New-York tribune., 1900-04-17
THE DRAMA-MUSIC.
JEFFERSON AS RIP VAN wrvKLr


And joy comes well. in such needful tirn.-
The OF Mr. jefferson. who appeared la,
night at the Fifth Avenue Theatre. as Rip Van
Wrinkle. Is a refreshing intlmation that beauty stn
has ner ministers. and that poetry and the great
art OF acting have yet been entirely submerged
by the antics Of buTOonery. the erotic RIA psodes
OF csrnal vice. and the hystsrical platitudes OF
commercial religion. Description and celebration
CT Mr. JeTerson's performance % Rip Van winkis
familiar 20 the readers Of this column but
while the topic has grown Old. IA has lost any
OF .ts charm. and imaginative minds stin
dwell upon IL with delight There are fortunately
some things that out. Suc1 poems "a
wordsworth's Margaret" Burns's "Cotter-
Byron's Farewell" and The Lament % Lady Anna
BothweIT' always touch the heart. and they can
not be read TOO often. Such impersonations a.
Henry IrvIng's Or. Primrose. John Hares Gold
finch, and Joseph Jenerson's Rip Van Winkls
have In them the perennial freshness % Nature
the light and warmth OF Inspiration and
no spectator capable Of understanding AMI
feeling all that they mean can ever grow tired or
them. Mr.. jefferson has put world % sug-
gestion into Rig Van Winke. making il
a vehicle for the expression. not alone of hts
wide knowledge Of human experience but OF his
acute and subtle sense OF spiritual environment.
and he presents the character with a fidelity thar
makes his portrayal not much imitation os
life life Itself At further than this
when II takes 4 theme of absolute simplicity and
makes II representative of the common destiny %
mankind: for every career however grand and
brilliant II may oufvardly passes through ths
process, beginning in a hope. lapsing into a
dream. and ending in weakness and sorrOw-tha
pathOs OF lonely age. forgetting and forgot Every
biography as o this. tells the story Hopes
disappointed; ties broken; ambitions are
thwarted friends drop away; health fails; envy
malice and make more bitter the sense o;
failing powers and the clouds gather the
goes down. II the image Of human life that
is presented By Mr. jefferson We're not irradiatzd
with humOr and warmed with tenderness II would
be the saddest impersOnation that ever the stage
has disclosed The humor not only brishJens but
endears it; and perhap the most benefCent influence
that IS dinused by this great actor is MS impart-
ment of the sweetness the fortituda. the resigus-
ton. the loving charity and the cheerful patience
that dignity old and hallow r.. and somehow
make it less suggestive OF the mournful life that
closing here than of the radiant immortality that
may be opening somewhere else. Thus, the Old
poet beautifully has written:
The souls dark cottage. battered and 6ewrayed,
Lets in new light. through chinEs that Time has
made"
Il Is probable that much more could be done
scencalIy than has been done TO invest the
ghost u the drama OF RIP Van Winks'
with atmosphere Of mystery and feeling Q;
awe; but actor could do more than Mr. Jefferson
has done in his artistic treatment OF those scenes
TO liberate and emphasize the spiritual element IN
them 1t his own plan,-imparted 10 Dion
BoucCault, and adopted BY that dTamatst, when
the piece rewritten in 1SG5.-that the wander
ing vaga bond of the KaatskiIIs should 90 all the
speaking and that the ghosts OF Hudson and his
crew should remain silent. His Indication Of the
tremor.-showing through the half humorous. hals
wistfu and altogether f5rlorn assumption or cOUr-
age. when Rip is confronted with those ghastly
spectres.-has always stirred the Imagination and
aroused a deep, peculiar shuddering sympathy.
This effect was again produced. and with all
its old thrill and the broken wanderers recognition
scene with his daughter again carried with al
the power that resides in simplicity and truth-hs
massive. emotional power that flows out Of deep
heart. and the strenuous artifCe OF physical
exertion that skaters Itself in frenzy OF noiss
and show
Among the auxfliar impersOna tIons that OF Hen
drck Vedder the young sailor. by Joseph Jefferson
jr. should be recorded exceptional for coz
sistency and finish The violence OF Gretchen wss
particularly we'll expressed by Miss Paget. Il has
always been defect Of the play that Rip Is made
TO speak of his wife I'm rather harsh and cynical
way: least. the words spoken by almost
anybody but Joseph Jefferson would have thar
effect After the last curtain Mr. Jefferson happily
responded TO enthusiastic call for speech and
II long before his audience Of afectionats sd-
mirers would allow him say good night
" w.