The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-03-07
THEATRICAL.
"The Only Way"


Henry Miller deserves by right to
rank as the foremost of American
romantic actors. He demonstrated this
last night by his wonderfully vivid por-
trayal Of the character of Sydney Car
ton in 1.-THE Only Way" a dramatizn-
ton of Dickens "a Tale of Two Cities"
Mr.. Miller is not star who is the pro-
duct of a night. A man Of undoubted
talent. he labored long and earnestly
to achieve the position in the stage
world that Is now his. In Hearts
ease" he made an enduring name for
himself and by occasional excursions
into tragedy showed that he was not a
one-part actor.
In 1.-THE Only Way" has come his
greatest opportunity and how well he
has taken advantage Of 1t the immense
audience that packed the Lyceum last
night, from orchestra pit to gallery.
amply testified. Mr.. Miller received
tributes of applause that must have
been gratifying to any actor. There
are those who criticize adversely Mr..
Miller's mannerisms, and term 1t sign
Of affectation truly great actor would
not employ. No actor has yet risen Of
Individuality sufficiently strong to mark
him as one apart from the herd who
has not been followed by the same cry
as witness Booth, an Irving and n
Jefferson. Let those who care to hang
objections on Mr.. Miller's peculiarities
of style say on. but they must admit
when they dispassionately analyze the
man and his work that seldom have
they seen a more convincing portrayal
Of character that does not readily
respond to the actors touch than MIR.
Miller gave last night in Sydney Car
ton. 1t was admirable. In presenting
the wayward, talented Engiishman he
never struck a false note. He was al
ways the man Of truly noble heart.
whose dissipated habits robbed him OF
high position in society and perhaps
Of the love and peaceful home sur
roundings his better nature cried out
for. 1t was always Carton from the
moment the curtain arose and disclosed
him in drunken stupor In his apart
ments in London until he mounted the
guillotine in Paris as the only way TO
save the life of Charles Darney, the
betrothed of the woman he loved. The
way he held his audience was not tho
least remarkable feature of the per-
formance. Mr. Miller has the magnet
ism that gives an actor the power to
move and SWAY an audience, a power
the poor hummer all too frequently
lacks.
The play follows closely the lines Of
Dickens story, Freeman Wills. who did
the dramatizng, having made only
few minor changes. For the purposes
of the drama it was deemed best to
have Charles Darney go to Paris i'm
mediately after he became betrothed to
Lucie Manette, instead Of some years
after their marriage. The woman who
goes to the guillotine with Carton is
| Mimi, whom he rescued from deprHved
surroundings in Paris and took to Eng
land, where she became the servant of
| the Manettes, returning with them to
| Paris when they followed Darney there.
| Dickens has Carton go to death with
| a timid woman who was much i'm
| pressed by Cartons noble conduct in
| taking Darney's place on the guillotine.
| These changes We're wrought to i'm
| prove the heart interest. Mimi in an
| affecting scene telling Carton of ner
love for him just before they are called
| to meet the eXecutioner. The drama
| tization has been carefully done and
preserves all that is best in dramatic
way in Dickens story. 1t was splen-
didly presented in the matter of seen.
| cry, costumes and accessories.
| The company assisting Mr.. Miller
contains number of good actors, those
| who attracted the most favorable conf
ment being old John II. Stoddart. who
| was seen in the role Of Mr.. Lorry. and
Margaret Dale, the Lucie Manet:e OF
the cast. The court room scene In the
third act was awful in it's suggestion
of the bloodthirsty character OF the
people who ruled Paris in the days OF
| the revolution.