Evening journal., 1899-04-04
THE NEW MAGDALEN. -
lspeclall

Theatre BY the very clever stock ccm-
pany attached to that house o. amuse-
ment
AS every reader Of the circulating III
brary well knows, the plot OF the
novel, as also that of the play, OF The
New Magdalen" is constructed upon
the line OF impersonation: and the in
cidents are supposed 10 take place both
during and after the period OF the
Franco-G German War Of 20. But as the
novel appeared some years subsequent
to the war just cited, and only year
or so subsequent ITO THE famous ITCH
borne impersonation trial in England;
we are constrained to believe that the
latter event suggested the plot OF The
New Magdalen" to the fertile and con-
structive brain Of that once peerless
and unique novelist-Wlll1ie Collins.
The thread OF the story Of THE New
Magdalen" is or should he, Of 50 ia
mlliar a character as to call for no de-
tailed description. We, therefore, mere
ly content ourselves with commencing
the laudabie histrionic efforts Of MIR.
George Learock and Miss Carrie Rad
cliffe in the leading and respective
roles Of the Rev Julian Gray and
Mercy Merrick.
We are familiar with the character
ization of many and varied Julian
.Grays. Some were good; some were bad,
and more than some were indifferent.
1t wou,d, seem, however, as If it had
been reserved for Mr. George Learock
to give the most complete, the most
faithful, portrayal Of this particular
character Mr.. Learock has caught the
true spirit Of the part and he plays
it i'm exactly the right key. His Julian
Gray is the very prototype, the exact
reflection, of the breezy. cheerful, void
lof-oant, earnest and popular G ergV-
man drawn by Collins. It can truth
fully be said that this type OF clergy
man Ms to-day a rara avis, an uncom-
mon sort Of prodigy But 1t is the pat
tern of clergyman which the novelist
consigned to paper, and which he deem
ed worthy of all emulation And if
the clerics Of real life were hut to fash
ion their methods OF work after those
adopted by the man of cloth drawn
ty Wilke Collins, the chances ara that
they would garner more souls than is
their customary wont
IT wcU.d indeed be difficult to state
wherein Mr. Learock's Julian Gray
could be materially strengthened And
II would be still more difficult TO per-
ceive where a single gesture might
have been omitted, or where an in.
lcreased modulation OF the voice migh
have been with advantage adopted. Tn,
Rev. Julian Gray Of Mr.. George Lea
rock is an artistically finished, well
Thought out and well-rounded p.e-e O
work-and it undoubtedly deserves
prominent niche in the gallery OF stag
portraits. The leading feminine role
that of Mercy Merrick, the somewha
lovable impostor-was sustained b.
Miss Carrie Radcliffe The characte
Of Mercy Merrick is of the intensel.
emotional type, a part which, If exag
gerated by the actress for the time be
ing, would be apt to degenerate into a
exhibition of mere hysterical senIity
But Miss Radcliffe played the role O
Mercy Merick with all due expression
and she succeeded, where others nav
failed in evodng sympathy for a VIC
man with a somewhat battered reruta
tion, and who had contrived. by ine
. gitimate means, to supplant the NOR
Legitimate, II less deserving. claim
ant Miss Radcliffe gives an altogethe
true and faithful conception Of what /
an exceedingly difficult and exacbln
character to play. The loving and al
fectionate dispositions the caressin
> Tenderness: the honest desire TO regal
and retain a fresh foothold in tn
world of respectability: the anguish a
the bare thought OF being obliged t
return to the old and less exalte
S sphere Of action the ultimate determI
nation to confess all, and, by so doin,
risk the hazard OF the die-au thes
a phases or attributes of the compile
u character of Mercy Merrick were alb.
u and consistently snadowed forth b
L Miss Radcliffe. II may be said Of thl
talented actress that she possesses tn
u rare and happy faculty Of being abe
+ touch the sympathetic chord. And whe
- all is said and done-for IL
~, far easier to create a laugh than dra'
. a tear-the power to touch or moy
one is the true touchstone Of histrlcn.
/. ability. We recall the Mercy Merrio
!. Of the once gifted Ada Cavendish. VIII
Originated this particular character O
= the mimic stage. Perhaps we can pa
Mss Radcliffe no greater oompimel
A than to say that Ada Cavendish's rel