New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-10-03
THE DRAMA.
A NOVELTY AT THE GARRICK.
lat THE TELEPHONE"

one-act play that grirnly utiI,zs. ,ha rata
phone. was presented last night at the Garrick
1neatre' Win MT Edwin Stevens IN its central
part 1t comes from the French and lately n has
attracted some little attention IN Iondor -. ,au
as Paris. by reason Of it's grtsly novelty. n con-
sists OF situation and a monologue Its nr,,cinaI
CHARACTER Andre Marex. standing az a teIephone
listens 10 words and sounds transmitted from his
nome. ana repeats the substance of this auricular
impairment. which is the story Of a r,,,-so
Gus attack on his wife-her death shrta,
and his responsive cry OF a1orv A,
IT'S frightful close The dramatic merit n, En-
iaOre.-ih 50 TAR as II possesses any.-Hes in tts
provision Tor variable. rapidly changing emotion
ana cumulative excitement. ending in frenzy AZ tn
telephone narrator. II contains two scnnn. ~
nrst prepares the situation and the second dtsnla,
H. AT hrst Andre is shown. equipped for a tour
ney taking leave OF his wife and household an .
lonely dwelling at some distance from Paris ana
ne Is made 70 use the telephone 10 cono,,,,ntoat.
with the friends In Paris at whose dwelling hts
journey is TO end. Peril is suggested ana SLIGHT
atmosphere OF suspense is created AT the last
Andre Is shown in the society OF his Par,siar
friends and then and there ne receives the tsIe-
phonic message from his wife The effect that has
been sought in this composition will be found II,
consummate excellence. in De Ouincev,s psner On
certain remarkable murders
Mr.. Edwin Stevens. who irnpersonated Andrs
MISUNDERSTANDING himself by dint of fr,nass,orad
earnestness In plight of agonizing trial-has long
both serious and comic. but as an interpreter
OF tragic emotion. for which indeed he reveals
neither physical aptitude nor marked spiritual
power. Characters of mental force and deep sir
certify, Towering I'm elaborate manners formidable
or quaint, are we'll within his reach; but his fine
style becomes Hurried and nerveless amid the
tumults and vcissitudes of passion He showed a
fine personality, and he successfully expressed a
mental condition that gradually changes from gem
tie levity TO anxiety and then to fear and dread
and this he did with refinement OF manner and
much and natural variety of articulation: and AT
the climax he simulated overwhelming consterna-
ton and anguish: but he never once communicated
the thrill of passion and tremor Of terrors
The play Is not commendable for intrinsic worth
Tor the reason that 1t mparts nothing of any value
10 the AUDITOR Horror and distress can be made
tributary 10 imaginative purpose as in the Murder
Scene in Macbeth; but horror presented merely
for its own sake,-as naked facts gross shoch-
ing. and tnartistic Were il otherwise Titus An
dronicus would be good play. and Diekeus's
Nancy. dabbled with gore a sympathetic spectacle
whereas they are revolving atrocities The per
formance given by Mr. Stevens is credftable to him
as respectable effort in mood that is foreign to
his temperament and at variance with his person:
but. like the play which it inhabits. it is only a
curiosity and the freak Of moment Mr. Stevens
had three curtain calls the close This telephone
piece is given as prelude to Mr. MarshaIFs adap-
tation Of The Ladies Battle" called There's
Many Slip" in which Miss Alillward and Mr. Sid
ney Herbert are acting with great spirit and giving
much pleasure w w