New-York tribune., 1902-12-03
THE DRAMA
MR. WILLARD AT THE GARDEN.
THE CARDINAL

Mh. WILLARD AL HE T<aIAbC-''
THE CARDINAL"
The re-entranee of Mr.. Willard which was MADE
last night at the Garden Theatre, in a pfliiahe
manner and under suspicious conditions, is d ara
matte event of special Importance to the paoi!c'
because Mr., Willard is great actor because tne
plays that he presents pure In spirit oeauutul
IN form and eunobling in their influence, anu Pe-
cause his presentment of them is at once eeneht
and delight The vehicle chosen for MS re-
entrance is Mr.. Louis n. Parker's capital drama
Of The CARDINAL which adopted into MS
repertory about year ago, and in which SINCE
then, he has been and admired IN many piaceS
and at many times. The story is ltaliah' the
scene Rome; the period the pontifcal reign OF
Julius H. the central character, Cardinal dloVali
de Medici; and the pivot of the action IS the Cafo
nails knowledge, obtained through the confessional
of murder, for the imputed commission OF Whlen
his innocent brother has. on circumstantiai
evidence. been adjudged guilty and condemned 10
death In the development of the plot Wh1ch' pc
ginning simply, is carried on with aoHiit teoie
skill. successive efforts by the Cardinal TO res
cue and vindicate his brother, are SHOWN IN
their progress and their defeat, and SITUATION Is
established of narrowing and pathetic suspense
The secret that the Cardinal has received IN con-
fession cannot disclosed The lips of the priest
are sealed The murderer prosperous IN war anu
favored by his sovereign, seeks to wed the oangh-
ter of the man whom he has slain; and, being Sc
in his place and triumphant over the Cardlnai'
he thinks himself potent to compel TINS uhhois
union Meanwhile
girl is betrothed, awaits in prison the doom tldt
will deprive him at once of life and love- and con-
sign his sweetheart to the assassins arms IN tiis
dreadful emergency the Cardinal is inspired Win
the crafty design to pretend that he is crazeu with
grief and, in this condition of simulated maahess'
he lures the murderer into a private INTERVIEW
eontrivfng that the chief magistrate of Rome shall
be unseen witness and auditor of their CONFER
ence and by artful strata gem. leading on his dhpe
till the villain avouches his crime. in order TO
zla 10 ale
The movement of the play is continuous and GU
mulative to this climax, and the crowning moment
superb dramatic vitality and THRILLING emo
tional effect.
In his exposition of the Cardinal Mr.. Willard mas
gained a triple victory for ne has illustrated the
force and felicity of dramatic art embodied q char
acter of singular beauty. and presented an aulleh-
tic type of moral grandeur. His acting creates an
absolute Illusion of spontaneity, and consequence
of nature. The man whom he presents has the as
tinction of innate nobility, and is not only an IN
telIect but soul. Glimpses of the Cardinals home
life afforded-his 1lial affection; his gentle
ness of disposition; his exquisite refinement Oh
taste; his elegance of manners his ample schoaF-
ship; his purity and simplicity: his sweet. kindly
playful humor. which makes his gravity more i'm
pressive by contrast and his dignity more nop-e ana
it shown that his spirit is absorbed with spiritual
ambition and guided and impelled by vast designs
for the augmented glory of the Church IN many
subtle ways. that dependent as much on the ac-
tors personality as his dramatic art this stately
and beautiful ideal Is revealed, made actual ana I'M
pressed on the Imagination and the heart IN one
moment of almost inspira tional enthusiasm the ar
dent priest is made to sneak his dream of gath
ering all the world beneath the ce4es.'ai
shelter of his Church: and in yet anethef
ecstasy of passon,-this time tragieal ana ter
ribie-he is made to invoke divine Jusuee ie'
the punishment OF crime denouncing the unrepent-
ant criminal as Gods outlaw" loosed to wan
der through the world Both these moments
display him as a consummate type of noble man
hood, and In neither of them could any ACTOR Sua-
tain himself except by intrinsic spiritual worth
as we'll as sumptueus dramatic power. MI VIII
lard dominated these situations and made them
beautiful with sincerity Overwhelming with eio-
ouence and tremendous with splendor of moral
passion and physical force. In situations OF this
order he certainly has peer. for no other actor
OF our time possesses such volume of melodious
voice, and actor Of any time can have better
known how to use IL. or made better use or MS
knowledge. It is a luxury to hear Mr. Willard
speak and this performance would be gem of
art even IL there nothing else In II but It's
vocal beauty. In his stimulation of madness MI
Willard shows the insight of great observer. an
extraordinary depth of feeling, and the delicate
unerrng precision of perfect art 1t Is great
performance Nothing In the vein of romantic &C.
clesiasteisn SO powerful and SO finished. has been
seen here since the days of Edwin Booth In Richie
lieu. Mr.. Willard recalled. again and again,
after each curtain, and there could be no doubt of
his decisive success. He was efficiently aided by
Mr. j. J. Bartlett Bagleni. Mr.. Basset Roe as
the rniscreant Strozzi. Miss Rose Beaudet as the
Cardinals mother Mr.. II. Barfoot, as the OLD mer-
chant, and Mr.. Harry Cane as an English Frar-
made both true and humorously droll The asso-
ciate players have caught the spirit of romance
in which the play Is fashioned and their zeal
materially contributes to its powerful erect OF
Illusion. W. w.