New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-06-17
LONDON DRAMA.
An ENGLISH RIP VAN WINKLE-IN-
GENIHES BYPLAI WITHOUT REAL
ISN Oh POETIC IMAGINATION
London. June -

London, June -
NJ Trees RIP Van Wrinkle pleased an English
frs --E-- audience and was duly applauded.
Tbase Hrc had never seen Mr.. jefferson act the
---- had DO g-econceivec notions respecting II.
and wa-. inclined 10 pronounce il one Of the
fues- ~ lLr. Trees character studies. It bore
evidence ~ a great deal Of painstaking effort
and =-lry in the bypiay, ard had been care
fully se.r5.d out il detail This is Nj. Trees
creates talent He is Ingenious in little points
OF stage business Whether he is Mark Antony
CT Fa-star 1r Bottom 0r Rip Van Wrinkle. he in
vents -aa stage devices and fresh bits of by
play. and vEIl 10 sinEle stroke is important
the combined effects or this elaboration Of de-
tai impress .re spectator with the actors YER
s4tz-ltg AID individuality. His Rip Van Wrinkle
L d complex and intricate study Of stage by
play rather -Ean # character Il lacks the
touch ar .lra- the Inspiration Of human nature
which Nj Jefferson has impaired to the i'm
p@rso-a-I.--
As an American who had grown up from boy
hoo6 under The spell Of Mr.. Jeferson's art, I
vas perhaps iHczpaciJared for enjoyment OF Nj
Trees performance. I found myself wishing at
ever Turn thar the byplay would cease and Rip
De- allowed rg come out il his simplicity and
essentially human uaturalness. The. part seemed
70 he O. have been elaborated and enriched il de
tai Until poor. easyEoing. reckless. sweet natured
Rip Vas crowded entirely out of it. Alack, for the
lost art Of conCealine art. The most ingenious
byplay within the inventive resources Of stage
czft is a poor substitute for realism lighted up
by poetic Imagination It Is like the paint. rouge
and enamel Of an actresses makeup for the stage
which stand in the way Of subtle play of facial
expression the glow or paIing Of color in the
cheeks under stress OF emotion and the free
movement Of gesture. Nine. Elean0ra Duse
alone has the courage to neglect the accessories
q makeup and % 90 on the stage with her gray
hair and her face without paint or rouge; and
without artificial devices the color comes and
goes as she acts. and there IS the natural
method OF expressing the light and shading OF
human feeling Rip Is q simple child Of nature
for whom artIice is unsuitable The wealth OF
Nj Trees byplay impoverishes his art Of i'm
PRESERVATION. The devices are clever. unexpected
happily varied and resourceful. but Rip some
how is left out. and he is worth saving.
What is true Of the character applies also tt
the beautiful idyl Of the Hudson which Wash
ington Irving and Nj Jefferson between Their
have uerpetuated for the enjoyment Of Ameri-
cans Mr.. Tree has brought to his aid the ar
Of the scenic painter. the electrician and the
stag maehinist, and provided a wonderful set
ting FOR The play. There is a quaint Dutch vii
zge RG-h motley assembIage Of King Georges
soldiers. st9lid. copper faced Indians with feath
ers and llng robes, women with wooden shoes
suf colts and big earrings; and there is
Do-s-s-Qus, rOmping dance, in which the
Etage Is crowded with figures and bright
ened with color. There are lovely gIinpses Of
me haatsE-- Mountains and Of the weird gleI
where Hendrix Hudson and his merry men are
IN hiding 70 inveigie him into drinking the
twenty years sleeping potion. Electric Light
plays among the powders and crags, and IN
ednny laughter Is the accompaniment Of the
Eaoiuonai game OF ninepins- The stage ma
e1-List IS interchangeable in his efforts 10 render
u--H spectral scene elective and realistic, but
me devices ~ electric light and the nanPuvres
O -He g1F7l-s are wearisome; and when Rip
after Lrlls q gun at one Of them and hitting
nothing is caught up hy the leader Of the phan-
IONS -- 1gs-erlcaI dance and flung on the ground
II fright and beWiIderment the idyI has de-
generate into artificial rnelodrarna and the
poetic simplicity Of the story has disappeared
u ne cod blue haze Wonderful is Mr.. Trees
naAeuE IS the decregit graybeard IN the last
eet when he returns TO Failing Waters TO be
Hockec ~ by The villagers; but with all the in
genuity az the byPlay, the reflective spectator
misses the Dath0s and pensiye melancholy OF q
parable NJ human life. with its dIsappoin tments
sno illusions
M Tree has not been content TO leave a fan
lAsy Of old Dutch legend in its own environment
o. oreang haze he has enlarged the underplot
u Intrigue, built 10 q solid structure Of melo-
Crdnla s-frr Thar-i-Ly rfud5.tfvE v-frlai,