New-York tribune., 1902-12-09
THE DRAMA.
Mss IUuri0aP at the Criterion.
THE CAVALIER"

Miss MarloHe was eagerly welcomed, last night
I at the Criterion Theatre, where she reapPeared'
after eight months of absence from this capital,
presenting drama, called The Cavalier
and acting the principal part in IT. The new
drama is epitoIne of a popular novel. by MT
George W. Cable.-a ioose-jointe6 fabric, made by
Mr.. Paul Kester. Mr.. George Middleton. pair or
scissors, and pot OF paste The principal part
is that of ardent intrepid, expeditions young
woman, who has made unfortunate marriage
and whose dramatic fortune it becomes 10 behaVe
with exemplary fortitude. heroic audacify, expert
ingenuity and brilliant spirit, under some OF the
trying consequences of this deplorable domestic
alliance The time of the play is that OF the Amer
lean Civil War; the place Louisiana; the heroine
is Southern woman; the chief persons Implicated
in the movement are officers respectively, OF the
Union and Confederate armies; and the dramatic
purpose is Illustration of wcmans wit and
valor, in difficult and perious emergency. AS
Barbara Fretchie Miss Marlowe. three years ago
October, 1899 presented Union heroine: she no"
presents Charlotte Durand, heroine who Is Con-
federate The conditions somewhat differ Inc
personality is the same. Charlotte Durand, wedaeu
to Captain Oliver, whom she does not love- and
whom she presently knows to be a Union spy,
secretly loves Lieutenant Ferry, a Confederate
soldier; and, when her husband has undertaken a
scheme Of treachery to the Confederate cause she
intervenes to defeat his purpose without endanger-
ing his life. a situation of suspense is created,
and this must be dominated by the heroine MISS
Marlowe readily animates and iumines such q
play this, both because her dramatic force
overwhelms It and her personal beauty adorns it
The achievement is not difficult. To show conflict
of feeling to be gentle capricous and winning (as
she in the silly preliminary travesty OF the
marriage service). to move with brilliant aacrlty'
TO be gay. impassoned, alert, and charming tc
make every point with grace and to hold 1t irmly-
this is "a property of easness'' with such an
actress Julia Marlowe. Situations of stormy
emotion,-when the waves of antagonistic feellng
run high and dash against each other in Jury
of tempest,-have ever appealed to her with sinsu-
lar allurement prompting the liberation OF massive
force and a wild abandonment of manner that is
superbIy effective Her acting. at several moments
in this play, when the passion OF 'le
pa triot encounters the moral sense of the WIFE Is
indeed magnificent: but the observer who Wouid
fully enjoy this acting must remain blind TO fnuc
absurdity in the circumstances by which 1t is sur
rounded and impelled These circumstances, while
portrayed as actual generally improbable, ire
quently impossible. almost invariably forced and
sometimes trivial. Human nature, likewise Is as
much distorted social fact The character, most
powerfully and brilliantly assumed by Mr.. Frank
Worthing, is a monstrosity of meannesS A
creature framed like that could not impose on any
body man woman-and least of all woman-for
even five minutes. Tie skill with which Mr Worth
ing made this miscreant self-justihed evinced
a consummate method of art There are seventeen
persons in the cast. and they are concerned in a
military rsinarole that nobody can follow, unless
perhaps, by reading Mr.. Cables book. Edgar Dav
export had a deathbed scene, with the Lords
Prayer incident. and vocal effort, by Miss
Mariowe. THE Star Spangled Banner Clarence
Handysides acted bluff major dhey always
bluff, in these playsl, and here dance
and Mr. Gable returned thanks. The play is dreary
Miss Marlowe and Mr. Worthing do much to
deem it, and perhaps they will carry IL 10 success
The audience cordially responsive