New-York tribune., 1901-01-01
THE DRAMA.
TIE RETURN OF ADA REHAN.
NELL GWYNN.

NELL GWYNN.
-, pesan returning after long absence and
-,fv welcome hack again TO scenes shat she
- adorned and a capital In which she is honored
"a nrized made her re-entrance here last night
q ,ta KnicBerbocker Theatre, presenting a play
uoa .-sweet Nell OF Old Drury," by Mr.. Paul
-,.ster and impersonating the character of Nell
-, There IS no impulsive force In this slender
.ss fragile personality-the old, conventional
eco type OF piquant dexterity.-to arouse tho
- and serious feelings of this actress or TO
Ting her finest powers into full display; but the
-. is a pretty one and Miss Rehan acted II with
rh.rning grace. The employment upon which
.rroa. NelI' is shown TO be engaged in this play
g that Of protecting a youth 10 whom she has
~, a passing fancy. and who is I'm peril because
!, ,lo anlmosity of the malignant Lord Jeffreys
--.,s routh Sir Roger Fairfax. has befriended Nell
,--,rn and she is inclined TO love him: but she
ras.ntlv ascertains that he is i'm love with :he
80 olivia Vernon. one OF the wards of Lord
1~4-evs and that these lovers betrothed, and
.Ao,saster she contents herself with playing the
,,t AZ the good angel OF their lives. To this end
- becomes the mistress of King Charles H.
- .hen in a series OF critical situations the ac-
rsss and the Judge are opposed. and although
-. yudge obtains some temporary advantage In
,sc contentious encounter the Actress is ulti-
,,alv triumphant. Shakespeare has noticed that
/, s a bitter thing to look into happiness through
o,o,her persons eyes: there is slight.
.oneh OF that bitterness in the experience of Nell
cu,vnn as thus Indicated; but she does not suffer
nrh or long: her prevalent mood IS that Of frolic
ans this mood with Ada Rehan. actress.
sos ALWAYS been "a property OF easiness." She
tas only 10 be gay and expeditions. and the situa
,,ons are amply filed and the character is fully
shown.
In Mr. Kester's play. in all the other plays
,be subject of Nell Gwynn. from that of Douglas
Jerrold uSss to the present time historical fact is
tbrouvn 10 the winds: but this is a point of
rr,,c, importance. The object sought is the pre-
sentiment Of dashing woman who shows a mag
nnirnous spirit and adroitly defeats the malignant
vaccinations of cruel tyrant Lord Jenreys could
NOT have been Nell Gwynn's antagonist. at the
time Of this play, for he had not then emerged
from Obscurity, and il seems not very likely that
he would have been her antagonist at any time.
he serves all the same, for an excellent foil, and
Mr. Kester has constructed neat story and has
told il in a tolerably effective manner,-althOugh
his play is trivial and dffuse in incident. artificial
and distorted in character (the King and the
mobiles, in particular, being drawn little better
than garruluous and grizzling idots). and slow in
action IN first Fairfax and Olivia shielded
BY Nell GWynn's ingenuity, Fairfax escapes
rest as a prescribed traitor, and Nell meets
the King in the street before Drury Lane
Theatre. and. while ignorant of his identity.
fascinates him with her gleeful demeanor and
her glib and mischievOus talk. In act second
Nell has become the Kings favorite and is living
III
heard that Olivia Is 10 be forced TO wed Lord
Rochester. returns TO London and enters Nelrs
house, where. in view of the sudden arrival of the
King, he is concealed. Charles also seeks conceal
ent, upon the arrival of Jeffreys who has come TO
arrest Fairfax. and who, at first only succeeds in
discovering the King. At this point there is sharp
interchange Of pungent verbiage between English
Nell and her French rival. the Duchess of Ports
mouth. Fairfax is found and arrested. In third
Olivia. subdued by the autocratc Jeffreys, consents
10 marry Lord Rochester. condition that JEFF
freys will spare the life of her lover A private
examination of the case of Fairfax is held in the
house OF Jeffreys. and certain letters from Olivia
which would explain the youths return and
cuipate him from all wrOng-dOng,-are suppressed
by that wicked Judge but left In the pocket of
his robe. Nell finds opportunity 10 impersona.e
Jeffreys assumes his wig and gown finds those
letters. and in that disguise, berates Olivia and
sends her to the protection OF the Queen. In the
fourth act Fairfax is questioned by King Charles,
Hho has become suspicious and jealous of him.
Jeffreys impOrtunes the monarch TO sign the death
warrant, and this eventually is done. The triumph
of the cruel Judge. however is only momentary-
Nell Gwynn arriving at the pivotal instant with
a complete explanation and with the vindcatory
letters 10 prove her The warrant is destroyed:
Jeffreys is defeated and disgraced: Rochester and
the Duchess Of Portsmouth are discounted: Fairs,
fax is pardoned; the marriage of Fairfax and Olivia
is sanctioned: and Nell Gwynn secure in the royal
favor magnanimous and beneicent exults in her
victory and is happy in her monarchs love.
Ada Rehan has played many better parts than
Nell Gwynn, but this part elicits her impetuosity
her gleeful mischief her railery and her force of
intellectual character She manifested il the in
variable iuency Of accomplished actress and
played it in that large fine style-invOlving free
dom Of movement. breadth OF gesture distinction of
aspect and spontaneous ease of executiOn,-fOr
which her acting has long been distinguished. She
CID not seem much 10 sympathize with the part
but she developed and modelled ii with abundant
delicate tracery and with many touches OF hunor,
and al certain moments she moved her audience
which was numerous and dstinguished-tO great
enthusiasm. There were four curtain calls after
each act Excellent incidental music was furnished
by Mr.. Frederick w Ecke.