New-York tribune., 1904-09-27
THE DRAMA.
TIE BELAsC0 THEATRE
Mr.. WAKEFIELD.

,,r warheld, who for some time has been the
si,g star Of eccentric comedy, appeared last night
!. .be Felasco Theatre, in play caIes .arbe
sT,c Master written by Mr.. Charles Klein. ana h,
rerfornance Of deep sincerity and excen4tov.I \
-s+ "a performance valuable 10 his audience s,,d
-oSitabie 20 hmself-gained the most auspicio,,s
cass Of his professional life The play win ,o+
s-,nress experienced observers as renarka Bile for
..ther originality Of design or felicity OF con-
.-,crion: Dut * is pure in spirit Interesting
=. s+orv picturesque n setting and bealfbf,,I
!, influence and IL VIII have a career The
a,,,bo-s purpose manifestly. was to place an
.,ceutric gentle, afectionate humorous and
somewhat f0~l0rn elderly man in a predicament or
-svous perplexity and trial. and thus TO touch
fls heart by a truthful portrayal Of sad circum-
,-,nce and IN that way 10 arouse pity and stimu-
ate the promptngs Of charitable impulse That
nurpose he has accomplished: and, while his play
& neither novel with invention. potent with strong
dramatic effect nor brilliant with dialogue IL pos
sesses the solid worth Of fidelity TO simple life the
charm OF diversified character. and the beauty of
oeep tender human feeling.
The central person. Herr Anton Non Barwig
;npersonated bl Mr.. WarfelG, is German mu-
s,ctan Of a familiar type-peculiar, but at
-ractive; i'm rssioned. but gentle. droA, but
piteous: fervid. bur pa.ent; an image Of moral
dignity and se.f-sacrihce.-and the posture e
situations and incidents that have been devised for
his presenrrn=ut shows him as loving father. oc-
cpied under conditions of almost sorcid adversely
in q guest for his daughter. whom an unworthy
wife and mother has taken from him. and whom.
a. last he finds and under conditions cruel 10 him
SET practically befrieuds hv keeping her secret Tie
conspicuous attributes Cf this person.-attTloutes
blended and woven beneath serio-eonic surface
o. foreign manner and broken tis4ish' m
rrinsicalI- fof course with variant lnNeslluFe).
those that have long endeared such characters as
Mschonec T1pier Ny. Peggotty, Caleb PiummeT'
or,-roister and Dr. Primrose; the attributes name
IL Of love charity 1delity, forutude. patience,
buYnor simplicity. spontaneous goodness and
an unconscious grace equally or conduct
manner and thought. The dramatist cnese wen
,-,ep he chose 70 combine these attributes into
- egure and NJ Warfe6 finding himself
liberated mind and heart. into = conEenial char
.r.sr-has made this dKUre a vital emblem OF sim
1a ha-oisrn and parerral affection-not nsipld not
-. lr+ rouant with involuntary humor and
decisive with well governed emotion In Garner
-f,,,sroes this comedian mas usually heS~
ho+,g-anbic. blt time study. thought. and prac-
so 80 forces that constitute eXperience-seen
to have tended 10 ripen his arr. and in this per
Torrance he shows iutuitve insight ana ls deelA
rsfbe+c. so that people viii derive benefit from y.
A. rbe same time that they enjoy lt. This IS sue
cess for the higher purpose 0f acting plaY il not
proclamation Of Jhe talents Of an actor bur liDeia-
lion and enforcement Of the utmost Of beneficial
influence upon an audience that The play contains
slr VARIED conquered by the TWO great virtues
~ s{7,rrcfrv and sinCeritY-lot withstanding
method OF seIf-reDresson and Notwithstanding
so-1eEaat dry ana metallic Foealisn--he result
probabiv 3f extreme nervous excitement. The
best dramatic ax2ed.eut il The play is that 5y
which the sstners dubious. inchCate recognition o.
-be daughter is confirmed. A. this point and in the
s4ouent situation ,0f which would not be difficult
10 indicate the origin Mr.. Wardeld evinced most
svrn7athe1ic deIicacv and tenyestuous ferNoT
amounting 10 genuine passion The audience was
deeply moved. The closing scenes We're marred oy
episo6es Of irrelevant incident ard b proliXiry.
obscuritv and srliice. ~ the iong-Grawn passage