The sun., 1901-09-29
fHE BEST OF THEIR ACTING.
NBAT STARS DID TO SHTNE Nv
POUR NEW PLAYS.



new plays last wpck The results rpnecd
from brightness, to eclipse. II was coin
cidence thai the Lest acting done in two
case. tco.. Of =. H. stodtlsrt and Louis
NsI4n. !. - angry fathers driving dis
1oesiisnt daughters from home And
ooth of The obdurate parent, utter their
deunciations In dialect. Mr. Mann use-
Dutch English In The Red kloof.- and
Mr. Stoddart uses Scotch English la The
oonni Br,er Bush. The cirairnstano-.
ere essentially the same In the two PLAYS,
the fathers having no objection 60 urge
against the morality Of the men chosen by
the girls for husbands. but basing the op-
,osition on prejudice. OF course. the
sympathy Of the audience Is with the sweet
l.-arts. which leave II with tho bad-,eni-
'-red fathers u win admiration, u at all,
hy the sincerity OF their love for the
daughters whom they render fnt~crable
lSo,h actors succeed In that - well that
they are appiauo.'d mors whcn they dis
card their offspring than when tl,ey take
then hack
Mr. Mann triumph- In the scene OF violent
ssrnssstne-s despite his popularity a. q
fnnny fellow. Up 20 that point IN Paul
Potter's drarns tho irascibiity of the gro
nsquely ugly Beer farmer h almost alto
xetter facetiots In intention and effect
1he audience laughs at his outbreaks
Evon hi- tender lovo Of his only child and
ier-h hatred of her British ~ooer hardly
check The merririent. W !, u clear proof
81 Mr. Manns ability when for the first
line sinc- he becsn,e conspicuous on our
stage, he irnparts dramatic thrills 20 people
scc-tsbomed regard him a. farcical joke
he hry upon learning that the girl Is
married To an EnglLsh oticer |. we'll dr.
fcrentiated from hs previous ebullitions Of
wrath His violence In ejecting her does not
,hpsrt from the uncouth characterization
e1at has icsn funny vet II bushes the ho,se
completely. After he has shut the door
against the beloved one his anger give.
way 20 grief and no collspses on the floor
Mr. Aanns ss-ertion that he moan. 70 play
In The Merchant Of Venice has bccn
hkcn NJ an amusing won't Of an actors
vanity. But be- would surely do vol with
the Jews emotions over Jsssicc's elope-
ment with a Christian However. what
'puld he to Without his q ialect' Or would
Es give va . Skyloek with Hester street pro
iNn~.AttJn, These are DAYS uf welcome
for dramatic novelty.
David Wsrfeld's best seriousness. In
Tho Auctionerr- Ia silent. Mr. warheld,
like Mr. Mann, Is accustomed ~ make
folks laugh. Only to expert observers o'
his performances IN Casino eVtravasanza
and Weber 4 Fields h,nlee1ue Wa the note
~ pathos ever audible In hi- chsractcriza-
ton of a grotcsgue type of the East SIDE
Hebrew. To the multtudes he WAS never
more taan n humoris; who held his pla~e
nSsong excessive comedians David Be
lsAro was one ~ the Discerning few who
believed that the pninstnSing and origin
a'inK actor was capable % learful exprcs-
sion. The play written hy MIR Arthur
and Mr.. Klein on an order from MIR re-
lasco u mostly farce. 30 that none Of Nr.
Warfeld's mlrth IL sacrificed IN making
n star ~ MIN But through tho piece runs
vein of -nrn'-tnssS sometimes barely
visible ard again Ia plain view, and u il
Ia this that the actor develops power.
This !. most eifectusl wher Il Il pantomime.
After The Orly Lcri has sold out his store
and stock by auction. preparatory 90 re-
firing from Five Points FanSc into LeNing-
ton avenue leisure. and the comic pir-
t'hascrs have gone away, he close. the door
and shutters and ~ nlnne where fur many
wears he has practiced tire tricks ~ his
trade lie looks n the counters and
sl.lv.s stiE laden Aith secondhand goods
fondncs- Of ;he old plars and rogrct ~
quitting II are expressed without word
his wife enters n toll him that supper -
ready He pays no heed Her voice Is
leard from tho adjoining room warning
him that the food il getting cold He stin
fingers in good-by sadness on the suot
where his business devices lInvp just h'"n
IsughabIe, aud the audience is keen and
respectful to hw emotion The curtain
falls without a word from him. only a sor-
rowful sigh. 20 help the silent action Again
in ,he las, art when he returns 60 hi. i'm
poverished homo after a day ~ street
peddling. 20 tell his wife and daughter
,hs, h has caught the scoundrel who
ruined him. IL IL 10y pantHmine moro than
nv speech that Mr. war:ieid demonstrates
his advance a. real comedian His wife
and daughter do not belicv" his assertion
Of good buck Thcy ore crnvinc~d that
sruuble has craned him. lie IL inclined TO
think 20. too. ami II To whin dazediy on
dea voring 20 make up his mind whether
the change in his affairs Is fac, or de-
hision that the working OF his mind y made
clear by action with a very few ejacrlatory
words Where vchemence carries Mr..
hfhnn INTO hppFeclaNtctt ~ " rri'bS a'''is
ouietuce enables MIR warheld 20 g., there
with equal distinction
Neither J. II Stcddart nor Minnie Mad
dern FS.se reveals unfamiliar or uusx-
r-cted powers Mr. warf,eld and Mr. Mann
hsd Co span at one leap the chasm between
farce and seriou. drama that Nat Good
win was ~ many years In traversins at
q slow and cautious pace Mr. stoddart
had hcen accepted hong. long time ago as an
actor of dignifeh purpose and achievement
and the fir~t New York audience Of The
Bonnie Brier Bush" wss ready TO r-ceive
him respectfully. He had no unusual task.
He has sinpersonatei many ohdurste fathers.
and this one In the Ian Msclsren ylay IL
oniv a variant In having a scotch dialect.
~hich is assumed by mos, Of the char
sct-rr In the piece None 81 the other He
brvw. In The Auctionecr' sIcsks a Mr..
warh.ld does. and Mr. Mann, though n
Boz among Bocrs. has wsy II breaking
On. English language indulgcd In by none
OF HE ncighbor~ The turning of the die
oi-.sisen' daughter from his hou-e cc~urs At
tho sane point In ;hc Roer and IN IA" Scotch
rlav. the end ~ tho second arts. and nothing
snerwnrd u - ~quAi iu'ercs, IT." Scotch.