New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-09
THE DRAMA.
A SAD AFFAIR AT THE EMPIRA
"RoMEo AND JULIET"

presenting herself as juliet ana Mr. william faver-
sham appearing as Romeo,-and the proceedings
were observed with varying emotions by An eager
and susceptible multitude. They were sad pro-
ceedings ard Il is not easy 10 comprehend either
the motive that prompted them or the purpose that
they were expected to serve. Romeo and Juliet"
indeed. is n great tragedy. and great performance
OF IT, probably. would edify many persons. and would
rebound TO the credit OF It's actors and the emou-
ment of its manager. The design OF giving such
performance, casting the parts 10 competent actors
and treating a grave and important subject with
adequate ability,-mlght have been understood: the
plan OF experimental fooling with Shakespeare that
is TO say. the plan OF presenting one OF the most
difficult Of his tragedies with performers Of such
slender calibrs as that OF Miss Adams and Mr.
Favershan In It's chief characters Is well-nigh In
cxplicable Vanity. which IL the strongest Of human
passions. may, perhaps. he at the basis Of it-as II
is at the basis OF almost everything but, whatever
may have been the impulse. there be no doubt
about the result Mediocrlty has seldom made a
more njudicious endeavor or encountered a more
decisive defeat.
The theme of Romeo and Juliet is idolatrous
love predestined TO ruin and misery. and therefore
the play is saturated with passion and STEPPED in
grief Under ordinary circumstances love walks
hand in hand with hope raversng field OF fow-
ers. beneath blue sky and a golden sun Under
the circumstances devised In this tragedy love
walks hand In hand with sorrow, descending into
a lonely ard sterile place. over which the sky slow
y darkens and a gray mist Is drifted on chill
wind OF death. Almost from its first word tho
play is over brooded with a strange vague menace
Of deadly danger. Both the lovers conscious
OF this presentiment; both are aware OF soma
consequence yet hanging in the stars" some bale .
full influence. remote but inerrant, which will in
evitaby impel them onward TO despair and death.
some subtle spirit Of evil which they darkly know
but which they powerless to resist The poet
Byron glanced this mslevolent force. In that
fecitous phrase of his. the fatal gift OF beauty
Shakespeare, with deeper insight and a more ex-
positive art. has shown II In this clear denote
ment OF the fatal gift Of love-not the rational and
easy-gong desire part animal and part conyen-
tional which passes for the sovereign emotion, but
that absorbing and consuming passion. stronger
than death and more cruel than the grave, which
In Its effect upon exceptional natures has glor-
fed literature with grandeur and pathos. and has
touched the pageantry OF human life with the sun
set light Of immortal beauty. tragedy thus
freighted with spiritual meaning can be adequately
interpreted only by the power OF genius. operating
through the methods and with the agencies OF
poetry. Prosy persons. proficient in stage routine
can act we'll enough such parts as old Capulet and
old Montague. Lady Capulet and the Nurse, Paris
and Benvolo. the explosive TyDait. and the didac-
tic Friar Laurence: but prosy persons cannot act
Romeo Mercutio. and Juliet The modern draw
ng-room method will not answer here; and Juliet
without the beauty that subdues. the glamour that
enchants the passion that enthralls and the po-
etc personality that bewilders judgment and turns
all life 10 fire and TO ecstasy IL not juliet at all.
Much dsquisition the characters In this play
can scarcely be required Most people know the
alphabet. The subtety o. Romeo. Of course. Is
that his passion is subjective. and that he loves
being in love rather than any who has
touched his heart. In Juliet there is no subtlety:
love changes her, at once. from girl TO woman, and
makes her strong and glorious in her power OF
self-devotion and sacrifice. Mercuto also. while
superbly poetic. is spendidly true-the consummats
flower of all comedy, making sunshine all the way
and dying with jest and a smile upon his lips.
To take Mr.. Faversham. Miss Adams, and Mr..
Hackett out Of the ordinary plays Of the day and
suddenly 10 launch them into Shakespeare was 10
subject them to test and a strain that nobody
familiar with their talents and with Shakespearian
requirements could have expected them 10 endure
None OF them Is imaginative; none OF them mas
shown reserves OF deep feeling: none OF them
has been accustomed to speak blank verse. Miss
Adams a delicate. seemingly fragile and feoTle
person. in the potion of Juliet. might be ex-
pected to supply a mild specimen OF Mysteries That
was feasible, and that was afforded. The individual
charm OF girl-like sincerity which is peculiar to
Miss Adams swayed her performance OF juliet with
a winning sottness elclting sympathy and nspir-
ing kindness Beyond that there nothing
Many SCHOOLGIRLS with a little practice, would play
the mart lust as well-and would be just as little
like il. In her special way Miss Adams is mostf
agreeable actress she ought TO be neither surprised
nor ascertain by tnlS experience tide Aaeu1o
never intended her TO act the tragic heroines OF
Shakespeare Much of the part whispered and
much of IL was bleated. The personality cannot
readily be described. but perhaps It will not be un
fairly indicated as that OF an intellectual young
lady from Boston. competent In the mathematics
and intent on teaching pedagogy. A balcony scene
without passion, parting scene without the de-
lirium OF grief and potion scene without power
those were the products of Miss Adamss dramatic
art Dr. Johnsons remark about the dancing bear
is too familiar for repetitionbut the repetition Oh
It. in this case would the whole ground.
The best performance OF the night was that OF
the Nurse by Mrs. w. G. Jones. An actress OF the
old time, who knows how TO act, and who preseh'eu
true human being with the fobles. the Time
service the sophistry, the garruity, and the wori1-
illness appertaning TO the nurses nature ana sta
ton and who was element OF vitality ano torce
IN every situation into which she entered Next 10
the Nurse stood the old Montague OF MT Jepsoh-
finely irascibe and self-assertvely predominant
The scenic investiture is elaborate ana so'H'
OF II is beautiful: the architecture. however
seemed painfully Mr.. Faversnam WIN
has no presence for lovers and whose me'a'"o
voice and wooden delivery are only mace 'n0''
emphatic by his utterance Of poetic lines was N0n
sistently feeble as Romeo. Mr.. Hackett VINO may
succeed in Mercutio some day. appeared TO De ieer
ing his way on this occasion. for the Dream
speech was scarcely more than whispered anu .".
touching death-scene did not win tear \ ~
forgetfulness OF self is sometimes gooo INNS
particularly in scene of pathos. While, however,
this embodiment lacked weight. and oriliancy' a"a
depth. and. more than all, that individuahf -
being unlike all other people that Mercuuo p
sesses IT had the merit OF fine discretion III .ne
livery OF the words. The audience receiver So,
copious and Understanding plaudits eVeiyu""e
that was said and everything that was done 80.
ebullftions OF the public rapture may be instrue'
but they also ludicrous. W. w.
STAGE AFFAIRS IN GENERAL
Active enterprise continues TO prevail IN the o,a'
! theatres and various productions sisnanIe VIZ
present week. The melodrama called Inc
OF the Opium Ring presented, last hisnS -