The times., 1899-10-22

it fails to understand Why Camille"
should be considered proper and "Zaza'
indecent. Perhaps the Journal" man, who
objects to consumption and red hair, can
answer that question.
The dramatic editor Of The Times does
not desire to take back a word Of what
has just been said of the majority OF New
York critics. But New York critics have
BEEN from the beginning. the persons TO
whom theatregoers looked for final YER
dict on Children Of the Ghetto" which.
on the occasion Of its first performance
here, this paper-and this paper alone
condemned Not only the two local con
Temperatures CT The Times. but every out
of-tOwn sheet that bCasted a local cores
pOndent printed perfect euIOgiums on the
ZangwilI play" When the dissenting
voice Of The Times was raised each of
these made haste to predict discontinue
for the author OF the review. 1t is a mag
nificently written article" quOth a Balti-
more daily, but it is not just criticism"
And wait until Children OF the Ghetto
reaches Broadway" " chimed in the rest
Now that Children of the Ghetto" has
reached Broadway. The Times undlscOm-
fitted, wishes 10 do a little growing. Ex-
cept for the Telegraph" which ignored
the production, there was not a great daily
in Gotham that did not adopt this jour
NAILS stand in regard to the piece Several
of the paragraphs printed might have been
rehashes from those in The Times. And,
in order to show its reason for ssIf-praise.
a few of these compositions are herewith in
part reproduced.
William Winter OF the Tribune" de-
tailed the points of plot redundant with
needless incidents. tediousIy prolix in Ian
guage and numerically tedious in the ex-
position of the commonplaces of actual and
very stupid life" before remarking:
In Southern climes it often happens that tree IS
SO thicsy drapcd with pendant moss that it cau-
not be distinctly seen. IEe dramatic skeleton OF
framework Of this play is almost completely hid
den with the trappings Of Judaism These trap
pings may, or may not, be interesting. according
10 the spectators t8-le or mood DIvg4red OF
racial embroidery, the posture Of circumstances
displayed by the drama is not, In any particular.
either dramatic or impressive. The only point OF
variance from trite CCuveutou8lity is the girls
final decision 10 stay with her father I'm actual
life persons who wish 90 get married commonly
take their own heacstraUE way. utterly regard
less OF any affecting consequences that they are
likely 10 bring upon either themselves Or others.
Rational conduct on the part of an infatuated
lover. whether male or female. may well strike
the observer into '1mazement and admiration.
Ar. XaHgwil's s heroine has that claim tU respect
example, however, viii attract but little SYM
p1thy, seeing that the popular doctrine rst1b-
ilsHed and overwhelming, Is All fos love- or the
world well Io=l- Pi4yEaer- who recall Mr.
NIIs beautiful drama % olivia viii remem-
ber tiog once seen It ceu.d never be forglIt1uJ
Oiiya's lovely aad pathetic farewell 10 her home,
and the cruel and aeouiEiu- climax of her fight
from her father protection The highest inVeu-
ton ia Mr.. ZangwIIs play IS merely q variation
OF that theme, ending with q reversal Gt that
effect. Incidentally. bis piece port-ays certain
aEJr- rrT11gr rF4f4Fz q ems fr A-tF
traiture is the soul OF all Drlml-'and tedious
ness the limbs and outward domisles'
Alan Dale. Of the Journal" after ex-
pressing doubt that the Hebrews would
tolerate the exposition of their rites that
is part of the work. said.
"The ZaugwiU Play" as matter Of fact. Is
not very much Of q play at least until It's rIIrt
act has come to close lt is series of epi-
sydes curious, gauus, semi eligible episode
rejecting the ancient customs Of these esrJ
Ghetto children" with whom THE great Il-e-
dweit in his remarkable and admirable book
Yet there are amusing moments in The Chill
dren Of the Ghetto moments that LlnEWiI
when he was advertising himself by attacking the
st3ge-called lr / am not mistaken, comic lH-
terrupti3us' You laugh lt the sight of Piuchas
crushing bread INTO MS g.'aets and lighting q
eurcPttious cigarette on the Sabbath. You smile [
at the music hall gars.e of Mr. Carrie as be- THur-
murs ''Beecie.' Bat it is tine horse lluzl-tu- [
laugh that YOU accord 70 rough and tumble farce |
comedy There is not much real agt. genuine !
human feeling or spontaneous 'Zl0uistic' solicit
tuGe iu THE Children VI the Ghetto" It IS the |
iuihts Of religion held up for inspection -o tha [
rhiuk % the box Office. lt is little more. The /
climax OF the third act-a dark CLIMAX rcekiug /
u H-Iue and "Saare Acrrs.'-wou deserved au-
1r0yaL lt was pathetic climax. Ir was some 1
thing dramatic, for which We had been waiting /
Tor nearly three hours we were hungry when we
got it, and we fell 90 aud deyour0d il greedJ-
Franklin FyIes of the sun" after tell +
ing the story Of the piece, said:
This affair of broken hearts was set forth with /
more distiucuess in the acted play than it had /
been in the printed narrative, but still it was 1
secondary in amount cf matter, if not in total /
interest. to the exposition and discussion Of Juda
sm The essential theme was Jewish constancy !
TIE lover stood for that departure which many |
Hebrews are making from their ancient tenets
The father obdurajeiy pious and his authority
1eryaied with the daughter Il was play OF /
words and not Of deed. Besides the discussions
bearing directly upon the main topic there was
great deal Of talk altogether eXtFaucous 20
hat and serving only the purpose of characterize
ion The movement was sluggish throughout
md not dramatically potent until near the end
# the third act. II 50 late as that ere the
roubIe for the lovers arose. Nothing Of any
erious consequence had happened before that
And the Mirror said
The difficulties in the way Of making a dra-
natic work Of interest from the various stories,
however well they read. ubvi0Is and thor. |
,ughly understood The doubt that the iucar-
iation Of the story types should prove either at