New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-09-16
THE DRAMA

THE GHETTO" AT THE BROADWAY.
The Broadway Theatre. under the management OF
Mr.. Jacob Lift. opened last night for the new
dramatic year. and. in the presence OF numerous
audience. an adapted translation OF Dutch drama
called The Ghetto was efficiently acted by a well
selected and unusually strong COMPANY led by
Joseph Haworth. Sidney Herbert and Miss Grace
Flkins This play is the image Of a family jar
supposed TO occur in the ghetto or Jewish quarter
Of Amsterdam about the beginning Of the present
century. 1t belongs TO the tradition Of the German
domestic drama, branch OF literature represented
in earlier days by schller's Love and Intrigue"
and r later days by MosenthaTs Deborah It
differs from its ancestry however. in the fact that
II relates almost exclusively TO the Jews and aims
10 Illustrate. in some particulars and 10 some
tent, the effect OF their laws upon their conduct
II appears that there was in the ghetto. not
only prejudice against unsectarian marriage, but
a law against It. go that Jewish youth could not
betroth himself 10 Christian maid without incur
ring a taste OF ST. Stephens experience and
being stoned in the street The Dutch author Of
this play probably designed TO exemplity the work
ing and the result OF that law. and 10 rebuke H.
a blind old ras al named sache had a son named
Rafael who a musical genius, and a servant
Sir! naTnedNRosd. who was Christian and A beauty
Rafael and Rosa fell In love with each other
and after long interlude OF impossible procrasti-
nation and idle and silly talk. including d verbose
tumid and spasmodc grafton by Rafael dcliv-
cred upon the steps Of the synagogue. they went
out OF the ghetto and contracted a civil marriage
garruous and most mendacious old scoundrel
named Aaron, who had vulgar forward, pert
daughter, named Rebecca. and who wished 20
marry her 10 Rafael, then endesvored. but with
out success. TO persuade Rosa that her lover had
abandoned her. The course was more hap
PLY taken though by old Sachel who swore by
the Ten Comma ndments that this lie was the truth
and thereupon Rosa jumped in a neigh boring canal
and tried TO drown herself Al first she was
thought to have succeeded and the faithful
Rafael expressed his inst resentment by hurting
old Sache violently 10 the earth and by crowning
this retributive act by still another burst Of elo-
quence. At this woful moment Rosa was resusci-
tated, and Rafael carried her away while Sachel
was left alone. in blindness and misery.
The play is in four acts. but there is not enough
substance in IL TO make more than two and even
a. that II would be pointless and dreary Nobody
objects TO marriage between Jews and Christians.
II the parties Immediately concerned H.
the matter are satisfied and the spec
tacle Of racial prejudiCes and sectarian
folly has long since become burden and a
nuisance The particular group Of Jews revealed
in this drama was chiefly remarkable for deadly
duness Sidney Herbert wonderfully well made up.
unprecedented the dotng but peppery old father,
who is a dreadful scamp. who cheats his custom
ers lies and bears false witness but dearly
loves his son. There nothing essentially Jewish
in the performance. and the character IS very
monotonous; but the actor interjected much emo
ton in II, and his vocal expression OF Il was
melodious, various, pathetic. and beautiful: he
closed the play. likewise with superb picture OF
anguish and desolatiOn. An excellent presentment
of Hebraic subloty was made by Emmett Corri-
gan. as old Aaron. and this made. also. with
unctuous humor. Miss Filkins. a pretty woman.
who sometimes beats and sometimes screeches
presented the heroine, but she has no power and
has not yet learned to hold dramatic point after
tab fv,--,~
Mr. Haworth took the honors OF the night. partly
by reason Of his fine. rich. sOnOrous voice. and
partly by his expert delivery Of several passages
Of sarcasm with which the Rafael is freighted
and which affords its Stiffness some little relief Mr.
Haworth was frequently recalled and loudly ap-
plauded
The Hebrew character has been made interesting
in English literature by many authors.-among
them being Shakespeare, Scott. Croly, Dickens
Reade George Eliot, Lord Beaconsheld and Grace
Aguiar-but the Hebrew manners and customs
the Hebrew beliefs. pretudices and supersutions
have not been much considered or very specifically
portrayed,-asde from publications in the Hebrew
language A. present. the Jews being prominent in
the business life of many nations and cities, dis
position seems prevalent 10 describe ana portray
them Mr. Zangwirs novel, The Children OF the
Ghetto" has been widely read, and play on the
basis Of that novel, long In preparation, Will be
produced IN Washington next week. while drama
fo,nded on General Lew Walace's story or Ben
Hur' is also in rehearsal and soon viii be dis
closed AT1uent Fortuna also promises TO empty
from her horn several plays about the DreyfuS
case With all these Jewish plays current or at
hand and with well intrenched Jewish syndi-
cate in control OF wo-thrds OF the theatres In the
United states it does not seem likely that the
Hebrew race will suffer this season from any eX-
cess Of public neglect. The broadway "hlch Is
H. bast theatre in New York. has been very
astefully decorated In coors Of pale blue pink and
rose II is a most commodious house, and 1t Is
safe-whch cannot be said of many of its rivals
and II ought TO be the headquarters OF comedy.
W W