The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-05


moments. ~The Admirable Crichton" is
one OF them. The idea ia Ludwig Fulda's.
-Crusoe" IL a well-known comedy in Ger
many. But that does not matter much.
Ideas are cheap. individual treatment rare,
Homer nodded and Yergil plundered.
Fulcas "Crusoe" deals with the same
theme as Barrels, and 80 does Sydney
ROnenfelds A Modern Crusoe," which
was given at Proctor's Fifth Avenue Theatre
last spring Social relations are inverted
because Of shipwreck. That il the main
idea all the rest depends on the treatment.
Mr. Barrie IL said to have a clever wife,
formerly an actress There is an album
dance of cleverness in his comedy; feminine
touches abound. Taking page from the
book of the Lady Carlisle, who preached
and practiscd equality, Barries Earl Of
Loan gives his servants hall monthly
tea in tho drawing-room. II IL a great
trial for he nerves of his daughters, three
in number. butler, Mr.. Crichton by
name, disapproves of these affairs their
tendency is a dwelling one below stairs
But he il too well-trained a servant to ex-
press his likes or dislikes in more than
sententious manner. Mr.. Irving has made
OF the part very expressive character
study. His butler is a serious individual
,,.llow to biliousness, prim to the point OF
petrifcation He does not admire a supe-
rior who condescends, and TO his interiors
he il glacial. glimpse Of his heart e
shown when Tuecny. the maid Of all work,
tells that he has upon her a favorable eve.
But woe betide the mental who becomes
familiar in his presence. He is frozen by
| one Of Mr.. Crichion's starcs,
The fun Of the first act il undenable.
Every variety Of servant Is shown at Lord
Loan 8 tea. And an unhappy lot they are
as they come awkwardly into the drawing
room. Mr. Crichton introducing them by
name and station. The Earl is martinez.
His daughters trernble before his crotchety
temper. At the pain Of performing some
disagreeable task they are compelled to
| entertain the domestics II is a thoroughly
| enjoyable act and the characters OF the
| play are well defined.
Act III. finds the entire family cast away
| on a desert island Crichton " the man
Of the hour. His rule. wild at first, is I'M
mistakable. Those who won't work can't
revolts They all secede, leaving the in
| genious butler preparing savory soup, for
ne il a man Of resources. But the wind
| blows odors Of the soup across their trail.
! Hungry and defeated. the party returns
| for supper II is a comica moment As
| a foil to the grave, taciturn butler, there
| is the nephew of Lord Loan, volatile,
| slightly silly young man, whose epigrams
| annoy the head of the island-Mr Crtch-
| ton. Ernest has been warned that If he
| INDUCES any more in this vicious propen-
sity he will get his head soaked in bucket
| He does get II soaked and returns to the
| clearing n wetter and a wiser man.
| Act III. shows us the island two years
later. The hut wherein now reside the
castaways is almost palatal. Electrical
contrivances, patent punkahs, kitchen
and Mr.. Crichton, the Lord of the Demesne.
| The family is clothed fantast cally, the
girls are lively as antelopes, the old Earl
| has lost his govt and dances as he walks.
and T,reeny is the belle of the kitchen. The
| Hon. Ernest W0olteH proposes marriage
| to her but she still hopes, vainly though
il be, for her butler. That gentleman has
developed into tvrant whose slightest
wish IL law. The FdrFs eldest daughter.
Lady Mary. loves him insaney and waits
upon him, when he condescends to eat, as
if he were a Sultan and not her fathers
former butler. He seems to be suffering
from an attack Of the malady Of grandeur.
Nine people out of eleven who have seen
The play will tell you that this third act is
great 1t lis not great and II is no longer
truly fantastic. The love episode in the
middle of this act is supposed to be ire
mendously dramatic. whereas it is exag
gerated and the ironic fantasy which the
author displays up to this moment is lost
in bathos Some verse of Mr., Henley is
ouoted--who ever heard Of a Christian slave
in Babylon?-and the entire dramatic fabric
IL b,ltchered TO make a Barrie holiday |
wonder who suggested this 81 reak Of fat
sentiment introduced into the lean of
comedy!
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