New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-19
THE DRAMA.
ADA REHAN As THE SEREW.
Lyric Theatre.

Lyric 1EeGLIo.
.rs. Aea Rehan-warully welcomed last night.
NJ the Lyric Theatre. where she appeared as
ehnsespeare's Shfew,-hss returned to stage
., TIE maturity Of her experience with her en-
.hrsast:c zeal u3Gimintshod and with her rare
and well cultivated powers az facile command.
she acted the part OF EatEcriae,-cs she has ever
sore since that memorable night seventeen years
,ro when her first splendid triumph achieved
IN t,-wlth freedom authority, buoyarey. and su-
,erb vigor showing clear Ideal and expressing
!, v-iih tie delightful fuency OF expeditions and
decisive art The play is q slight alteration of
ghakespeare's comedy (ro one OF Shakespeare's
nIays Is ever acted with absolute fidelity to the
suttor,. and the pare Is slight alteration Of
shakespeare's heroine.-the changes having been
made as IS proper. for the sake OF effect. Kath-
crime as embodied By Miss Rehan. begins at the
highest pitch Of excitement: dashes iTpetuously
onxard. in & storm Of passion: ana. out OF that
condition OF tuEault and tempest. is made gradually
n subside into the sweet compcsure OF plncSbie.
aSectionate wornanheod.
Much has been said this subject. IN this place.
and particular discussion OF IT, at present. Is
necessary; hut the Judgment so often expressed
hare may rightly be expressed again Miss Rehan's
acting IS smooth and flexible. apparently
sponsneous that il seems 10 be nature Itself.
and q happiness possible to anybody; but single
effort WELD The rapier suffices TO show that II
cannot be handled by those who 90 not know Its
use. The performance is diversified with continual
auctuatiors OF mood, subtle with revelation OF
the woman's heart beneath the shrew's perveTsity.
and beautiful with symmetry Of treatment Its
chief felicity indeed, is the revelation OF Katherine
as 9 woman deeply capable of love and deeply
moved by the perception it in her rough sutton.
II there is fiery temper at the beginning there IS
delicious submissive tenderness at the close. Ihe
power OF the actress Is not mere violence AT the
source Of all the inpetuous and furious action
there IS deep feeling: and this at last. is sweety
liberated. Miss Rehan's delivery OF the closing ad-
Enonto,y speech viii long be remembered Tor gen
fle dignity Of oencanor and lovely refinement OF
utterance IN Miss Rehau's ideal Of Katherine the
Shrew is heart sweet woman. but she Is AT
ODDS with herself. q termagant in temper. and
unon the surface all tempest and danger. II must
be a bitter trial a woman OF high and imperlous
spirit that she is impelled by nature to long Tor
the endearments Of love, and. al me same u4He' g
rage against herself because or the very WEAKNESS
,vb,cb nernts her longing and which is her unrec-
oKnized strength-seeIng that 1t both constitutes
and denotes her essential wonanhood- 1hls is me
thought implied by Miss Rehan's treatment OF the
character and the method Of her performance mas
an astonishing freshness and sympathetic NltaHIy'
7, would be difficult TO specify the precise means
whereby the actress imparts the sense OF hath-
crimes latent charm.-but she does inlart IL anu
the gradual subsistence Of her pride, scorn ana
wrath which at last turn 20 contritlon and sweet
humility is one OF the most subtle. symmetrical
coulpete and authoritative exhibitions Of dramatic
art--the art Of impersonation. as distinguished
from that OF elocuuon.-that our stage has known
occasional touches CT SEEMING AilN'NtiNe-As
buruor and toward the last, the occasional uashss
az 6erllre piouancy that play over her expressive
denotement OF Kathe-ine's transition from resent
rnent 10 surrender delicious in their Originality
Ada Rehan viii be remembered for many superb
performances grazing an exceptional career; she IS
the best Rosand and the best Lady Ieazle OF TINS
epoch; she is the only Peggy Thrift OF our age'
and In Katherine she stands alone Ihls lmpe1-
sonaticn has been seen in France ana germany,
as well as in England and the United STATES ana
,sraT here
no exaggeration il saying that the possibilities OF
the character were never fully recognized until
Ada Rehaa assumed il
Mr. OTIS Skinner impersonated Petruchio. The
character is not an admirable one. and IL can only
be made agreeable through an actors INFUSION mo
II OF such winning personal attributes as oIahu
good nature. quiZzical humor. ana o4uh' ToIHcA4ss
,nirth AS drawn in the text Pe'ruehlo is ram
pant seif-sufficent. noisy young man. who mas
inherited wealth. and who wants 10 marry IN oroer
70 acquire more. Re has sense, sagac4ty' the
fluent verbal readiness Of man OF the world a
copious vocabulary Of Vitupe-ation, ena some W.
but he is not ovable. The stage custom mas
feen 10 interpret iirn somewhat according 10
Tobin's view OF the shrew-tamer as denoted in
Duke Aranza IL The Honeymoon, Indicating
kind heart. beneath 2 turbulent, hery. inlperloUs
daredevil exterior. Mr.. Skinner is easily author-
ilative and predominant in the part. and his geh-a
spirit and fine style combine 10 make the perform
ance synpathetc and brilliant For brillancy. IN
deed the impeTsonaton was exceptional ana also
for grace, and for q charming undertone OF sweet
kind half jocular. half gentle humor.-not COM
patible with the character but delightfully."- express
sive OF the actors nature. Among the better
actors OF The present day Mr.. Otis Skinner STANDS
.n The front rank and reason OF his eminence
IS the absolute dignity OF his mind the ster4hs eA
celIence Of his personality. the simple beauty OF
his life His talents are remarkable, but this per-
soma worth also counts. There was. AT times
prodigious applause. both for MI Skinner and MISS
Rehan. w NJ