New-York tribune., 1901-10-08
THE DRAMA-MUSIC.
,,p HawTREY AT THE GARRICK.
"a MESSAGE FROM MARS"

-..-ies Hawtrey warmly commended to the
N-or,csn playgoing public by the popular applause
:. london and by the critical approval OF the
% % ,,., mess appeared last night at the Garrick
lis. in Mr Robert Ganthony's play called "A
,o from Mars" and, by a performance OF
-,,ona1 variety. gained the favor Of a numer-
audience The play relates to trite theme
-. :. e. novel in character ingenious IN construc-
-, continuous in movement, and vivacious in
I :, pronaptly inspires interest, and it steadily
"a. sympathetic attention. II has the advan-
- fa-,hermore, of several clever and effective
L.nical devices of scenic change. The theme is
= -,eeneration of a selfish man under the rigorous
..,s-Iine of adversity. The constructive method
lo,s the old expedient of the dream. Having
g.. d,splayed himself a hard egotist. the hero
Ius asleep and. in his sleep. he dreams of hard
sjns and rniseries into which he has been plungel.
,,n5er the stress Of which his moral nature is
used and his mental vision clarified The
,,.o,ion of those hardships and miseries is the
bstanoe of the play-as long ago it the sub
,.nre Of the Dickens story OF Marley and
-ooee Novelty of treatment has been pro-
sae5 ty the Enthusiastically humorous introduce
-, of messenger from the planet Mars
- assumes control of the hero. 10 direct his
.-u,es to guide his actions. affiict his heart
"a 10 impress, enlarge. and dignity his mind.
This messenger,-lke the masked angel in Parnelrs
atIe-rnit ''-pu-sues. and accomplishes his re-
,o-nostory object by the drastic of bitter
o-;eree: 50 that. in the end, the sleeper, who
-, closed his eyes as an insensate egotist. opens
then as the incarn1te type OF active benevolence.
The ethics Of the play, manifestly. effusive and
s,,nerfcial Misfortune. while II may develop
cbarscter. does change its quality. Radical
selsshness is never transformed into radical self
dsnisl Generosity. if latent, can be awakened.
I'm, IL cannot he supplied where il does not natur-
civ exist The needless. thouchtess nature. II
inberentlv kind. is exalted and improved by trial
and sorrow Old Lear. when in his wretchedness
no beholds the wretchedness of others. says sim
rlr but very .loquently, "Oh. ! have ta'cn too
t,le care Of this" The intrinscally hard nature.
tbus sssailed would only be still further hardened.
PRETTY theories about human nature however have
alr,svs been agreeable to human vanity. and this
,l.r combining popular ethics with fanciful
artistic novelty. animated with the energetic.
executive spirit Of the passing hour. populoIs with
,ssasng persons striking with social contrasts
ana brisk with fluent dialogue. runs in the right
nth for success and probably will capture the
multitude wherever it is shown.
Mr. Hawtrey unfamiliar here. but long known
and admired in England. has been locally likened
10 Charles Mathews. whom he does not in the least
resemble and whom he does not, in any particu-
lar recall. The Mathews standard is not ap
prnached by any comedian now visible. and the
less said on that subject the better. But Mr. Haw
trey has an alert. crisp and vigorous style Of his
OWL which is meritorious for signal virtues. with
cut reference the comedy giants of the past His
art is 50 fluent that ii seems unpremeditated, and
merged himself in fictitious character and is
longer seif-conscious. His is rapid. his
aereanor easy his voice agreeable. his elocution
spontaneous and clear. He passes nimbly and
naturally from mood to mood, and he allows the
hcdy-in its carriage. posture and expression-to
denote the motions of the mind and the changes of
the heart Pathos he does not indicate. Tenderness
he may possess, but he does express it. His
vein is dry hunor,-a humor that TO be
casual and sccidental.-and his artistic method of
embodiment and portrayal is that of nonchalant
Indifference. playful sarcasm. and airy banter. In
the preliminary waking moments of Horace Parker.
in this play, he had to the insensate self
ishness Of a thoroughly self-indulgent man.
acting little things and totally needless of the
welfare Of others, and this he did with many
ieHciiess physical proceedings and especially with
CRY and telling infections Of tone whereof the
iFene drolery made all the more irresistioly
funny by his dense and perfect gravity. In this
preliminary Parker offends his betrothed
sweetheart and repels A wretched outcast. In later
senes-in the course Of his dream-he IS himself
reduced rags and houseless destitution. Through
this episode the comedian bore himself well but
his excellence is shown at a glance: there are
depths 10 b. explored. He made an emphatic hit
with the house. and he repeatedly recalled.
The play aims distinctly at a humanitarian result.
for sets The squ2lor Of the poor IN direct contrast
with the luxury OF the rich and by means of the
Messenger rom Mars. ii breaches quite a little
sermon. Of the usual commonplace character. on
the utter selhshness Of mankind Such talk always
SOUNDS well. and in some quarters II may. perhaps
he needed: but while there is much evil in this
world, there is also much good and charity is by
no means absent. Among the associate perform
ances one Of rare excellence-the embodiment OF
oroken-doTn inventor. a tramp-was given
ny NJ. Robert Pateman. and that old comedian
"a fayoTie here in the earlier days of Edwin Booth
vas welcomed with cordial kindness and rewarded
WIZ heartfelt piaudits The cast is ample. and
several sketches Of particular merit added to a
general effect OF truth Miss Jessie Bateman
-iss Ethel Holingshead ana Mr. Arthur Playfair-
me latter as London policeman-deserve especial
mention Everybody will see A Message from
Mars and viii Ike q ". w