New-York tribune., 1902-01-10
THE DRAMA.
WILLARD As THE CARDINAL.
AMPHTON THEATRE.

The opportunity is afforded at the Amnhio,
--restre IN Williamsburg. Of seeing Mr. Willard as
-ar6insl Giovanni de Medici, I'm Mr. Touts ~
psrksr's romantic and poetic drama of .aTbe Car
Anal" and It ought 10 be improved,-for the plav
!. one OF exceptional interest and dramatic nower
md Mr. Wizards embodiment of its central char
,r,er Is e great creation Of dramatic art conta,n
sns elements OF moral grandeur and beauty almost
-nsxampled IN recent years Of stage experience
Nr Parker's play seems TO indicate on the part ot
l,s author an appreciative knowledge of Mr.. Craw-
sords novel Of "Corleone," and perhaps Of soma
rther still earlier works relative 10 fatal e.ora+
harmed by a priest in the confessional. hut
srsmat!st according to immemorial custom +.Le.
his materials wherever he can find them. and I,
this instance oId eXpedients have been used in a
new way and with admira bic skill-so that varv
.ng moments Of suspense succeed each other wfth
tunUltuous raPidity each situation growing s+rone
sr than its predecessor and all things converging
70 & superb climax. The scene is laid in Ron,a a,
TIE year 1910 under the pontifcal reign of Julius
Il gulian della Rovere, l44l-l5l3) and the action
:u-ns upon Cardinal Giovanni de Medicis knowl-
tdge. obtained at confession of a murder for
which his own brother. an innocent man. convict
sd by circuTnstantial evidence is condemned TO
suffer felon's death.
The character Of the CardinaL-p,ire intellectual
sche genial, sweet, animated by a lofty spiritual
ambition, harboring the most magnihcentlv opulent
designs for the glory Of the Church. and graced by
ample ana elegant scholarship and every virtue
that can adorn either public station or 1riyate
ife-hss been outlined with exquisite taste and
skill and in beautiful spirit The story is devel-
oped by subj7etng the Cardinal 10 a succession of
trials his Efforts to save his innocent brother
beirothed 70 the daughter Of tie man who has
been foully murdered by a malignant rival-being
81 every point defeated, Till last he is
Ehelmed with absolute despair In the final crisis,
however, this great soul is suddenly inspired to
cir3umVent the murderer by craft: he pretends 10
have been made insane BY grief, and, having lured
the miscreant 10 interview. and arranged that
the chief executive magistrate Of Rome shall be
an witness OF il, he artfully contriyes that
the assassin shall crimInate himself py offering
to own the truth in exchange for the hand Of the
heroine in marriage. II is a magnifcent dramatic
situation. and Mr. Willard's acting sUstains the
whole passage upon the loftiest plane Of simuiative
expositure. The other great moments in Mr.. VII
lard's performance are those Of the Cardinals &C.
stssy OF eIoquence when dilating his visions and
designs as 10 the advancement OF the Church and
the subjUgatioa Of all CLristendom, and his tre-
rnendous invocation Of the divine vengeance upon
the murderer. In the latter q these Two speeches
Mr. Willard reached a height TO which acting sell
dom attains. ,iraudeur Of presence, fervor and
splendor OF moral passion and glorious volume or
r,elodious voice combined with The tense repose
OF overwhelming emotion, made this outburst com
petey irresistible, and created wonderful effect
The play contains superiu;Jes. such as the Bell
ringer (who nowhere touches the action(, the Eng
iish Abbot-trathfully embodied though, by that
excellent actor, Mr.. Harr- Cane.-ani the Strozzi
letter incident: but it is 3 capital play, Of good
old-fashoned serious kind. and Mr.. Willard richly
deserves the success and the honor that he has
gained by presenting it. ". W.