The times., 1899-12-23
THINGS THEATRICAL.
National-"Ties.,, ;,


Robert Fergan john Blair
Michael DaycTuier.........,...F Frederick C. Lewis
Ferdinand ValantOn. .......P Augustus Anderson
Pauline NalautoH. ..........Al Alice Harrington
Irene Fcrgau ......... Florence Kahn
An audience so distinctly fashionable
mat the entire performance was heard
above the falling of seats and seen over
countless walking hats, witnessed John
Blair's production of Ties" yesterday aft
ernoOn ct the National-and was disap
pointed.
This is the glst Of the whole affair;
the audience was disappointed. Fully half
of the cTeditable assemblage was in at
tendance because it had been given good
report of Mr.. Blairs former special mat
inee. and. therefore, expected great deal
The other half, having reviewed "El Gran
GaIeOto," expected more. What both
classes received was the presentation of
a series OF dreary platitudes; a succession
of dull and pointless conversations; a
drama which lacked not only action, but
movement. Resultantly, the applause was
not enthusiastic and one or two points
that should have impressed were accepted
as being laughable. To say that the house
was displeased would be to say toe much.
To repeat that it was disappointed is al
most too little.
Ties" a translation by Paul Kester and
George Peabody Eustis, of Paul Hervieu's
Les Tenailles," is of the variety Of play
with which Jules Claretie has all but
wrecked the CCmedie Francaise, where
originally the effort was offered. II is the
story of a narrow, selfish obstinate man,
who, married to an obstinate, selfish, mar
row woman, manages TO quarrel with her
until she finds another person for whom
she cares more. Then she insists upon a
Il
honors the home she has wished to forsake.
When. ten years later, the husband insists
upon carrying out his plans for the edu-
cation of q son he is told that the child
is not his. And then the curtain fails.
The characters in this work, as may be
inferred. are altogether abnormal and en-
tirely undesirable The moral-or immoral
-hinted at is either too obvious or too
obscure for effect. The piece cannot have
been written as an argument. 1t Is less
likely that the intention was to entertain.
Ties lacks suggestion and artistic
touches. It's dialogue is prosaic, and has
been too literally translated. The single
/ forceful episode in the drama is reached
after three acts of striving. Briefly. the
offering is meritless-or nearly meritless
The members Of the cast made a bad
/ beginning by falling to look the parts
which they assumed. Mr.. Blair, whose
very fingers are evidences Of temperament
and refinement, did not seem the common
minded fellow he Was supposed to be.
Alice Harrington was not sufficiently old
to receive the lines spoken by her assumed
sister. p Augustus Anderson appeared i'm
possible as her husband. Mr.. Blairs act
ing lacked authority and character. but,
nevertheless it was intelligent and dignl-
fed Florence Kahn showed her want of
experience as she did not in "El Gran
Galeoto.' her impersonation of the guilty
wife being varying in purpose and too con-
sistently sombre to afford contrasts. P.
Augustus Anderson moved like mechanl-
cal toy. One caught himself searching for
the stamp, Made In Germany" Miss Har-
rington Gage Bennett, and Frederick G.
Lewis all were factors in tearing down the
impression left here by the last perfor-
nance a month ago. There were several
remedial blunders as regards detail.