The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-03-27

=...Ye Neatre5... 8

stage pictures OF which the produc.
lion Is made up.
| IL represents "A prison court yard
where are confined the aristocrats.
The stage Is full of people represent
ing different personages.
Something OF their several character
isties is disclosed in the preliminary
J dialogue.
! After a time come the committee and
guard % take away the prisoners DOOM
! ed that day TO the guillotine.
One by one the names OF the con-
| demned are called and as each passes
through the guards and ,out OF the
| prison 10 20 TO execution. entertaining
individuality is displayed In the way
the sentence rs received.
Some are weak and rave. Some are
strong and defiant. one young gallant
complains that his game OF chess is in
terrupted just as he was about to
checkmate his opponent. OF two men
or the same name called, one volun-
teers to go without asking a decision
as TO which is meant. a mother is
torn from her child.
Thus is conveyed TO the audience an
idea OF one of the most terrible scenes
enacted daily during the Terror. Ii is
chapter OF living narrative
Another moving tableau is the scene
OF the Festival, gorgeous ensemble
introduced. In another scene in a hall
OF prison Robespierre left alone has
dream in which the ghost of the vic
Tins OF the guillotne appear.
The nnal act pictures the hall OF the
National Convention and the downfall
OF Robespierre. IL Is the mlghtiest, the
showiest, the noisiest the most splen-
fore.
In only one other scene than that
between Robespierre and his son is
there anything approaching dramatic
action minus the gorgeous picture ef-
fects and that is a meeting between
Robesplerre and the mother OF his son
represented by Miss Terry.
The production Is thus "a series OF
magnificent pictures designed to Illus
trate single incidents, some historic,
others faBciful, in the life of the no.
torious Incorruptible.
There is no especial attempt TO dem
onstrate the character of Robespierre
and there is only the faintest thread
10 connect the series OF events pic
tured.
In "Robespierre." the pictures the
thing and the pictures are on lavish
scale.
Half an hour OF Shylock and Portia
would be worth dozen evenings of
such massive loosely jointed specta-
cles as "RobesDierre.
AS melodrama IL does not approach
THE Bells" of course not
As a character portrayal the name
part is insignificant while to Miss Terry
is afforded only the most meagre OPP
portunity for displaying her gracious
self or delighting her auditors with |
her marvellous voice.
And even considered as n spectacle
"Robespierre" falls below king Ar |
thur which was the chief production |
of the last Irving engagement And |
IL is easy to recall a number OF Sardou |
productions which are more convincing, |
and OF higher dramatic quality.
'Robespierre" Will be repeated this |
evening.
The Irving engagement closes tomor-
row evening with THE Merchant OF |
Venice" remembered from previous 4
visits as an Incompatible representa-
tion OF one of the most generally popu-
lar OF the dramatic masters works.
with such a Shylock and such Portia
as are hardly 10 be seen these days un-
less there is the good fortune 10 have
Henry Irving and Miss Ellen Terry re-
spectiyely to portray them.