New-York tribune., 1901-02-05
THE DRAMA.
PLAY on RICHARD SAVAGE.
LYcEUM THEATRE.

l~s,senth century geese that Dr.. Jotzzson r!stook
- ~Uans-vas Te-ealeG last night a. the L.yceur,
-.sstre with Mr. Henry Miller. one q the most
sus.rious laborous, and conscientious performers
- IRE hour. e. lis central figure Mrs Ryley has
,rnsrently. been reading Dr. johnson and she
Gems "a have persuaded herself that Richard Saw
spe whom the good Doctor CONNIE rnorated IN :
most servent and expansive manner.-was long
srsering martyr. and that the time has come fer
IA translation by means OF an acted drama into
me glorious company OF The saints. To effect this
bssverly change the fancy OF the dranaatist has
eonjured up the image ~ clesnly. amiable anec-
,fo-ate English youth.-perIod Of George TT-vrho
IS devoted the precarieus vocation OF letters is
,f-tuously euamOUred OF handsome and ardently
-esnonsivs Young woman. but whose prospects of
social advancement and domestic happiness are
,,ogresslvelv marred. and ultimately blighted IN
rart through the operation Of his own inlpetuosls
temper. and m part through the active animositv
Of his mother This is the usual conventional ideal
~ genius under cloud. and. the play proceeds
,his ideal Is found n De surrounded with the usual
accessories The temperament and the per-
versey tumical circumstances devised for this
hero areas 70 intrinsic complexity-not al
-ogether unlike thOse that appertain 70 Sir
walter SCOTS advsnturer. IN The Fortunes
~ Nigel" Savage is shown as generally in the
tight but always seemingly IN the wrong He
frss his mother, bur is rejected by her. He stahs
a false friend ia casual quarrel he is op-
roses ~ rival IN the arena of love. He fights a
5usl he IS Uniustiy accused and imprisoned. The
mother. whose testimony might help him, viudic-
tively leaves him 10 his fate. Adversely proves
800 strong for any kindly influence IN his favor.
sra though hefricnded 10 the last by the woman
vrser h- loves. his tragic doom Of failure anc
run cannot he avertee he dies in prison. Just
~ has beer psr5one5 or vindicated-b-t ne dies
with .est upon his lips. Sequestrated from rel
svsaey 20 the story Of Richard Savage,--which n
S,es ror IL any way resemble.-rhs tale possesses
obviously useful elements; but novelty is not one
~ them The antipathy Of the mother for her or |
fpr!ng Is made emphatic and IL would appear that 4
tonally potential; but the mother who dslikes her |
child is not unknown IN fiction and is not rare IN 4
lie II this particular the story is not helped
rv her for hero does not become any more low /
abe because he cannot Placate his mamma and the 4
silence Of any other decisive witness-a virtuous
maiden aunt or an indignant discarded mistress
would have had the same disastrous effect The
rurpose OF the play was 10 excite compassion for
e gifted and unfortunate man, envlrened with
-i-turescue circumstances. this Is not tine
ar important purpose. and in this case il has not
teen pursued with any show Of special ability Dr..
johnson himself spoke OF '-foppish lamentatio
and Macaulay commenting thereon, deftly ex-
ribites the Doctors mood. People whose hearts
hsd been softene6 hy prosperity might cry, but all
thar could be expected Of a plain man was not 10
laugh"
NJ Muller who had acted Sidney Carton. was
naturally selected az suitable representative OF
Richard Savage The drift j. obvious. sidney
Carton was vsyVar5 man Of genius who rose 10
g. occasion Of heroisTn and died in manner al
pathetic and grand. Richard SAVAGE Il Is
assumed, is also man o. wayWard genus VINO
meets disaster bIithe,y, and dies n a way 10
merit fearful approbation. The actor of The one
part should be the actor of the other. There is
this slight dificulry-that man o. talent cannot
tmpsrsonate man a genus Mr- Miller. whether
G Carton or Savage. remains exactly as nature
made him. He IS careful correct Intelligent
agreeable showing the virtues OF native refinement
ard the results OF long and fesolute and patient
sbsg; hui he is sympathetic, he IS not authori
tztve he does not either sway the mind or touch
fhs heart he never even remotely suggests The
glamour of poetry.-'the light that never was on
see or land" For this reason he Is hard n scenes
of tenderness ana duh In passages ot pathos IN
the nFater eoloeues ne pleasant, gay. and
free rromentarly effective IN bits ot Inordant saT-
essu, and spirited even Y ext-avagant, IN ocea-
tonal outbursts % violent excitement He was re-
pestel.y recalled. after the third curtain and he
made q graceful and grateful speech. His pro-
traeted death scene nearly killed the play as
vel as tts hero. In This passage the style OF The
oranatist ford affected, and tndscTinlnate'
from the arst had become so grandloquent a
- suggest old ScrouEes appropriate counsel 70 me
Thost - Marley. Don't be hoWeTy, JACOB Is a /
han7v prerepr The veteran Joseph Wheelock 4
saved ar absurd scene az The beginning by MS
discreet and !mpassioned delivery Of long eA-
? ana ory exord.um owen Fswcett cordially wei
coined trUthfuIy reproduced the usual stage carl \
cs.rre n old CcTey Cibber-hrst SET in motion by 1
Charles Reade. The most consistent and finished en-
hoo!uert OF the night was that Of Lord TyrconneI
~ Charles Cherry. The text II garnished Win NAV
venerable chestnut" relative 70 CIbbers first SAL
So Mrs OldAeld. OF whom Il Is recorded that
though she aided Savage she did not like him, and
v-oulo never allow him 10 enter her house, figures
as one q Mrs Rvey's charcters ard Is depicted
sraroured Of her hero. There is a good DIT or
uaelocrauatic invention in the slaughter OF the
noisy Mr Sinclair a. the end Of the fourth act-a
Foy, cf variant on the slaughter of the rascal IN
Arizona IN general the incidents are preposter-
Gus -he acting with little exception. was indlf- 4
;s-eut. and the drama is cursed with dllness
Attention will probably, be directed 10 the oi- /
oFraphies OF Richard Savage. and persons VINO have
.ever before heard Of that literary vagaoond WI! 4
max themselves familiar with the scandal. ruf- /
aanis-a and soualor that marked his career. His 4
birth Is said 10 have occurred IN london II l'sH
He dise - debtors prison al Bristol, IN lis ano
ia the following year Dr- johnson wrote IRE
~ him which Is included IN that great aUtAo1
Lives Of the Poets" Johnson had personally
known Savage ~ some time between the spring Of
rs and the summer % I75s-when the former was
&. thirtsth year and the latter in MS forueth-
Rad heard savsges story, from savage's lips ana /
had accepted Il for gospel truth, II was an Ugly 4
story. and II has descended 10 poster1ty in all It's
py.sure ugliness. Savage claimed 70 be the 4
nstursl son Of Anne Mason Countess OF Maeeles-
field snd the Earl OF Rivers The Countess was /
divorced from the Earl Of Nacciesheld by act OF /
Parliament ard sor the best ot reasons.-although /
she steadily protested her innocence.-in 1885 The /
pa teity OF her son born II that year. ascribe5
n the Earl OF Rivers and by him acknowl- I
edged The mother. however always afterwarc /
declared that the son had died IN childhood. and /
rhe Esrl of Rivers. accepting this declaration as
true, passed away. IN i7i2 without having made /
any aentsry provision for their waif Of sin
The LADY subsequently became the wife OF a ceT- /
tain Colonel Brett. and Mrs Brett, she lived 70 |
the venerable age Of eighty, or more dying az her
house IN Bond-st London. in I75S Savage may. /
or may not have been her son. II he was. she |