New-York tribune., 1901-03-05
THE DRAMA.
NEW PLAY AT THE KNICKERBOCKER
ITO HAVE AND TO HOLD"


,he endemic OF the Scissors Drama still RACES
r,.vs OF this scrt made by cutting leaves here
"a there out Of \ popular novel and welding
tbese extracts by means Of jointure Of exclama-
lions and stage tableaus. Persons who have read
.be novel are supposed to hunger and thirst for
.hea-rical epitome OF it, and commonly of late
Ibis expectation has found itself justified. The
,eUest GRIEF OF this order is the medley of hack
,svea incidents and verbose dialogue made out Of
Miss Mary Johnston's ebullient spa snodc Juvenile
novel ITO Have and To Hold which was pre-
ssnted last night in the Knckerbocker Theatre and
toudIv appauded by enthusiastic and industrious
,facoue Miss Johnston's novel it will be rerern-
bered relates TO the deportation from England in
the reign Of James ], Of Young women so favorable
20 matrimonial alliance With Virginia settlers that
they were not unwilling TO be actually
snId for tobacco. into the rosy bondage of
Evmen That subject had already been felcitouslv
treated in an artistic, graceful well propor-
,ioned novel called The Head OF a Hundred" Il" bv
Mrs Maud Wilder Goodwin, published about five
vssrs ago. Historical themes. however are open
- everybody and priority is not necessarily pre-
.emption. II Miss Johaston's story,-which in out
lne sud drift, presents some resemblance TO that
NJ Mrs. GGodwn,-there are indications OF literary
,slent still in q crude state and there is at least
ore well drawn and steadily interesting character
that OF the heroine, Lady Jocelyn Leigh who will
trlv expatrates herself in order to escape COM
nulsory marriage with a dtled scamp, and, after
many adventures and vicissitudes, becomes happy
as the contented wife OF an irreproachable hero,
entirely worthy Of her love. The marine episode
NJ the adys adventures is fantastic and ludicrous,
and the Indian episode is grotesque and absurd;
hui latitude permissible to romancer, and II is
useless TO consider TOO curiousy' the vagaries OF
the contemporary novel-whereof the spirit is
travagance and the purpose is sensational effect at
ar and al hazards. The play wisely avoids the
Indian element and adheres strictly TO the love
story Only one Indian is introduced, and he enters
o71Ta 70 he acrfnu Of1lV ty
shooting single arrow. The posture Of circun-
stances is simply that OF contention between two
men for the possession Of one woman. The hero,
Ralph Percy is 10 outwIl and discomft the villain
Lord Carnal, and, although the lady does not love
him first he is TO subdue her by his Claude Mel
notte naagnanmity and his D'Artagnan valor, and
thus at last become the god Of her idolatry. He
chooses the aquatic method, duping his enemy.
the first encounter. by carrying off his mistress
in boat from the pier. and at the second
counter by carrying her of in boat from the
cellar These hairbreadth escapes may. perhaps.
be impressive a reader: they childish a
spectator: and, indeed, sort OF Cinderella atmos-
phere was the dominant characteristic Of the frivol
ous theatrical fabric that Mr.. E, F. Boddington
has fashioned OF Hiss Johnston's romance.
There are four acts. comprising eight scenes, and
duplicating twentyfour characters. several OF the
latter being obviously superiuous. The apparent
object TO show as many incidents as possible
OF the original novel No purpose anywhere
Of sincere feelings prompted by natural motives and
expressed in a natural manner. When the husband
and wife confronted in the scene of the old
watch house" they would know each other truly,
and there would be an end OF the play. All
sacrificed TO the necessity OF spinning tale OF
adventure No question Of acting is raised by any
thing done in the stage exposition of themes of
this kind The action is all stage fuss; the char
acters all artificial. Nobody be sincere:
nobody can DO more than keep a straight face while
pretending be sincere. Miss Isabel Irving
made Jocelyn Leigh consistently wooden and
monotonous in way accounting for all the
amorous turmoil made her account. Mr..
Robert Lorraine, who may be good actor.
could only strut and bounce and look big
and shout tempestuous speeches Sidney Herbert,
as q peppery Governor, could only explode in oc-
casional crashes OF verbal detonation The veteran
Charles Waloot Invested Jeremy Sparrow with
unctuous humor, Of the Friar Tuck variety, and
that about the only dramatic light in the whole
trivial spectacle. Much new paint was exhibited,
The red casting yellow light upon the ocean
waves. and a boat sail. by twilight, elabo-
ratey Indicated by Of Illuminated drops;
but paints and calcium do make play. There
is not much value ia Miss Johnstons novel: there
is no value all. beyond picture and spasmodic
activity in the drama that has been derived from it
W. W.