New-York tribune., 1901-09-25

drama.-befnR
IN substance and slow in movement.-its value
is slight. AS nterature-that is to saw a.,
language communicative of story and express
sive or diversified personalities, changing emo
tions. mectal attributes. human nature and corr
duct-it is extremely fraiL 1t is romantic; il is
pure; and, above ALL it is peculiar; but it is more
a study than story and a picture than a
play The controlling fact in such a matter would
always be infertrty of subject. The novel Of
Miranda of the Balcony" does not provide a
fruitful theme for dramatic nlustration.-being a
shallow hct1n, pretentiously built around an
ancient posture of conditions (scanpish and erran+
husband. unhappy wife widow bIackrailin-
scoundrel and noble lover). and naeritorious onlv
for expedition of narrative. and Gin its African
episodel preservation of atmosphere
Mrs Fiske. with her swift intuitive perception a,
character. must have felt that the only wav 70
make Miranda interesting sympathetic and potar.
tia was to make her alluring with singularity and
bewtching with grace. This is the way that She
has chosen, and her acting Of Miranda vitalzes tha
whole fabric Her principal associates indeed
notably Mr. Robert Hanes and Mr. Dodson a.
Charnock and as Warriner-expedita her success
by their exceedingly earnest and able Cooperation
and all her auxiliary actors manifest admirable zeal.
but from its character and construction which are
pictoriany expositive and not steadily active the
piece is almost totally dependent on the actress
Of its heroine. A singular and aIurng type of
woman was to be represented. and Mrs. Fiske
with admirable wisdom and tact. has placed the
whole emphasis upon peTsonality.-upon what Nj
randa is rather than what she does.-and avoiding
all effort has disclosed it in a superb presence a
demeanor of passionate intensity. a bearing of
invariable grace. and vocallsm of fluent melody
1t is not often, in any play that the commo:ion
which the men make concerning a woman is
adequately explained TO the disnterested observer
by that woman's presence. Mrs Fiske invests
Miranda with inherent charm, and by this means
she conquers. Improbable it may be 70 muse upon
the complex causes and pathetic denoterents of
the phenomena OF love: but that is the drift of re-
hectOn insp red this performance: for Mrs FisEe
embodies the kind of who haunts mans
imagination. rlingles with all his thoughts inpels
him to heroism, corstrains him 20 endurance
inUres him 70 selfsacrifce guides his conduct and
| controls his destiny, and yet who actually Goes
nothing, whatever, except to exist. and to berars
her Establishments, to manifest her passionate
feelings. and occasionally to Indicate her wishes
This. obviously, is not easy thing DO. only
woman of intense arGor and an artist of exquisite
skill could do it. There are two scenes in which
the actress puts forth her powers with superb ef-
fect-the one freighted with AIiranda's refusal to
aid in the search for the enslaved warriner; the
other freighted with Mi-ardas passionate agoniz-
ed resentment of her bondage TO the absent william
! who has blighted her life, whom she ioathes from
whom she would escape were il possible. but whom
| she is obliged to sUccor, In these her aspect is
regal, her passion profound. her speech tumuluous
and thrilling her acting luminous. penetrating au-
1
| Charnock. closing the third act.-a scene that is
| fraught with changes and suffused with feeling
| was carried by her in strain OF moving ard
charming spontaneity. and perhaps this scene alone
| Gin which Mr.. Hainas, as Charnock. Is manly
simple and true). will make the success of the
| play. because il shows so we'll, in Mrs. Fiske's
! treatment Of it, what noble women feel. and what
| sometimes they suffer The audience was held in
suspense by it, and deeply affected. The closing act
belongs to Warriner, and in this Mr.. Dodson de-
noted depth of passion, power of sarcasm,
breadth OF artistic style, perception of character
! volatility of imagination, reserve Of grim
| humor a solidity of repose. and aptitude Of
celebrity in picturesque, expressive action, such
| appertain only to actor of original mind and
the finest capacity of eccentric irlpersonation He
| made the desert both weird and terrible
Dramatically this is the climax OF the play, and
| its most brilliant aspect. The scenery. various and
rich throughout is here exceptionally graphic and
expressive, showing mysterious, endless vista Of
| sand. opaIescent with the hues of sunset. and
gradually darkenng beneath the approach Of night
while strange music sounds, and figures OF Moors
| fit stealthny about the shadowed camp. Here oc-
| ours the quarrel between Charnock and Warriner.
| A poetical quotation made by Mr.. Dodson could
conveniently and tastefully be spared also could
many quotations from Horace. ratified of. in earlier
| dialogues, by Major Wtlbraham- The Of these
literary trimmings is merely silly and nobody but
| a literary novice would have introduced them
der such circumstances-for neither Warriner nor
Wfbraham should be expected TO air their literary
| requirements. But the desert has action.
suggestion, force. and pictorial beauty, and there
| was great applause for it, Mrs Fisk- herself was
many times recalled. Miss Annie Irish. presenting
| a merry. volatile lady. some time easily amenabs
TO the voice OF hattery. supplied element Of
arch levity, and cordially applauded- Mr..
| Etienne Giradot. acting most offensive type Of
| blackguard. made Wilbraham effective. by making
him mpudent. Jaunty rogue. with afecta-
| ton OF poetic talent. \ futtering. loquacious
| woman of fashion was neatly and agreeably pre-
! sented by Mrs. Kate Pattison Selten. More sig
nifcant. compact and moving plays than Miranda
OF the Balcony desirable. and the Manhattan
management no doubt possesses them Meanwhile
} this has been we'll given and kindly received
/ and Mrs. Fskes public. recognizing her signal abl-
| ity and captivating charm Miranda. will rejoica
in the evidence that she has shown Of her ex-
| ceptional versatility and peculiar power. Wv.