The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-12-03
THE PLAY IN N Y oRK
Henry Irving in His Latest Creation
Ellen Terry as Portia.

New York, Dec Especial Core
spondence. MANY and various have been
the forms OF entertainment and excite
ment presented to us this fall. First
came the famous yacht races, in which
even the winds seemed to battle for us;
as if determined that our English cous-
ins. who already have in their possession
every other yachting prize, should not
take from our shores the coveted trophy
which we have held against all COMPETE
tors for nearly half a century. Yet the
same winds seemed Intellectual to dis
perse the fog which Sir Thomas Upton
must have imported in the hold Of his
gallant. though vanquished. Shamrock;
and now the fog too, has gone back to
England. alHd New York is basling in
what one might well believe to be South
ern sunshine.
As if determined to show us that
Jonathan could not excel the mother
country III all things. Sir Henry Irving
delighted MS with his Incompatible pre-
sensation Of Sardou's RobespieTTe. While
we yield the palm to no nation in the
individual greatness Of our actors. consid-
ering Booth the brightest star that has
shonc in the histrionc armament for
more than generation: we mus. in
justice. acknowledge that Sir Henry
stands without Il peer in his ability to
stage his plays, so as to give each and
every detail the proper consideration,
necessary to IL perfect, fawlcss whclc.
and in this. his latest creature. he has
even surpassed himself i'm presenting at
the close of the nineteenth ceatury the
tragedy Of tragedies. that deluged ,Viih
blood the last years OF the eighteenth
The bowling mob in the street scenes
might well have been crying for the
blood of those upon whom fortune had
smiled. while to them she turned the
ffowning face. or the colder one Of III
difference Having been accustomed 10
see the ghost of Hamet's father stalk
across the stage traped in mosquito net
ting or some such ghostly q apparel
one might well share the terror of the
priest Of the guillotine, as the spirits
Of those be has condemned to death
steal from the shadows confronting him
whichever way he turns. fer they arc
really blood-curdling spectres. Yet so
strong is the personality Of the actor
so artistic his rendition of the character
that one is surprised into synlpathizing
with the monster, RobeSp;cTre, when in
his love for his son and his agony at the
thought Of that son $ death, he shows the
one touch of nature that proves all men
akin.
Miss Terry as Clarisse did not have
the opportunity to give her talents full
play. hut in her representation Of that
most charming of Shakespeare's heroineS,
Porta. she still carries off the palm,
and is not likely soon to find rival.
Then came New York's own pet
show" where the prince Of beasts the
horse. holds revel and Beauty is there
in her glory. The horse, too. seems TO be
holding his own; for each year finds more
and more attention paid to the ring
though perhaps it would not be just TO
say less is shown to Beauty in her gor-
geous attire. surrounding the ring.
The Kendalls, those other favorites.
from across the water, are charming us
anew and have made Il decided hit in
THE Elder Miss Blossom:" the house
being filled ''from pit to gallery at ev-
cry performance.
Mansfield has returned with his Ia
nous Cyrano de Bergerac and soon will
revive Beam BqJmmel. Tonight Lew
Wallace's Ben Hgur is to be put upon
the boards for the first time. But
fear you are tired Of the plays, so | VIII
SPARE you further mention of them until
Il later date.
A few weeks since it was more than
limited that His Grace. the Duke of
Manchester. was to make his bow be-
fore the foothglfts of the american
stage: but. though we may have that
pleasure in store for the future, it is
oriy socially in the Four Hundred-dom
that has been graced with his presence
so far in New York.
n. WARDER. \