The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-12
DRAMATIC OCCURRENCES.
1.-THE TYRANNY OF TEARS, ACTED
At THE EMPIRE THEhTRE

"
John Drew aud His Company in Haddon
Chnmbrrs's New Comedy-Ths GaryioL
Roopened with Mrs. Carter. and the Hnr.
l"m with Mr.. Kelley and Hiss shannon.
The most untheatrlc play that has succeeded
uneduivocally In long while IL :" The Tyranny
OF Tears" which was acted by John Drew
and his company at the Empire Theatre
last night. II IL a composition By Had
don Chambers. He has worded It 80 we'll
that tho ebsence Of activity 10 not felt.
Nor is the dction strained In the en-
deavor to make wit take the place OF
dsmonstra, we humor. The piece 10 q comedy
without faroical inclinations. It contains a
deal OF serious sentime nt. characterization and
social illustration. Mr.. Frohman calls It "a
comedy OF temperament" and experience
should have made him expert in the classinca-
ton OF all sorts OF plays. The principal man in
1t 10 prosperous novelist. One OF the i'm portsnt
women is his wife and the other 10 his amanu-
ensis. Nothing further 10 requisite to tell the
kind OF trouble that arises. But tho manner
OF II is new and strange. The husbands love
OF his wife is faithful She II equally fond and
true. The amanusnsis 10 quite correct In
behavior. So. you perceive, mono of tho
expectable conditions arise from the associa-
ton OF these three persons. The husband is
ruled tyranically by the wife. and she holds
him In bondage BY means OF her tears, which
she sets flowing, or pretends to. whenever she
Is opposed. He suffers long and patiently
But when she breaks out with jealousy
OF the amanusnsis. he sets up re-
bellion. 1t is true that appear
ances justify her suspicion. for she catches the
other young woman kissing his portrait. and
how can abe know that pity. not passion. has in
cited the kiss2 She insists that the sym pat
one shall be discharged. and. when the suddenly
rebellious husband refuses to do II. she herself
quite the house. The domestic row 10 ended
amiably through the Intervention OF Q bachelor
friend. who wins the love OF the maiden
and incidentally convinces the wife that she
has been mistaken. not only In accusing the
husband OF perndy. but as well in all her
tyranny OF tears. Thus smiling future Is
promised to follow weeping past. The mer-
its Of this play are intellectual They are In
contrast with those OF the current stage
successes, both serious and comic.
There are neither rises to dramatic
heights nor descents to ludicrous depths.
With the simplest OF phraseology and
the plainest OF plots. with the introduction OF
only six characters. one an inconsequential
servant. the author has produced an uncom
monty interesting entertainment. and one pos
sessing rare value OF unconventionality. II
is 20 different from a good melodrama and
good farce now Astounding on our stage that
like Mr. Jerome's Miss Hobbs" at the Lyceum
1t Is all but sure to hold unique place easily
in tho theatrical competition to amuse the
public.
strong point for practical success In this
new comedy is that 1t exploits John Drew hap
PLY. His representation Of the ruled and then
ruling husband gave much satisfaction to last
nights fine Empire audience. His talent was
suitable. His mannersms fitted into an ex-
eellent delineation OF an extremely agree
able charactsr-thGt of q husband who
affsctionate yet effectualy tRmes shrew Of
wife. His easy dignity and quiet humor were
Just what tn role called for. and they enabled
him to carry 1t buoyantly without apparent
effort. Two young and engaging actresses
Isabel Irving. his accustomed stage com panion
and Ida Conquest.newly assigned to his service
played parts almost equal to his in purport
Miss Irving was the lovingly shrewish wife
and the cleverness OF the depletion was equa
to anything she had over done. Her tearfu
spells were amusing studies in whimsical fem.
ininity. Miss Conquest had been luckier in get
ting the more sympathetic and less or
binary part OF the amanuensis. q
veritable novelty In girlhood. and readily pop
ular. The bachelor friend, role that drippet
with what actors call fat" was played bv Ar
thur Byron. tho wifs's old beau Of q father b.
Harry Harwood. and droll butler By Franz
Lamb. It was an excellent cast. ant
80 the matter was delivered that not
whit OF It's value was lost to tn
audience. Some OF the seen es were peculiar
original and so light OF conceit that unskillfu
treatment would have spoiled them A quarrel
some breakfast and a sudden woong wer
two OF the oddly diyertng incidents. Bot
had been written wittily. and were played Ii
the same spirit. The London vogue OF tn
piece had raised high expectations. but the
were realized fully.
haa traa a6 la nj h
with revivals Of successes OF former seasons
One was the Harlem Opera House. which ha
been re-decorated and started in on anothe
year OF it's same policy OF weekly changes c
company and play. Herbert Kelley and En-
shannon were the actors that played "Th
Moth and the Flame there last night. Clyd
Fitchs charmer 10 now In its third season an
the prophecy that its humor and sentimer
was OF sort to appeal to a Unite
class OF playgoers seems to have bee
false. The engrossng story OF an innocer
girl. the moth" having her wings singed b
the man OF the world the flame" is not lin
tied to any certain section OF people. Its wit
SO straight to tho point that little 10 lost eithe
by the orchestra or gallery. Tho othe
theatre that started its senson last nigf
was the Garrick. where Mrs. Leslie Carte
picked up the run OF "ZaZa." whore she ha
dropped It to go to Bar Harbor for recupert
ton from her long winter OF work. The nee
for vacation and rest is cry given by man
actresses. but 1t Is seldom moro than mel
affectation. This Is not the case with Mr.
Carter The part OF Zaza Is exceptional
long and she puts so much nervor
force into her Interpretation OF 1t that 1t 10 il
deed wearing. She's we'll rested now an
acted tho part last night with as muc
animation and feeling as ever. Her we
come was hearty and there were nj
merous curtain calls at the end OF eac
act A woman in a box. who had probab
heard how heartrendlng the sad story
cara WAS. apparently came to have a real GOO
bad time. She started crying soon after Il
first curtain rose and kept up continually u
til the bitter end In fact. at tho fourth-a
climax her grief became almost as hyster
cal as that that ZdzG was displaying
the stage. Mrs. Carter's company WAS 4
-. 4. u. nrinnInnl m I'M hars Last vaI