New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-31
THE DRAMA.
MRS. Fishes NEW DOUBLE sr,
LITTLE ITALY" AND "DIvoncoxs q.


In the Fifth Avenue Theatre last nigh, ~
Fiske produced new play. called "II,,lo III
written by Mr.. Horace y. Fry. and acted ,,!
cpal part In II, and also shc made a ,o, p''n-
Sardous "Divorcons." and again .mhos,.s "
prienne. The former Of these plays f. ,or., -
and sad. the latter Is brisk and merry: ma a..
combined provide an entertainment th,, 4, "o
in contrast and pleasing In effect. sardou, Gu,
edy. In the original. has never been es,..,...
model Of refinement, but the version OF {, ,,.. =
presented by Mrs. Fiske displays som. 80 ~
pquant elements while modifying their ,nyo.,,.'
Of coarseness and 1t enables her TO exhibit =. ~
prienne. a charming personality OF tantaiz,. -,
chief. sprighty drolery and huoyant graz. >,
Little Italy" which belongs 10 the ,raa,,,. ~
"Cavalera Rusticana." she impersonated W
Italian exile who. from environment OF No..
and trouble. goes invountarily 70 her death ~
wild vain effort to leave the trammes q, M.
did life and return to the sunshine thu ,,a.,
peace. and the dream-lke happiness Of her r,,,"'
land The scene is the Italian quarter a, rs
York The woman Is the wife Of a cosr.. w.,
ian shopkeeper. with whom she Is badly n,,oL.,
and with whom she dwels in d,co,,.,.
The dramatic situation Is made 70 ensuA fro,o ~
hearing OF music In tho street made BY h,r l.y,-
who Is a vagrart from Italy. That si,ua,,o, q
wolves a colloouy between the wife and the ov.
and their agreement to return home together ~.
lover awaits her in the street. but. in endeavor,,
10 escape fllrtively. by means Of M the v,oms
is killed; and A. the ciose. the husband and ~.
lover arc confronted in strife OF agony and FURY
in the presence Of her dead body
The author Of this play.--which is neatly CON-
structed and smoothly written In one ac,-hss =,
course observed that humble life affords no exsn,o
ton from the misery that Is saquent upon unhannv
marriage or from tho tragedy that is possibly AZ,
,endant upon thwarted love and broken farh
His little drama Is more picture than action and
il suggests more than It displays To use m.
kltchen-ft. or dumb-waiter. as a means of csus.
ing accidental death was 70 employ rough and
trivial expedient and 10 imperil the effect Of tragic
horror by taking the risk OF dersion. In The world
Of fact such things no doubt. can happen. but IN
the realm OF art the instrument Of fate must never
be absurd The essential charm Of Mr.. Frys work.
a charm 80 delicate that It might readily pass
unnoticed- its suggestvenoss of vague. fearful
deso'ate emotion tho strange longing for home and
rest for other days and other scenes. that may
suddenly be awakened by the scent Of flower, or
tho sound Of distant music or the murmur Of the
wind in tho leaves. Byron has said Il. once and
forever in the beautiful words of "Chllde Harold:
And slight vithal may be the things which bring
Rack on tho heart the weight which u would fling
Aside for ever: 1t may be sound
A tone OF music-summer eVe-or spring
4 dower-thc wind-the ocean-which snail wound,
Striking the electric chain wherewi'h We are dark
ly bound
Mrs. Fiske's acting affords a shining proof.-K
any such proof indeed. wantng.-tnst
strong porsonallty FAR from being incompatible
with the greatest hisrlonc skill Is perfectly har
monlous with H. Her identity was absolutely
merged in that Of the passionate, sorrow-s'rcksn.
common Italian woman. and yet her dls'inctvs
personality anlmating the embodiment and making
II painfully true. was not for one moment ecIpseo
She does not simply assume disguise. she ahsorss
ina OF human
causing II 10 be vtallzed with all her human pow
ors and made a living thing: and this i acting a.
tho art has been shown by every great actor that
cver lived The performance OF Ju'a Is only
sketch but. in its denotement Of knowedge ~
voroan's heart and OF human suffering IN the sS'i
N exnross f. (as in the poor creature ecslac! a.
eight Of her lover from whom she mad neen erueiy
narted TO ne forced into hateiu' mar
riaee) the embodiment had wonderlul pow.
ard meaning Mr. Frederic de BeheVile assune'
tha coarse. ignorant. ardent animal-hKe italan
-,o1 ava was terrific in his fidelity TO the
ILL., nassiors Attenuated 70 FIVE acts LA'ue
r,aI,.n would probabIy. be deemed very respect
hIa ,r,eadv. circumscribed within one II IL hSey
-, ho viewed as A trial sample Of tragic CLIMAX Us
,,or,t ia nositiye Mr.. Fry has composed lot "
musical illustration d!rge-like accompaniment -
loss touching than weird. There were $500 -.
tain calls when the play ended ana N's' i','
Mr. De Bclleville and Mr.. Tyrone Po"er'-'ne a.
ter being notably picturesque ana lHVdS
the vagrant gypsy lover'-Were iou''! "pp
.n,,orcons' passed amid continual merrimenr ~
ra,od IN Ms Fiske's version II Is not at all o.
.e,ei,.o b,, becomes a most humorous carcature
=, Tho Trnnch problem play. and Mrs. Flskes to"c
sn,rit and Mr.. De Belleve's capital soo'-ha'u'eu
cynicism invested the performance OF II WIT roH'
slant sparkle and exhilaration W W.