New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-16

of boat, prods with his stick sleeping soldiers
and exchanges jests with Catherine in the gal
lery. Meanwhile. witnesses are tortured out
side and exhibited broken and bruised in
the counciroom. until at last Euphrosine
treacherousy turns against her paramour. and
Alexis confesses his guilt and dcianty re-
proaches his father. Catherine Eudoxia and
the entire Court unite in an appeal for mercy.
The room is empted. and Peter in a most i'm
pressive sol!loquy. decides that his must die.
THE CRITICISM OF THE PLAY.
The last act is the most artificial in the play,
since it represents Peter as asking his sons for
giveness for putting him to DEATH which closely
approaches burlesque But there is a most
powerful situation at the end. Alexis has been
poisoned. Peter. with grief-haunted face, lies
covering before his icon. Tolstoi enters to an
nounce the sudden death Of GATHERINGS son. and
the abtect. broken-splrited Peter means that he
is chdess. Shall put off these celebra-
tons? asks Aproxin, as martial strains are
heard In the distance The Emperors weird
face lights up with dim radiance as he hears
the music. Let Poltava have her glory and
let 1t mingle with his requiem!" he exclaims
feebly; and the curtain falls upon him in the
solitude and pathos Of his childlessness-the
Empre-builder with successor.
To have provided the greatest actor Of the
day with an opportunity for such tour de
force is shown in this play is a triumph
which ought 10 satisfy the ambition Of SO young
a playwright Mr.. Laurence Irving. He has
done more than this, for he has given Miss
Ellen Terry a brilliant If somewhat inadequate
variation Of her Sans-Gene style Catherine,
and in Alexis he has commanded recognition
for an American player Mr.. Robert Taber, as
an actor of genuine force The part is most
artstcally and conscientously played The
Tolstoi of Mr.. Macintosh is also most brilliant
ly taken. Miss Barrymore's Euphrosine reveals
signs Of weakness and stage fright, but vii!
probably be improved with experience The
setting Of the play In scene and costume Is OF
the highest order OF excellence.
A drama dealing with so revolving a theme
as q fathers death-sentence OF his son will not
abe accepted without serious reserve by the pub
he Already protests are heard against the
death of the child in the streets and the shrieks
from the torture chamber and the exhibition
OF victims OF the rack. The sooquy Of Peter
Is pronounced insncere and unconvlncing by
SOME critics. and Mr. Laurence Irving Is reminded
brusquey that he is not Shakespeare and has
not justified Peters crime. This is soft pub
lie which is greatly distressed II II be caught
shuddering In playhouse. 1t Is also cynlcal
London which is grateful to Mr. Forbes Robert-
son for being half In earnest as Hamlet. ana Tor
succeeding in making that tragedy almost anus
ing Mr. Laurence Irvngs play VIII nave 20
fight its way against the tendencies OF the
cynclsm OF the times when earnestness Is out
Of fashion and there is dull craving for Flip
nant amusement Yet 1t is a work Of eXcep-
tional yigor bold in treatment. strong In char
acterization dramatic in movement ana truly
Russian In spirit l. ~ T.