The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-12
THINGS IN CURRENT PLAYS.
,JsHrs mar ARR TURNED orr AND
nv ~ 4 NEU NLLODRfMi.

mani Win ~ 'VHhh tFVNf
Henry IrvinR's Impressive show of
nh,.,, In sardou's "Rpbespierre.'
u.at,,m Gillette Is nu ingenious originator in
.,.u.ctau II WAS he who made the clattcr 81
.g,.es bonls a tlra maic effect In war plays That
"a. in Held by the Enemy" and he tried 10 save
=. vain, To- himself by patenting the simple pro.
~. a, making tho noise IIut the courts de
.I.d against him lioof.bcats on the stage
,,..cI n, length from mclodrama into the ridi
~, n burlcapucs and no longer move the listen.
:. :, Anything but laughter In last weeks
.,r r,sv ui sherlock Holmes" this same invcn
40. .uihor uscS light and darkness in place OF
al. usuol curtain NJ the beginnings and the ends
4 tho acts This idea does not seem patentable
wh,, are called dark changes" Of scene are com
am Bu, his device Is nevertheless new and
.,,.l and It will I've seized by imita,ors unless
able to mold their hands oil by legal restraints
,,,, bcftc the curtain is 10 hc raised all the lights
i, the theatre. an the stage and In the auditorium
.lL. ,,c c,,inguishcd All IL black for n min
n,, nt sr Then the scene IL !llunined. either
o,iskly ~ sl.wly, according to the impression
.nrht I. h- made The view IL projected like
.,r,,,hirc imaginary II is vivid. but not prosiiy
,.,l The Illusion NJ tho play IL not delayed
NJ the mechanical rolling up Of q curtain When
Iii. end # an act IL reached the scene goes in
.,,ptly out e., sight tp 10 as quickly disclosed
,S,,n n Ne applause calls for H. The perform.
a., are not shut IN behind q disseminating cloth.
they disappear like ~ many creatures Of dream.
I, Ia, wonder that such a method has not been
,mployed before At the climax Of the drama
Il serve, an artistic purpose admirably. The
.,tr loves the r,nc hopcic.sly. as he thinks
Il, is tuo ~. - girls senior, too harsh in
c,n,r.s, v,,h her 'ntlcness. 10 think Of wooing
hr Nut h. ha, Won her heart unawarcs, and
,b, mus, tell him So Her words mus. bo few
,,d ror-r, She must not bn unmaidcnly. lie
mis-, cnmprchcnd her intuitivcly. and the audi
ruce mus, hc made 10 see. more than hear. thct
they are paired or for mHtrimony. They stand
cos. together gazing into each others eyes
n, lights are exiting iishcd slowly. The forms
oiths lovers fade out Of sight But on their faces
now laid ioniy together. a shaft Of illumination
/, directed The picture IL such a. Rembrandt;
m,rhi have painted. This in lts turn disappears
bu, /, has 10 be shown again and again. so well
do the spectators like Is
Thi, new drama ot sherlock Holmes is as
crafty q composition as we have ever had on our
stage The popularity Of its success lies In It's
riumph over the audiences Discrimination to
,cc.p, II, Circumstances will alter tho case
shsn. by anil by. the play reaches the DowcFy
Du, a burglar cracking 4 safe Is 4 rather rough
star, 10y a play in a broadway theatre as fash.
ionable IS the Garrick II the bold experiment
rad failed /, would have been set down as fool
hardy. Now tina, 1t has succeeded 1t Is duly
praised for Its bravery William Gillette spent
year OF two On the piece, and ". when IL was
written, bu, not yet acted he felt sure Of the re-
suit why, then, he was more conceitcd than rea.
sonAbe. To- sustain his courage thea was the
vogue which \. Conan Doylc's' tales Of crime
and detection had enjoyed with intelligent read
ers but he should have feared that SherIOck
Holmes, an impossible person In print would
be an outright abssrdiiy on the stage. Nor
should he have depended for safety on his own
authority as an actor. lie had made liar pop
ulAr In Too Much Johnson" and a spy admir-
abls In "Secre, Service. but could he recommend
police detective otScsr 10 refined peoples es.
ieem' Yes seems an easy answer. now that he
has done It Il IL clear too that he WAS shrewd
70 doing with Ill his might what he had deter.
nded 70 do al all Instead Of toning and u,
perng the incred bilty OF Hol,nsss abilities he
emphasized It. Instead Of modifying the NJ an
exploits into polite comedy he magnifed then
INTO sensational melodrama. He deliberately
gave TO Dr. Doyles material force which would
have carried II into utter failure II II had not hap
PLY gone in the opposite direction. Tho actor
starts In hne drawing room with two modishly
dressed black mailers. and q gentle girl as thci
prisoner. But among them comes immedi ateiy
lowbrowod burglar. and pretty soon tho inten
ions Of evil become shockingly murdorous, Will,
ths scenes change to q cellar and rookery. and
he crimes illustrated arc low down al the very
lotion Of scoundrelsm. However. tho keer
minds Of Sherlock Holmss and his foe. Prof. Mo
hsry, dominate the matter. Their encounter,
are Intellectual as well o. brutal That Is one
reason for the acceptance Of tho play at the G ar
lick By refined people. Another Il the cynica
hunor which Mr. Gillette has added 10 Dr. Doyle's
vacation. thus making HolmeJ apologize for hi.
egotisn, and disclaim tho genius Of his achieve
nsn.A So he Is as interesting and dlverting
yellow In play as he was In book.
Personality has over 30 much TO do with the
nock herosn Of an actor. II Mr.. Gillette wer,
70 b demonsraive he would doubtless destroy
bio popularity right OF. No knows tho bes
sage use TO make Of himself OF an opposite
Snd Il Edward IL Sothorn. another admired
exponent Of bravery In theatrical fiction. Mr.
soshsrn wins with boyish exubersnco Of methods
Tho osne manner Of braggadocio without van
lH. Of hAshiul boldness, which enabled him e
nAks audiences like him In The Kings Mus
kssser Il standing him In good stead In 9Th,
Song Of tho Sword Hardly another Ameri
can actor than Andrew Mack IL Mr.. Sothern',
equal In that respect Mr.. Mack commands q
modest ardor. an unconscious Audacity, which
makes him the most engaging Of brash heroes
"" thls saving grace which atones for the asser
aVeness OF MI Sothern's swashbuckler In tn,
neiodrama at DAYS. and vitalized tho Irish
SAlani whom Mr.. Mack represented during hi,
engagement at tho Academy OF Music. II i
were not gift OF nature. but could be taught a
The dramatic schools. such actors Of ultra horoIsn
- MI Gillette. Mr.. Sothern and Mr.. NJ ack woult
Do plenty instead OF scarce
The spirits that gather In 'Robespierro" ar,
more numerous than any that ever stalked betor,
any ono mclodrama. They arc the hero
sulioune victims. and they como 10 him whcr
no Is seeking his room in tho prison First be
nlnd tho grated walls gray figure Is barely
d'sceFnible In the half light, moving with lttl,
"o'o look Of substance than a shadow 1t |,
soon seen that another vague form has appca red
"uu mo number increases until tho constantly
moving group, advancing and adding TO itsel
molnentarly - huddled behind tho bars MeI
anu women are seen. not as they we're In tho pre-
'odlng act in tho color Of lite and dress, but ashy
ana hImy' IN outline they arc similar enough
oe recognized when, having marched SLOWLY
anu hoIaeIrsNly behind the bars, they circle abou
H"o''pl'rT', who has risen TO his feet in the terror