The herald., 1898-05-29
CALENDAR FOR THE WEEK

Henry Irvings failure in "Pater the
Great" has now been supplemented, it is
said by another failure of equal proper
lions in his latest attempt in 1.-THE Medi-
cine Man." G modern melodrama, in which
Sir Henry is physician, DR.. Tregenna, of
remarkable hypnotic powers, and whether
he is a charlatan or not Is unrevealed.
Critics have called attention to this fact,
and it is united with lack Of action, as
we'll as various other defects which seem
to have made the production failure In
spite Of some remarkably effective scenes
One of these showed that the Lyceum
forces could represent contemporaneous
London life as effectively as old Romance
had been Il, 'strated there. An East End
crowd Is said to be pictured with remark
able fidelity. A physician gifted with this
strange power first exercises 1t on man
whom he finds beating wife, and the
rufrian is always under his control after
that discovery. Subsequently the physician
is called in to treat a young woman sup
posed to be suffering from an inherited
mental disease. In order to get her under
his controller the doctor sees in her the
likeness of a woman that he once loved
she is removed to an asylum BY his powers
she is estranged from her lover, and 1t
ultimately becomes clear that the physi-
clan loves her himself The strange power
which he possesses finally takes its eff
feet on the London tough, whom he had
kept under his control. and in an outburst
OF revengeful anger he kills the physician
This gloomy play is said to be written with
literary skill. humor and originality, but
with complete lack of the necessary
theatrical! skill. Ellen Terry, who appears
as a young girl, had little to do, and Sir
Henry is said to have accomplished the
transfer to modern dress with complete
success Robert Taber has but a small
part. Ray Rockman is another American
in the company. 1t is thought that the
play, in spite of Its faults. will remain on
the Lyceum stage until the close of the
present season The English public is
loyal, and the theater is certain Of audi
ences for a moderate time, whatever the
play may be.
Here are few specimens of some of the
comments: The Athenaeum says: zone of
the acknowledged canons of dramatic art
has been neglected by Messrs. Trail and
Kitchens If there is one thing in regard
to the anna concerning which 1t is pos
sible to be cock-sure, 1t Is that the highest
qualification of the public is derived from
sitting in the light and watching the ef-
forts, Hateful or comic, of the characters
In the play to grope in the darkness. With
so much superiluous care Is the secret of
The Medicine Man kept that even until
the last act doubt is possible whether the
hero Is an apostle Of benevolence or a
belated Mephistopheles. This is the great
est blot upon weird and cruel but slim
ulating play" The Academy says that the
dialogue is tersely and forcibly written
with an agreeable soupcon of humor, and
the misunderstanding is fresh and good.
On the other hand, the action tends to plat
itude, containing as 1t does no emotional
crises, no dramatic surprises, with the ex-
ception Of the closing scene, where the mys-
FERROUS DR.. Tregenna, mesmerlst and
pseudo brain specialist, is throttled by a
half-witted patient" The St. James Ga
zette remarks: "a lurid, fantastic and
weird play, of which the interest is spas
modic rather than continuous, and the full
effect of which 1t lost owing to the authors
Ing their subject. Nevertheless, no actor
could have done more with part than
Sir Henry Irving accomplished last night
with that of the brain specialist. The Pc
culiar magnetism of his presence, the mar
Vicious power of holding a situation, the
dominating force of his genius, were never
more apparent" The Westminster Gazette
thinks that 1t may have a very good run,
because 1t CONTAINS a very thrilling MUIR
der scene.-a grimly horrible Irving death;
several of the curtains are effective; there
Is n good part for Sir Henry. and one of
Importance for Miss Ellen Terry, and the
3 immense skill Of the popular knight as
metteur en- scene finds full scope. and en-
ables him to produce some charming pic
lures. A work with such claims seems very
we'll calculated to please the regular
haunter. of the house." The criticism OF
the Times is remarkable for its vagucness
while the Telegraph also avoids dealing any
deadly blow.
Mrs. Leslie Carter has so many friends
ard admirers in Southern California, as
we'll as elsewhere. that I am sure they will
take pleasure in peruslng what she has to
say personally as to her London expert
ences. The following extract from pri-
waite letter written by the celebrated act
ress TO a friend in this city is of general
interest. Mrs. Carter says:
IT want to write you myself Of our
splendid triumph Here, for know you will
b. interested. The dear old Heart OF
Maryland is the greatest kind of sue
cess. and Mr.. Belasco has received an ova-
ton from every side. They have treated
me gloriously, too, and am so happy and
so thankful over 1t ALL The papers have
written most beautifully about me and
paid me all sorts Of compliments
have played to the Princess Of
Wales. the Prince of Wales, their
daughter Victoria and the Princess
Charles Of Denmark. The Princess OF
Wales complimented me most highly-she
spoke beautifully. Tonight 1 am to play
for the Duke and Duchess Of York. I onl,
tell you this because 1t is delightful to have
pleased them all so far away from home
for instead of finding ourselves amone
strangers we have found ourselves AMONG
friends. I was most terribly nervous the
FIRST night, for so much depended on it
but our triumph was complete and wan
my friends at home who wrote of me witt
"