New-York tribune., 1901-08-04
THE DRAMA.
THE NEW DRAMATIC SEASON

".
The existent conditions at the beginning OF ira
new dramatic season. not auspicious Tba
actors OF the period with few exceptions ara -
sons Of commonplace talent: the standard OF pnh,
taste is low and the stage is. for the most part A.
bad hands These facts are disagreeable but tha,-
are facts and it would be foolish to ignore then,
sputtering proclamatiOns are made. every hand
as to the purposes and plans of theatrical mar
ayers but these manifestOes of mercantile activitv
have. thus far. served only TO reveal or rather 70
emphasize. the weakness of the theatre and the
dulness of its prospects. Brilliant features in
deed. will become visible. but the number OF thero
will be few and the continuance of them brief
Henry Irving Coriolanus and in a round Of parts
Ellen Terry as Nine. Sans-Gene, Richard MansAeL5
as Beaueaire. Mrs Fiske the Magdalen Miss
Marlowe Juliet. James H. Stoddart as Laehlan
Campbell in THE Bonnie Brer Busn." E s WIN
ard In his old repertory Mr.. jefferson as Rip Van
Wrinkle. Edward Morgan in melodrarla. Nine. Mod
jeska IN tragedy and Ada Rehan in comedy-these
and few revivals. such "A Royal Family
Miss Crosman's Nell Gwyn. etc. are the prfncipaI
of promised joys The rest is experiment and medi-
ocrity. 1t is gravely stated. for example that
Nine. Sarah Bernhardt viii present herself as Ro-
meo. IN association with Miss Maude Adams as
Juliet and that Mr.. William Gillette will emerge
as Hamlet; while Mr.. Faversham and MIR. Hackett
will come forth as Don Caesar de Bazan. heading 4
long procession of utility performers who in this
period of commercialism. ''fH pit'-and boxes
as well as better The general outlook would be
ludicrOus II IL were not sad.
Henry Irving's season in New-York will begin on
October q and will end on November .. so that the
greatest OF living actors is to be used 5 a stop
gap. Miss Adams. whose performance of Juliet was
absurd beyond expression and tedious beyond en-
dUrance. cannot speak blank verse well. and Nine
Bernhardt cannot speak it at all, Yet these per-
formers Off the statement a dodge Of
the vulgar advertiser) cooperate in the
dissertation of of the greatest of poetic TRACE
dies. Miss Adams Furthermore. is to exhibit her
self Rosalind. in "As You Like IT.; happily
this spectacle will be reserved for the exclusive
edication of that highly intellectual class OF spec
tators denominated matinee girls" Mr. Gillette
Hamlet cannot be much worse than Mr.. Sothern
was. in serious point of view. and possibly he
may prove TO be comic The afflicted Dane has
been shown in many shapes. ranging from the cor
pulent Savini 70 the himsy Bernhardt. but he has
not hitherto been disclosed a steel rail
parlor-match II was once thought that an i'm
aginative mind a temperament of tremulous senst-
| bility and melodious voice among the quail
hcations indispensable to actor of Hamlet: but
times change. and theories change with times In
the days OF Forrest the Booths the WaIlacks. MUIR
/ dock. Vandenhof. Ceuldock. Mccullough. Stark.
| Barrett. Gilbert. Mathews, and Miss Cushman.
such players Mr.. Faversham. Mr. Gillette. Mr..
Hackett and Mr.. Miller would have been considered
walking gentlemen now they present themselves
as stars and as such they appear TO be accepted
Miss Virginia Harned-that amazing Ophela Of last
season,-wiI1 star will Miss Mary Mannertng;
and will Miss Bertha GalIand- But the name OF
these uninaTeS Is legion Fancy can out conJecJ-
ure what would become Of them II only one such
woman we're 10 appear Charlotte Cushman or
as Adelaide Nelson. What says the old poet, Sir
Henry wotton?
You rneaner beauties Of the night.
That poorly satisfy eyes,
More by your number than your light
You common people of the skies
What are you when the moon shall rise?
The experiment In PoIyglot drama-if that be inR
tended and II difficult to believe that any man
ager however speculative. would endeavor TO toist
upon serious attention a Romeo pattering Broken
English with a French nasal cadence, and that
Romeo an elderly woman trying to look Ike q
young man.-has several times been tried and naa
always been bore. Many years ago. at the VIM
ter Garden. "OthellO'' performed. with Booth
as Iago speaking English. Dawson. as the Moor.
speaking German. and Nine Methua-Seheller. as
Desdemora speaking both tongues after a fashion;
but, in that instance. the acting redeemed the
lingual tumble least 10 extent; for Davt-
son was superb OtheIO. particularly in the fifth
act and Edwin Booth IagO gave n performance
OF that part which has never been equaled or
approached. stage Yet even so. the mixture
OF languages affCtion- Other trials or this
sort have followed. duplicating the names OF Sal
vfnf Clara Morris. Mrs. Bowers, and others and
leaving memories of endurance heavily taxed and
OF patience weIlngh exhausted The mOnitions Of
experience. however. signify nothing. when op-
posed 20 the greed of pecUniary gain. and artistic
seusibiIites are but little likely be considered.
when dramatic circus tricks can obtain practical
appreciation Time will show. II may be Frittered
English that the town is to enjoy. it may be the
Pow-Wow OF the Tower OF Babel In either case,
this too will pass"
Among the plays that promised the most at
tractive are The Second in Command, by Cap
tain Marshall. author OF that charming bit OF satire
"A Royal Family. to be prese Eted by Mr. Drew;
1 and Colorado by Augustus Thomas now the
| leading dramatst of America IL Is more or less
significant that there 10 be several revivals OF
Shakespeare Henry Irvng's repertory. OF course.
includes The Merchant OF Venice, and this public
\ will again the best ShylOck of the age Mr.
| MacIean also kindly plays ShylOCk, with Miss
/ Odette Tyler Portia. Creston Clarke will act
Hamlet: so will Robert Mantsll; and it Is inti-
mated will Mr.. FOrbeS-ROOertsOn: the Dane, at
! any rate. Will not be lonesome. Productions oc
| The Tanning of the Shrew" have been planned by
| several couples. and il is hoped that Miss Rehan
(who Is In excellent health Notwithstanding news
| paper misrepresentation viii include her tncOm-
| parable Katherine in her repertory for the new
/ season. W. W.