The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-11-20
AN IDEAL HUSBAND
WELL PRESENTED
The Neills Present an Artistic
Performance Of Wllde's
Masterpiece

With the passing of Oscar Wilde from
the ranks of the playwrights, the mod
ern stage lost much, it's audiences more,
Dealing more particularly with the
nbases of the upper circle of
London political and social life,
in a manner that made the first act last
night with the ascendancy of Lady Chill
tern over her husbands life and career
somewhat strained to an American audi
ence. Wilde yet dealt so brilliantly with
the problems that vex all society, at
home and abroad, shows the mote and
the beam in the universal eye. the I'M
dercurrent of political and social success,
and paints a moral that adorns the tale
with such witty. pointed aphorisms. that
one can but deplore the scarcity of his
productions
There is. too, always pretty love
story to offset the pessimism that seems
reecho of wildes own unfortunate
lapses.
As in Lady Windermere's Fan, when
the club man, responding to the speech,
I'VE are all of us in the gutter" replies,
yes but some of us are looking up at
the stars" so an almost pathetic plead
ing against total condemnation runs
throughout wilde's plays. Women are
meant to pardon, not TO judge or pun
ish," says Chiltern in the Ideal Hus-
band.
The types are usually of the same or
der, the adventures, the too-trusting
wife. who finds the feet or clay of her
god. but the language is SO sparkling
that one wishes, and needs, to read the
play after seeing it acted TO thoroughly
appreciate 1t.
Company are at their best. With taste
full settings, handsome costuming and
excellent acting, the play last night was
most enjoyable.
Edythe Chapman, as the adventures,
was most happy in her conception of the
socially acknowledged woman, brilliant
and beautiful.
The tour-de-force by which she turns
defeat into victory, though the latter
was after all hollow one, was most
REALISTICALLY treated. With one exception,
this was the key to the success of last
nights performance-art producing APP
parent naturalness.
Mr.. Neill, as Loring. was at his best.
| The part of the loveable fellow, who
deceives others and tries to deceive him
self by veneer of assumed frivolity that
covers his real shrewdness, fitted him TO
| perfection. Lord Loring was the best
performance he has given this season.
| Frank MacVicars, always consistent,
with an intensely difficult part TO sustain
through four acts and hold the sympathy
of his audience by showing them only
the weaker side of a powerful character,
gave a mastery rendition His closing
| speech in the second act was powerful in
elocution and judgment.
| Miss Dean lightened the play admira-
bly,. making the somewhat paradoxical
role of a blase ingenue consistent and
enjoyable.
Miss Spinney was somewhat overbur-
dened by her role, but made satisfac-
| tory Lady Chiltern. John Burton fur
nished one of his well judged, carefully
considered eccentricities. Miss Andrews
in short part made it effective and In
harmony with the play and players.
Minor roles and accessories were all
good The audience, oblfvious of the
managerial attempt to start the perform
| ance at and tighten hack fares at the
close came many of them after the
| hour. ALLAN DUNN.