New-York tribune., 1900-12-28
LONDON DRAMA.
MRS cRAIGIE AND HER CRITICS
TEXT OF HERoD-CURTAIN RAIsrRs
EPISODES NOT IN THE pror
OF THE PLAY.
London. Decemher *

dent OF arguing the case with her critics The
reception Of her new play disanno,n,as - -
the opening night so she has published the ,eyt
OF Inc "isoom OF the Wise" In a PREDATORY
note she explains that the construction Of the
comedy is on strictly traditional lines IN tbo
first act the characters are introduced. with
their several points Of view and the zrbse,s 20 .
oesigneoly slight plot are set in motion. In the
second act there is the movement and tn -ha
third act the oenouement. Her aim was IN nra-
sent q little diagram OF mischief making ana
fancylns that spectators would prefer 10 be en-
tertalneo oy pleasantly rather than saddeued hv
hotion' she drew the sketch in pale colors Mrs
Cralgle IS almost as defiant as Mr. George Alex
ander was on the first night when a small sropn
Of obJectors expressed their dissent from the
general chorus OF good natured approval. The
effect in the first instance was to rally the conn
planning auditors for fresh outbreaks NJ
''booing." The author herself can hardly expect
70 convince the critics that she is right and that
they are wrong by publishing the text with an
ingenious but controversial preface
Since the unpleasant episode at the ST James's
Theatre the subject OF ''booing" PLAYS has been
discussed by actors and playgoers at various
Sunday night club suppers, and scores Of articles
and letters on the subject have appeared in
print Bresth and ink have been wasted upon
plain proposition. Obviously spectators who
have paid for their stalls and gallery seats have
as good right TO boo" as TO applaud, but the
privilege Of a minority to damage the financial
fortunes OF new piece by outbreaks of dissent
on the opening night is liable to great abuse
play may be good Of its class, but those who
boo" It may not like the kind. Those who dis
Ike farces have no right to sit in Judgment
upon a successful example of this class Of stage
writing and 10 condemn it. thereby taking money
out OF the box office and depriving actors Of
their wages. Mrs. Craigie's play was a delicate
comedy OF manners which could easily be justi-
fed by good French models OF the old school
and which contained an amusing study of the
inane tattle Of the drawing rooms Of the rnart
sets Those who undertook to hoot it down
because they thought that there was not enough
action 3n IL. or because they did not care for
comedies OF manners. could not be considered
Judicious critics, and their demonstration of
hostility did not deserve serious attention
When Mrs craigie, however. publishes her text
and runs a-tilt Of the critics she puts them all
on their defence. and provokes re-examination OF
plot and dialogue.
The Wisdom OF the Wise" would have been
q stronger play i: there had been better
background for the drawing room gossip. The
satire would have been more incisive if there
had been serious complications in the opening
act and the relations of the leading charac-
tiers had been menaced by some startling ex-
posure. The gossips were chattering idly and
cynicaIly about the best methods OF managing
husbands and wives. when, apparently. there
was nothing more serious benird the scenes than
a silly misunderstanding between a pair Of
lovers. II the spectators had known that there
was something deeper than this in the plot and
that the intriguers were unconsciously meddling
with complications involving the happiness or
wretchedness OF the chief figures of the drama,
there would have been more salt in the satire.
When Mrs craigie writes her next comedy of
manners she VIII probably use stronger colors
IN the sketch. but she viii the risk Of being
styled didactie. and Of preaching to an audience
which only for light entertainment. Her
play was not good as The Ambassador"
yet il was lively enough ard certainly has not
deserved the sledgehammer treatment which it
is now receiving from some Of the critics.
Mr. Stephen Phillips has also had recourse to
the experiment Of publishing the text Of his
play while ii is running al Her MaJesty's The
atre About five thcusard copies Of 'Herod"
have been sold in a single week, and the success
Of the production on the stage has been pro-
NOTED by the publication Of the book. There
has been an even more satisfactory result. The
critics, upon reading the text, have gone TO see
the play q Sc cond time, and are giving the pub
lie the benefit Of q more deliberate examination
OF the work Spectators who have read the text
reveal heartier appreciation Of the play as II is
now enacted, and the enthusiasm OF the au-
diences at Her Majesty's Theatre is good sign
for the future Of the English stage. The tragedy
now runs with smoothness from beginning to
end and makes a powerful appeal 10 the intel
lect and 10 the imagination. The actors. with
two or three exceptions. still faulty in reci-
tation Of blank verse. but they speak more dis
tinctly than they did at first, and fewer passages
of the text are slurred. If all had such voices
as Mr Charles Fulton and Miss Calhoun the
audience would be set fairly afiame every night.
Mr Tree as is his habit, has steadily improved
from the opening night. Herod is, Indeed, the
truest OF his representations. He may lack the
rnelodious voice required for the rhythm Of the
lines but he dispenses with the ingenious by
play with which he ordinarily overloads his
parts and deals with the impersonation Of char
acter on broad lines II is a splendid example
Of stagecraft. and it has the art Of concealing
the art In the third act he rises 70 the full
height Of tragic acting. is not theatrical but
truly dramatic and presents a picture Of the
ruined and paralyzed king which no sympathetic
spectator is likely ever to forget.
Enthusiasm is always bad form in London
While 'Herod" is attracting the intellectual
class OF playgoers. repels the social idlers and
pleasure lovers who are made uncomforta bic
whenever their emotions excited 'Herod"
is condemned by the smart sets CHASTITY
play. in which two corpses are brought upon
the stage on biers II is described morbid
work. which gets on everybOdy's nerves"
Lucky Shakespeare who wrote Romeo and
Juliet" with its charnel house scenes. genera
lions ago, when pIaygoers had not discovered
that they had any nerves and were quite willing
10 have their emotions stirred! 1t is a soft