New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-10
THE DRAMA.
Dir. BeIasco's Ne1C Play.
"sWEET KITTY RELLAIRs."

I
/ lasco Theatre, giving delight to brilliant multi
tude, and winning. alike for It's ingenious author
and for Miss Henrietta Crosman who embodied its
vivacious heroine. new laurel of success. 1t is
a spectacle well a comedy for, while 1t
satiates the vision with luxurance of ornament and
color It sets truthful and piquant picture Of man
ners in the jewelled framework of story at once
credible and romantic, humorous and tender, merry
and grave. The central purpose of 1t is the display
! OF study in womanhood, exceptional female
character a peculiar and fascinating type; and the
predominant attribute OF IT, accordingly, is sexu-
: atty. The dashing coquette Of old English fiction
/ lives again in Kitty Beairs-not precisely Lady
Froth, Lady Belaston. Mrs. Racket or Mrs Del
maine but a purified, glor:hed ideal of those gay,
tantaizing, roguish DANES, creature OF sensuous
| beauty and reckless behavior, whose whole occu-
patton In life is the bewitchment Of man; and IN
the silver fabric Of gossamer comedy, TINS siren
and all her associates engaged in adjusting
their amatory relations. In other words. 1t Is
| play of intrigue.
The dramatist has derived but little material
from the nove.-this little. however, comprising
/ the Jealous peppery, beIlgerent irrational hus-
band: the silly pretty wife with her saccharne en-
dearments and ever ready tears; the ingenious
young nobleman Lord Verney, so readily dazzleo;
and the burly genial laundering. ardent 4rlsh SOL
der O'Hara so fond and faithful. rich IN desert
and. at the last, completely forlorn Expert use
is made likewise, Of the diverted love-letteT lncIos-
/ ing the tress OF red hair No spectacle lnoeeo.
could intrinsicaIly be funnier than that presented
/ by the enraged suspicious tumultuous husband.
! intent on fighting with every red-hared man in
/ the city OF Bath, in order to be avenged on the
unknown epistolary suttor OF his aosolnteIy Hlho-
/ cent wife Taking this bull-headed mistake as
/ pretext NJ action and taking as a basis. Kitty's
wicked scheme for the relief Of Lady Standlsh'-
who has temporarily wearied her husband og her
duness and who will be taught to win and hoid
him bv CAV indifference and the piquant allurement
! of coouetrv-the playwright has built a structure
Of story and action practically original and GER
tainIy brilliant. After insipid prologue in crude
! rhvme absurdly spoken by a novice, the Old Eng
fish city of Bath Is shown, in beautiful picture
and therein is displayed popular, animated scene
constructed to exhibit a background the raiment
manners morals and pursuits OF Bath society, IN
the butterfly days that smollett Do Sheridan nave
made Immortal Then the storyEslender and fraiL
Int arnpIv adequate for its light purpose.-is rap
;dv disclosed Kitty Bellairs will help Lady Stand
ish TO bewitch her indifferent husband oy making
him Jealous; and when, through hittys art1ul
/ roguerv his dangerous wrath is directed against
/ Lord Verney. whom she would Ike to nave TOT
/ ~ orr, sweetheart she will intervene to prevent
/ the impending duel and will imptcate herself IN
most disastrous and distressing tangle OF comic
trouble Two situations ensue that are esseitIallE
/ dramatic and that also involve Affecting ana en-
/ iovabIe elements OF pathos and humor. Kitty and
! Lady Standish, having proceeded TO LORD Nerney
/ lodging in hope to avert catastrophe tnat thelr
mischief has invoked, are in peril OF compromising
discovery here. and at the climax Kitty taxes
: upon herself the apparent disgrace and shame oy
I coming forward 10 shield her friend Later IN the
thronged s5embly-roon,-!n a pageant OF almost
71nDrecedented rnagnifcenCe-the brilliant Beualrs'
osrracized BY the ladies Of Bath, appeals to Lady
staudsh for vindicatior. and finds that spineIeSs
comrade too weak and TOO timid to speak the truth
The latter incident provides the great moment OF
/ the comedy and. however much its probability may
be questioned. observer will doubt us theaITlc1
/ effect The preparations for 1t are made Win eA-
+rsor5jnarv skill The scenic adjUncts OF II are or
roval opulence II is fraught with emotional sus-
pense; it is sharp surprise; and it has the deci-
sive potentality Of a dramatic act Later the scene
/ shifts TO & Bristol tavern. where Lady SlaIldlSa
/ makes 2 tardy explanation retrieving the wrong
while Verney and O'Hara and the rest OF the soI-
/ diers march away-in deity managed storm OF
wind and raia-and Sweet Kitty Belairs Is left IN
possession of the field little rueful, perhaps, but
reha bilitated and triumphant. This close may seem
tame. as a sequel TO the ballroom enulgence, but
after the clock has struck twelve, 1t must necessa-
riIy strike one. There Is no thirteen.
/ The male rnoralist he gazes on this gorgeous
/ snActacIe-.'the teacup time of hood and hoop, or
/ when the patch worn,''-may perhaps be
moved to inquire whether women. in their traffic
with the impulses Of love- the caprices or their own
sex and the foes Of the other. do really think and
at as they are made 10 think and in Mr.. Be
lascos play: but. the male morallst knows moth
/ ing whatever about women, he VIII only bewllder
/ himself with this interrogatory. Enough that the
/ snactacle daZZles his vision and that the story
/ ,Iaases his fancy He sees a woman to whom hum
+ drum conventionalty is tntolerablei a woman who
is fearless alike Of vindctive feminine spite and
insolent masculine tolerance; q woman VINO can DC
. nlagnaninlOus: q woman who IS nothing II not
brilliant: and this ought TO content even a cynic.
! The drauatist has made Kitty BeIairs much more
/ Of a woman and Lord Verney much more OF
man than they are in the Castle noveL-where. in
/ deed Beairs is unprlncipled and heartIess. and
verney foolish. a coarse firt and callow milk
/ SOD Evil influence may be incarnate without evil
deed. In the play this heroine is a thoroughly
noble gentle and tender woman. underneath her
panopIy of nirth and mischief and she acts from
a good heart and not from mere vanity and sensu-
Gus caprice. Miss Crosman enters into the character
with absolute sympathy. and, as 70 the glittering
! side of it, embodies ii to create a cogent
/ effect of nature There is an appeal made by Kitty
to her Irish and other military friends when they
behold her in apparent disgrace. that strikes the
true note Of pathos. and. in the speaking OF this
/ Miss Crosman very eloquently and noby expressed
the dignity Of conscious virtue, while in the de-
notennent Of tenderness she certainly exceeded
pectation-for tenderness is not characteristic Of
her acting in general the drift of her temperament
and style setting toward pert assurances, skIttsh
sport raillery and sprighty banter. Kitty's atti-
/ tude during most Of the comedy. is that of the
| maker Of innocent mschief-with a spice of wick
| edness in it-and she complexities everything from
/ pure love of drollery This Miss Crosman makes
/ perfectly and delightfully."- clear. The bedroom
| dilemma in act second, and the exaction OF
hysericaI outburst at the end of act third little
overtaxed the strength of the actress; but her i'm
! personation of Kitty Beairs will be remembered,
and treasured. for unity OF purpose and consist
ency Of method. blithe spirit and buOyant action,
sentiment sweetly denoted beneath arch pleasantly.
and countless winning graces OF manner. infection.
/ and playful prettness The associate characters
are sketched rather than elaborated. They are the
/ lesser planets OF a dramatic system Of which Bell
airs is the centre; each shines in it's place.
/ the system is one OF pleasing symmetry. Perhaps
the nebulee little excessive. The cast does