New-York tribune., 1901-08-27
THE DRAMA.
NON CESAR AT THE CRITERION.
"a ROYAL RIVAL"

Il NJ q
49, - - suain G6sl TO 17OO, and Don Caesar de
80, an impoverished nobleman, for the love OF
: Lesuttful gypsy, named Maritana-a contention
= ,,tcb Don Csnsar is ultimately victorious. The
u. ~ NAV has been made by Mr.. Gerald du Maui
- - Isor ~ the admired and lamented artist. who
-. - .~rrfbv'0 The figure Of Don Cesar de
T7azan has been familiar on the stage for more
~ half a oentury-always an enjoyable ngure
-o,.s Welcome and likely enough to be received
.,,b favor now that it has reappeared after tenn
,-,, eclipse There was need Of a new play
- the subject however and the new play viii not
decredit the old one.
Nessrs Dumanois and Dennery wrote the orig
..l the French comedy, and il was produced at
.se Porte ST Martin Theatre in Paris. with the
,-uIsnt Frederic Lemaitre as Don Cesar. Gilbert
.hhot A'Beckett and Mark Lemon made an Eng
,,b version Of the French play. and brought il out
=, the Princess's Theatre, London, In 1874 with
names w wallaok che elder) as the Don-and Wal
1,cy was long pre-eminent and Incompatible in the
oharacter, by reason Of his grace. humor and
snarEling leyity his remarkable personal beauty
and his finished artistic style The play was speed
Tv produced December, 1910 in New-York. first at
NttchelTs Olympic. with Charles Walcot CHE elder)
as Don Caesar. and then al the Park, with that
-igbtly Irishman, ". II. Crisp, the gay cav
slisr. Two other English versions Of the French
-,yinal were promptly launched-one by Dion
Bouccault and one, called "A Match for King
nv Charles Mathews-whOse acting was accounted
very fne IN Il Lester Wallack adopted Don Caesar
IN
buoyant breezelike. dashing and delightful
nature and art having in his case, combined 10
make a perfect light comedian Edwin Booth also
acted Don Cesar-n his peculiar vein OF tu-
,nultuous hIarity and with his never falling charm
Of personal fascination. The character Of the
Don Il will be remembered. occurs IN Victor Hugos
''guy Bias" GS3S), and when that play was nrst
.r,ca in Paris-with 1,emaitre Ruy Blas,-St.
Firuin was conspicuously effective as the
cav. dissolute. rufiing soldier Of fortune.
Nobody could improve on the original ideal. Don
rpssr is Nercutio-with a difference. The old
characters diluted and the old incidents rearranged
n not in all respects the old postures OF circum-
stance reappear in the new play. and the same
old results are pursued by. at least, slnulacrum
Of the same old devices In the Beckett-Lemon
version there IS a conspicuous tinge OF the insin-
cer,,, nf roranee,-or, perhaps unreality would be
q better word TO describe it-and In the treatment
~ she credulous Marquis and Marchoness. there |
IS touch Of farcca Stiffness It formerly taxed the
artistic skill OF such actors as John GlIperI ana
Mark Smith CFho have left no successors)' to make
the Marquis plausible and unconsciously hu-
rnorous IN the new version there is nothing orig
snal unless Il be verbiage and a bit OF silly |
rnelodrama with a pistol. The piece has become |
a serni-rnusical. seni-saltatory entertainment
song and dance interspersed with dialogue the |
fabric OF a sparkling theatrical intrigue twisted
into a medley; secondhand frolc, and the stale |
echo of good Jest. The tresome contemporary |
practice OF doing over again, for cowes and a /
market" work that has already been well done |
by men talent 10 whom their undermining adapt
ers are the mere pygmies Of merccnary traffic is /
aptly illustrated in this instance. Mediocrity Of |
every kind prevails and theatrical life scarce |
anybody touches any subject except with the single
purpose 10 squeeze money out Of It. One by all
the old themes seized and scrunched in this |
deadly mill OF popular experimentation and com
Inercial barter.
The principal parts are acted by Mr. Faversham |
Mr. Edwin Stevens. Mr Joseph Holland. Miss I
Julie Opp and Miss Jessie Busley. Mr.. Faver- |
sham's acting, when at its best, has shown re- |
5inement Of mind sincerity OF purpose, urbanity Of
disposition, and simplicity Of method. and, in a
congenial artistic ven-the character and the actor
being harmonous,-he would always impart a |
pleasing impression The character OF Don Cesar |
obviously, requires elegance. nghtness, buoyancy |
hexibility, dashing inpetuosity. and passionate |
force, combined with formidable, however ncipient
or sporadic, self-respect and self-command, and |
ironical drolery: above ALL the part is romantic
Mr. Faversham can be nonchalant and he can be |
whimsical; but conventional personality, dry |
voice, a metallic delivery, and a matter-of-fact |
derneanor neither expressive of gay audacty |
nor stmulatiye Of feeling. suggestive of TO
nance; and, as tn sc this actors distinguish
ing attributes, he seems unsuited for Don Caesar |
The part is well described by George Henry Lewes.
in his book about Actors and the Art of Acting
IeWes Frederick Lensitre as the Don: Here
was the union OF grace and tatters. Of elegance
stained his ermine and dragged his humor through
the wine shop and the brothel, but he had never
wholly lost himself. and had not perverted his
original nature Very shortly you perceived the |
real nature Of the underneath--the nature |
stained, spoiled by reckless dissipation; and |
IL was. therefore, surprise when, as the play |
proceeded, the nobler elements OF this nature as
serted themselves and Don Caesar claimed respect.
Bulwers felicitous epithet for De Mauprat con-
cisely desgnates Bazan-"a humorous daredevil"
An industrious and conscientious actor can saw |
wood" in Don Jose-or even in Don salluste.-
and answer the purpose: he cannot do il in Cesar
Temperament is despotic. Even the great kemble |
when he tried 10 act Don Felix in The Wonder" |
was all Don and no Felix. The specific gravity OF
a specifically grave performance was considerably |
enhanced by Miss Julie OPP, as Maritana.-who' In
this play, becomes Marta. Mr.. Edwin Stevens |
who acted Dor Jose. gave distinct decisive, and
victorious performance Of the willy. crafty. plausi
bic, specious courtier. loving and pursuing pleas
nre, inwsrdly ambitious and INSCRIPTIONS out |
wardy bland and genial. pitessly selfish and capa-
pe OF any cruelty. yet, all the while, elegant and
attractive. In parts Of this sHen order, whether |
they be evil good. the art of this actor is sin
eularly delicate On this occasion Mr.. Stevens was
'he most distinguished figure in the group.
The female performers in it would win sue
cess and certainly would mpsrt more pleasure. II
uhey would train their voices. Nothing could be |
much worse than the harsh and distressing vocal
ism Of Miss OPP. unless. perhaps II the rasp-
Il'g ZONES and petulant. explosive delivery of Miss
Dusey' The latter acted with sincerity, and once |
" Twice with actual feeling. The former was con-
Nstehty raw, crude, and violent The amazing |
lpect OF the amatory monarch who pursued her |
'H'ehI however, explain her general condition of
rOo~ tomult Mr.. Faversham, enthusiastically ap-
feoed at the beginning and frequently called after
~ oA curtain. made speech" at one point say |
ing mat by hard work and a few more good
paf~ H ne hoped TO keep his place in Broadway |
49,. snould speedily have part better suited TO |
MN than that OF Don Cesar &c Bazan. Wv