New-York tribune., 1901-09-10

~ be heightened The mine will. undoubtedly.
- .orted now that Il has been so we'll opened
'roo- Count D'orsay. because OF his association
~ Lady Blessngton. has already been marked
49, slaughter. But good taste will have reason
: Is content II all the dramatists who enter this
sas are as inoffensvely ingenious in their fables
sout -he literary worthless of the past, and sym
hetic and felicitous in their characterization of
,.s-sry ideals as Mr.. Lawrence Irving has been. in
,,s study Of Richard Lovelace
x- Sothern. as Lovelace. impersonatee the Same
s5the expeditions. impetuous. and chivalrfc caya-
s,- with whom he has often made his audience
.r-eeably acquainted There is. however this diff
..-e7ce-thst the present embodiment is deeper
a. feeling more sharply defined and more vital IN
Asracter more actual and authoritative with sus-
s,red continuity of impersonation, more SELF
.,ise6. and. as 10 the speech and the execution.
,eunded and finished with a more fluent ard natu-
=, grace, than the in this actors earlier
.,sibitions of this type. The soldier is alert and
he lover is irpas ored. and both are exhibited In
stuations OF impulse and turbulence; but the man
e IN earnest and he has the repose OF intense
telling: Re does not leap about, like q parched pea
anon hot shovel The actor. evidently feels the
sobility the beauty. the tragedy. and the pathos
!. the ideal 70 which he is giving substance and
so-rn: and he has thought upon it, entered into the
sorl Of II, snd sought to become identified with it.
s. as TO make it live. In of the parts that Mr.
sethern has heretofore played the element of ef-
..rranee there is the property of easiness' The
ambition and action of the part indeed are neces
ss-iiy, fun OF changes and transitions: but all
lreea varieties of mood and feeng-like the per-
so-sHty ftself.-sre dominated by one passion Love
81 first sight IA feeling. no doubt but possi-
tlel is first be expressed: then the absolute and
eyeus trust OF conding friendship; then the quick
sense OF honor. commingled with the glowing i'm
nefuosity Of eager martial valor and dauntless
courage: then a mornentary suspicion of il-usage
he'd in
lsueuor OF silent sorrow. the monotonous dejec-
ZION Of hopeless surrender-the patient abjec state
that the poet Tennyson has expressively desig-
mated the set, gray life and apathetic end;
and then. finally. the sudden termination of the
whole being, desperately seeking. and finding the
great and merciful refuge Of death Mr. Sothern
in his venture OF last season, could not and did
not. adequately impersonate Hamlet, but his con-
sentious study Of that great subject has advanced
him in dignity OF mind and sincerity and strength
Of feeling, that his acting is more worthy of
serious attention now than il ever was before. He
manifested. in playing Lovelace the true lovers
sense Of the sanetity Of the woman whom he loves
He was whole hearted. simple. and true. as a COM
race. He revealed at least a theoretical knowl.
eoge OF sorrow, when in the dead calm Of adversity
though this part of his performance is IT'S weak
est link. even as this part of the play is its most
forced and artificial component And in Love
laees final encounter with his dearest see'-,rou1
whom he extorts the boon of death youn6-ra
vitslzed the scene with a fine rurruls o- emo
tion' and he acted with such simplicity as never
once 10 mar the dignity of the situation Or -ha
grace that should attend it-because Indispensable
10 its pathetic effect. His delivery OF the suaacb
as 10 the sauctty Of the in which the ;doi-as
Lucy has lived, and his acting ar the moment
when Loyelace perceives her unexpected approach
viii long be remembered for fidelity 90 nature and
beauty of art The characters in the ulsv
exceptionally well balanced-Hawiev being
quite as subtle and true study LoveIace Of the
reactionary influence of personality and love
though far less elaborate, and Lucy being 2 win
ming image OF feminine simplicity. sensibiIity aasl-
ity and charm. The crafty, selfish sachevereIl "a
likewise well drawn. Hawley is an unsratefuI mart
and carries little or no sympathy Much honor vas
gained by Mr.. Arthur Lawrence. through the fdeI-
ity and force with which he played it, Mr. Row
iand Buckstone also,-by extreme zeal and great
siacrlty IN the expression of evil sprit-largey
contributed 10 the general effect as Sachevereu
Miss Cecilia LOTUS. who possesses a ternperauent
Of delightful vvacity and who can allure bv srn1,-
latcn OF sentiment II not by depth of feeling earn
estly and skifuLy merged herself in her ideal and
exercised natural influence Of fascination espe-
cfally in the scene Of frolic, almost OF coo1etry
WIN Wnich the play begins. In the more serious
passages Miss LOTUS served only to illustrate the
weakness OF an hysterical excitement elusive all
seit-eotroL Il IS the common resort of febrile
feebeness to Shrek; but neither love. SORROW nor
despair can be expressed by screaming. In the
closing scene-whieh is somewhat overweighted
with juvenile emphasis and attenuation OF agoy,
tbs melody Of a pathetic vocalism would indeed.
be OF precious value. The sad ending is not
ssriy harmful. Grief has its privilege; and MIR.
Irrfng's play. in moving the heart 10 pity and the
mind 10 thought is not merely idle exenplihca-
ton Of its fortunate epigraph. couched in the words
0f its hero
Vain dreams of lovei that only so much bliss
Allow 10 know our wretehedness.
And deal larger measure In our pain
BY showing JOY, then hiding il again"
w w