The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-23

able him to mentally clothe the skeleton
characters TO which the arranger has been
obliged TO confine himself. but as a spice
that will sharpen appreciation OF what
the young man has accomplished. The
four acts OF Becky Sharp" unfold the
story logically and with considerable com
pleteness. The method OF construction
employed Is not entirely conventional
and while occasionally the dialogue is or
binary. the wit cheap. or the purpose ap-
parent. triHing defects are forgottea in
the tout ensemble. The product is con-
stantly and consistently interesting. often
working to a point at which the effect
achieved is that Of intense excitement.
The we'll builded and perfectly interpreted
scene between Becky, Rawdon Crawley
and Lord Steyne is sufficiently powerful
and stirring TO atone for the dizziness of
the succeeding twenty-five minutes.
In magnificent and scholarly criticism,
published in the New York Tribune of
September IL. William Winter complained
That. while there were unpleasant charac
ters in Vanity Fair" the histriouic YER
sion contained nothing else. "The lights
are low" he said. land the shadows
darker. This is nearly true. and espe-
claily oil the titular parsonage of the
piece. In the novel. Becky-cheat lar,
thief. imposter. presumed adultress: con
scienceless. and sanguinary-stiI pos
sesses qualities that partially neutralize
her depravity. She mas the saving grace
OF humor; she is blithe. buoyant brilliant:
she owns heart and is capable of feel
ing. Though she particularly excuses
herself by laying stress on an account OF
her misguided childhood, the play Becky
Is hardly better than the incarnation OF
h.
pocrisy. and repulsive selhshness. She
has all the insidiousness OF the legendary
Gree. with much OF the sordid valgarity
OF a Mrs. Benfore. Nretchedly remorse-
less and abandoned. she is the worst OF
the creatures made tolerable by modern
fiction. Camille. ZaZa. even Sappho gave
themselves for love-Becky sells her body
without passion and without heed. That
amount of her marvellous good nature that
has not been lost in condensation is the
one sympathetic trait left her. All the
rest is repulsive. disagreeable, or pitiabie.
The fact that the character continues
to absorb the attention aud hold the
thought. principally is a tribute to that
splendidly gifted and wonderfully intel
lectual woman. Minnie Maddern Fiske. The
portrayal is the essence OF intelligence. in-
ference. and intensity; the evident result
its variety is infinite and its well concealed
effort enormous is putting the matter mild
ly Mrs. Fiske's Becky runs the gamut
from seeming purity and candor to mordant
bitterness and relentless anger; from the
delicious sarcasm OF her dialogues with
Lady Bareacres TO the shame. passion. de-
lirium. and despair Of that In which her
husband and her lover also have a share.
The commonly drawn woman OF the world
could no. nc more thoroughly realized. As
Col. Rawdon Crawley. that long buried
actor. Maurice Barrymore does what the
writer believes to bet the finest work of his
an irnpersonation that hard
ly admits Of criticism because II is rather
than seems to be the man whom Thackeray
painted Augustus Cook erstwhile Napol-
con, in Madame Sans Gene contributes
an expeetedly admirable delineation Of
Lord Steyue while the several bits done
by Robert V. Ferguson Wilfrid North
Stanley Rignold. William F. Owen. Charles
Plunkett. Zenaide Williams. Mary Mad
dern. and Ida Waterman are such as might
be anticipated from those weliknown play.
ers.
The period-oRe of military pomp and
civil vanity-sives exhaustive
for magnificent costurning
and of these the fullest advantage is taken
The settings shown are beautiful and sub
stantial. something more than mere scant-
ling and canvas That OF the ballroom at
Brussels has never been surpassed in a
local theatre The same may be remarked
Of the stage management. which in this
act. is worth long study Indeed. from
author and star TO wardrobe mistress.
Becky SHARP is a brilliant achievement
The manner in which it was accepted last
night indicates that. through its means.
Mrs. Flske will ground herself even more
solidly in the confidence esteem aud sym
plthy of the public.