perhaps n dread
Of indecency. but nothing pcrnicious was
disclosed, and the moral lesson was al.
together wholesome. One Of tho characters was
q wicked woman, it is true, and her conduct
was highly rcprehensiblc. but her evil behavior
was q deterrent example. and her punish
ment was q salutary climax to her career. In
r. G. Cartons new exposition OF The
Tree OF knowledge" this woman tempted not
one man alone, but three. and they all did cat to
their sorrow. She had boon q Daramour of tho
nrst, sho married tho second, and she ar
ranged an olopement with the third. This
siren was depicted as an enhancing
creature, Of course, elso how could she
have wrought so much wanton mischief She
appeared In the play first as tho wife OF n man
whose wealth was lost at once. She had neither
love nor loyalty to keep her by his side In this
emergency, and so she resolved to desert him
and go away with a rich profiigate.
1t was at this point that tho most singular
and strongest passage In the play came about.
Her husband and her former companion wero
close friends. Tho one had not betrayed her car
lier sin to the other. his friendship having kept
him silent. but upon learning Of her project to
elope, he undertook to stop her. He begged her
not 10 bring disgrace upon her husband. She
was heart,essly obdurate. In his evaporation ho
seized her. called her q devil. and threw her on a
sofa. The husband entered upon that scene. The
quick.witted woman instantly appealed to him
to protect her from what she declared was q
bcstial assault by his friend. Tho husband be-
lieved tho lie, and drove his truthful friend
from tho house; wheroupon tho woman lulled
her doting dupc TO sleep with music and
- "a .Ul lA.. rk~l ,,;tk thA htrl ttotty, ~
her fascination. This was n theatric episode.
Words were not minced in 1t, nor motives
glosscd. But it contained no grossness and
gave no offence.
Besides, there was an abundance OF virtue In
this play 10 far moro than balance its vice.
A charming English country girl. n
foster sister of tho young man first en-
tangled in tho wiles of the wanton. and
gently, swoetly ~charmingly in love with him,
figured graciously all through the action, and at
length became his affianced bride. An affcc-
tionate mother. q manly father, and n friendly
neighbor wore there to exemplify ordinary
everyday good behavior. Two types of ser.
wants contributed some fun. So that which was
repellent was less than that which was attrac-
tive. Even tho tcmptress was an enGross-
ing study In feminine deviltry at its 81 oothcst
and seemliest. The quality OF Mr.. Cartons com.
position, too. CLOSED and polished the subject.
The conversations were wittily ,e~pigrammatic.
Every person Hd in IN, the m piece IT TAXED IKE e Siey ieny In
because It retarded tho action, at !omo points
and made tho performance last until 1l:3o
However. 1t was such an excellent perform.
ance that few in tho audience could have
tho excess Of language may, not have
to be onrtailed. so entertaining is its
speasing It, the intermissions viii be Shortened.
and tAe curtain dropped half an hour earlier.
The representation was in the Lyceum
houses in which they appeared were close
atmosphere was produced. Edward Morgan
and William Courtlelgh were almost entirely
sopiiui and the other souiiess. and Frank
Mills was not, much less commendable as
m. me w asp'aa e,, sfslafsfir0s with mary ise inF msnnss:
noes Of the girl who waited patiently, confident.
Il sSs for Fd her 81 1oy tbe to say TSS heFs Jn She o sEa es not 1s!
eSiSa = suii far more fseii e. Actress ssa' than she
thor had put into tho part: Miss Opp seemed
to feel oycrweiGhted, At times she falterod
sinuous. so authoritative, save when she lost
confidence in herself. that hardy a sense Of
failure was conveyed b by her iu Naturally, she
Mss; Within. Miss s)EipwoTth. Mr., Morris. and
The audiences opinion, plainly expressed. was
that Tho Tree of Knowledge" was worth
expcrtly handled in the process. and that it
was bound to thrive.
"Mignon" had not been sung in New York for
several years until tho Castle Square Opera
Company revived it last night at the American
Theatre. Three years ago Mira Heller, Lillian
Nordica and Signer Novello sang the principal
roles in the opera at the Metropolitan, and that
performance went down into history as one Of
the disasters in the history of the institution.
Since that time Thomas's opera has been
neglected until last night.
There are some performances of the Castle
Square Company in which the scale of prices
must be kept detorminedly in mind. That saw
ing grace was especially important last night.
There arc no other grounds on which n re-
deeming word can be said in favor Of the
production. Some of the customary singers
were engaged in the performance, and mono
of them has ever appeared to such little
advantage. Comparatively speaking. they
have proved satisfactory so far to their
cheap-pricod tasks. But "Mignon" ia not so
cheap as the Castle Square singers tried to
that in no single detail could they offer the
sentntion,, Indeed. there. were moments in
which, acknowledging their entire inability to
n np. ono notable 40 bH' i%n s1nnpssse Of t thiss f saHS
occurred at the end of tho second act,
when. after glanccs OF combined distress at the
conductor, three OF the principal characters
handed over the action 10 n fourth and precipi.
lately retired from tho view of tho audience.
Nothing evidently is to be gained by advising
the Castle Square Company to leave such works
alone. 1t would To a mistake, If it did. Tho
house last night was crowded. Most Of tho
applause went to the merely theatrical
features Of tho performance, When Mi0non
applied tho powder puff the gallery was
highly amused. Such incidents won all tho com.
incubation OF the night. That was just enough.
for Joseph Sheehan sang persistently out OF tho
left side Of his mouth; Lizzie MacNichol strug.
glcd painfully with the gayottc, and Myrta
French was not n seductive Fiiind. Grace
Golden acted with vivacity and intelligence.
and again sang with more taste and skill than
any OF her associates. But the general effect
was very disheartening.
Comedians were shy Mt the Casino yesterday
ct the hour set for auctioning boxes and seats
for to-day's performance. from which Dan DAILY
will profit. No ono was willing to mako the
first sales, owing. doubtless. to professional I'M
Willingness to being disclosed or first on the
bill. Wild offers wero heard of Fifty for the