The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-01-21

gutter, she falls 70 II and still lower to the sewer
underneath. She Is immoral wiltully, wantonly.
and glad Of II Such il the character which Mrs.
Langtry has chosen 70 exploit We have had
many a MASTER play on the same theme, but none
which, when all the attendant circumstances
are considered, has deserved more emphatic con-
domination.
The public that was not very apprcciatve
Of the unconventionalidss Of MY Lady's Lord,
as played by Mr.. Frohman's artists at the Empire
accepts with ayidity the palpable humor and
pathetic sentiment Of Brother Officers" Leo
Trevor has told . plain story plainly with no
theatrical tricks and no dramatic excitements.
II will be far more popular than half the witty
and ingenious plays. II brings tears TO the eyes
at the very time that the lips ore smiling, Many
a siege scene meant to he heartrending is not so
because OF its artifciality. The opposite is so
In Brother Officers As In the first act Of Cath
crime" usual sorrows seem peculiarly grievous
because they are naturally and sympathetically
presented, "One touch Of nature makes the
whole world kin" That explains the unex pect-
eddy positive success Of the piece AT the Empire.
Viewed critically and coldly, II might he lowered
to q slight value. The construction in awkward
70 the point of being amateurish. The attempts
at wit are seldom happy. Some weak limitations
Of humor are gotten out Of q girl being the daughter
of a pickle manufacturer. On the other hand.
a scene which might be inappreciatively set down
as absurdly simple Is exceptionally effective.
A low bonn Lieutenant is trying to be gentle
manly in his manners toward some ladies and
gentlemen. He has previously asked a brother
officer how TO behave. The advice has been,
for one thing, to be cordial. So he orders whiskey
for a dignified dean, champagne for two girls,
and, when they decline II, he urges the drinks
on them in the manner OF a barroom treater,
The Colonel Of the regiment says that the in
stincts Of a gentleman should have taught him
not TO do such q thing. TIL really modest and
manly fellow is abashed and grieved, A young
Countess comes TO his aid. She declares that
she is thirsty and she makes all the guests drink
a toast To him for q deed Of bravery II may
hardly seem to the reader that such a scene could
set tears dropping from the spectators eyes. II
does. however, by reason Of its naturalness. and
honesty. The play here and throughout is
almost faultessly acted. Nothing better than
Mr. Favershsm's self conscious officer, than
Mr.. Stevens's asseruve scoundrel. and Miss
Anglin's gracious lady, This actress can put
more tears into fewer words and less motion than
any one else now on the American stage. Her
/, vocal and facial expression Is the distillauon
| Of feeling. This emotional facility is a detri-
ment To the play in one particular. Miss .Anglin
impersonates an aristocrauc girl, who, though
| admiring Mr, Fayersham for his martial bravery
| and sympathizing with him in his social endeavor,
| is sincerely in love with another and less worthy
on Ger, her cousin, represented admirably by
| Mr. Standing. There Is a scene in which Faver
| sham tells her Of his disg raceful origin. She
is moved TO pity and esteem him. Her kindness
| makes him believe that her heart is moved in
another and deeper way. He loves her and
believes that she loves him. The author meant
that he should mlscons,rue her kindly interest,
But the audience should no, be fooled, too. Some
thing in Miss Anglin's speech and bearing should
indicate 10 the people ACROSS the footights that
her regard for him is no, that Of a sweetheart.
But there is no such thing, II ever a girls voice
and manner told q fellow that she loved him this
one does, and. no matter II no word Of avowal
or assent passes between them, the observers
would give him q verdict for heavy damages in
a breach OF promise suit without leaving their
seats.
A thing that strikes the professional observer
forcibly in The Degenerates" Is its close resem-
blance TO Lady Windermere's Fan" The main
difference is that Oscar Wilde's play was q good
one and Sydney Grundy's is not, Both dramas
show substantially the same persons in the same
situations. and with almost precisely similar
third act climsxes. In three ways Lady Win
dermere's Fan" was the better. 1t was logical. it
was sympathetic and Il was clever. All these
things The Degenerates" Is not Take the crucial
scene OF both for comparison. II shows a wife
who goes to a bachelors rooms because she il
Jealous Of her husband. and is persuaded to re-
turn home without further misconduct by the
woman who is the cause Of her reckless act In
both plays this rescuer Is discovered in the mans
room after the wife has escaped. In Lady Win
| dermere's Fan" she was the erring wife's mother.
| though the world did not knowit She had earned
a bad reputation. but had reformed in the hope
that she might some time tell the daughter Of
her parentage. In this she was assisted by her
| son-inlaw, and their friendship was misconstrned
by the wife, when the mother saw her own child
IN danger she rescued her, thus sacrificing all
| the respect she had gained, and all hope Of ever
being regarded az pure again. Here was some
| thing pitiful and pathetic. There was a logical
| reason for the sacrifice. In THE Degenerates"
the woman who takes upon her own shoulders
| the wife's folly has no plausible motive. She
| and the other are enemies. Her explanation
is a ntful desire to be good. Thus MrGrundy
| supplies neither sound logic nor fearful senti-
L mtnt ITO univ pVh' III "h'NH '' N'P' -
weaker than the original. is the lack OF wit Oscar
| Wilde told his play in continuously clever dia-
| logue. Mr.. Grundy is bright only spasmodi-
| cally, and even then it is little better than bur
| lesaue comicality. The best line in the piece
| comes at the end Of the third act, when the thwarted
villain says to q duke: You're the devil himself"
| The retort is: oh, then we'll meet again" 1t
brings Laughter and applause at the fall Of the
| curtain, but compared 10 Oscar Wilde's clever
| ness il Is childish. Time worn situations and
| contrasts dear to the heart Of the dramsust are
used, by Mr.. Grundy so bunglingly that they are
no. ~cfectual Al the end Of the frst &C. a hus-
band and wife have quarrelled. She keeps from
weeping before him until a servant can come
in and turn out the lights. Then in the glory
Of a green calcium she drops on her knees and
cries the curtain down. This device has been
used many, many times, yet when well done II is
always effective. But here the husband orders
the lights 10 be put out while his wife is still stand.
| ing there. That is not natural.
How differently such a scene was managed by
that master OF stagecraft, A. ". Pinero. in The
| Princess and the Buttsrny'! Mr.. Grundy's A.