New-York tribune., 1903-03-03
THE DRAMA.
COMEDY At Tm MANHATTAN.
~TnE slsHoe.a movEn

In the pleasing comedy Of The Bishops Move"
which was successfully proeaced last niSht as the
Manhattan TheatrA-a saeaeiOus. numerous. gen
de. potential eccaesaastie Ia oppoued 60 a clever
% the vurla. IN the raansReruent Of an
2ar ef the heart. and. after considerable period
os ce1ssndou, the eeclesaastic Is made victorious
because OF his intimate knowledSs Of human nature
and his superior tact and ingenuity This IN an old
3rSnsae posture. but it Is exceptionally good
ons. and Il has been, In this instance
adroitly usea- The scene is laid in France, and
pictures srs provided ot the refined, orderly dig
rshed domestic life OF cultivated intereseng repU-
table French people. The principal characters are
the Bishop u Rance the Duchess OF ST csuenten
Ian EnSaiBA wc1sn who has long lived "a Paxsa
and q Q widow the BIEhop's nephew, Francis
HericcurS and that 1ephew's possible sweetheart,
Barbara ArrssoH The observer aees that Fran
els and Barbara. who prime objects Of the
Bishops A1ectien. would. IA the natural course Of
events. be happy lovers, but that the sparkling
Duchess q 81 Quentsn. who, with rnischievous
WIDOWS caprice. has taken q fancy to beguIle
Francts. comes between them and bewsldsFS the
young man with her beauty and her coquet-
tish spirit This ts the cAessboard Of cIrcum-
stance eo which the Bishop must play his WISE far.
seeing game, and make his Kindly, adrot move"
10 defeat q clever Zoe and to win happiness for
the young Psopls4 whSH he loves. The trend OF
che action ID peettfly prsag1red By chess enocun-
ter betwsaS the Bishop and the Duchess In which
the Bishop suddenly Enatches en- impending VIC
tory t-on the Queen. while later. the dnaculty OF
and attentive care In dismennerinR and resd3ust-
ing the intricate Fabric Of an organ The comedy,
may be inferred from these tnttmadonS apper-
ains to the good old fashion Of Scribe, at his best
being comedy of manners and q innocent.
humorous. subtle social intrigue n needs. how
ever, q little ginger. II fs languid Ia =.ovenent
and sometimes iHsipId In incident: but Il possesses
the conspicuous merit CT good dialogue and # is
scter and In moments Of deep feellnS.-suggested
rather than fully expressed. sympathy gees with
the Duchess: n the young lover were q man worth
having she ought to have him. but he In not, and
her loss Of him is her Advantages fast that gives
emphasis 70 the Bishops remark, when told that
he does not know women: Perhaps not" he says
but know life, which, possibly, is much more
important" The character sS the Duchess in thu
artistic grasp Of such actress as Ada RSh&n, or
the Rose CoghlHa Of earlier day, would bS
fully Is potential ss that Of the Bishop and even
more alluring Miss Dorothy Dorr tavested the
Fsrt with opulent physical beauty and at one
point. toward the close. struck note OF Pathes;
hut she teemed not yet to have formed q definite
ideal Of It. and her execution. therefore was crude.
Miss Mayo has great need Of vocal training.
Mr.. ". H Thompson appeared the Bishop
and gave Substantially the same performance that
sympathetic and winning in "A Royal
Famiy,"-a performance that would be perfect but
for that occasional glesm Of satrc jocularity and
saturnins shrswdness with which this actor Is
pleased somewhat TO Gepress his ideal. Mr..
Thompson however, has repose- dignity. humor,
sweetness, latent power, 6no nuent ease OF e4eCu-
ton and speech and he holds his auditors ana
keeps them deeply interested and continuously
thraIled. The sweet, protective air OF age and
virtuous power softentd by past suffering and mel
lowed By long experience. protecting youth and
guarding and guiding innocence. "amid the
storms and dangers Of the world" is per-
feetiy assumed by him. and this Is the
secret CT his success and his charm in this char
scter. Acting Of this knd,|ight Ia spirit,
earnest in purpose, delicate in msthod ana fnish,
showing clear knowledge Of mankind and hrm
grasp the Of expressive arts seldom
seen on the stage OF the present day. Mr. Thomp-
cons manner is distinctly individual he is not
eopyfst: but certainly he prompts remembrance Of
old and distant dAyB when Henry Plseide fnesF~
mated Grandfather Whitshe&a or Farmer Asnneld.
when Blake was Jesse Rar2L when Jehn Gilbert
acted Dornton, and when Mark Smith won every
heart with his noble and gentle image OF age and
~irtue ana love, jacques FauvGl Il ID good TO
think that the old style yet HngSr1 and that SAs
emberE Of ambitious emulation are not yet cold
Wv.