The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-11-10

the English actor, Charles Warner. in
his original creation of Coupeau In
Charles Resde's adaptation from zola en-
titled Drink"
Mr.. Warmers exposition last evening
was, without any reservation, the finest
bit Of character acting this reviewer has
ever seen.
And 10 this statement no exception is
made in favor Of Mr.. Henry Irving's
famous and familiar Waterloo" sketch
Or even our own Jeffersonian Rip.
In elaborateness OF infinite detail Of
chars CT terization, as in absolute finish.
neither OF these two familiar examples
excel H. While IN consideration OF the
far greater variety OF emotion demon
strated and much more severe and longer
sustained effort required of tho part or
CaupVau the latter Is placed I'm class
by itself above all stage creations OF
character work with which We happen 10
be familiar.
Comparison with our own, well beloved
and long familiar Rip is especially indica-
ted. rather than with curtain raiser
character part like Waterloo both be-
cause Coupeau fills an entire evening and
because the transition from gay young
manhood TO decrepltude marks the range
Cf the character actors field OF interprc-
tntion. In Rip. that change produces
eweetly purling old man. In Coupeau IL
r. A horrifying, brutalized. human wreck
In respect 10 length of years. too, that
fhe English coupeau and our own Rip
have trained into their respective char
ecters there Is also comparison We 81 re
told that Mr.. Warner has gone through
the worried passions OF Conpeau for no less
than three thousand performances and
has acted no other part for a matter OF
upwards OF quarter OF century. II
is pretty safe 20 say, for all the marvel OF
the Characterization. that no such long
life would be vouchsafed by the Amori-
can public. though dear old Rip might go
on forever That is because OF the essen
tisl terror Of the portrayal, the almost re-
puisfveness
u is like q painting of horrible subject
hy great artist that one may admire
and be fascinated ny. but that one does
not want permanently huns IN ones bed
chamber Tho American thestregoer
however Il may he with his English cou-
sin. likes tho pleasant things for a
steady diet. lie prefers Romeo TO Mac
beth. or Othcllo and both 90 Shylock
Aside from the most extraordinary
stage cres stion that two continents have
20 show Mr.. Warmers production Is en-
tertaining and diverting. ~ not TO be Ia
vorably bespoken. by the cauons q. mod
srn dramatic work As a play, Drink
sort and whatever entertainment 10 ~
fords TO n modern audience is that -
rpired by curious interest. such as might
be accorded a bit Of hOmcly antiquity IN
museum that long ago lost whatrver
charm ~ might have had for the con-
temporary viewer.
The plot is the most dusty convention,
the moral Is hammered ~ you at every
turn. while virtue and villainy are por-
trayed garishly with rewards and punish
mont distributed IN a state 81 rawness.
We may imagine that. originally. the
PLAY was the thing and that the gods
howled and Missed their emotions over
its manifestations. But today II is simply
framework for the massive creation
that Mr. Warner has developed IN the
maintained the piece in perennial inter