New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-27
THE DRAMA.
ANNIE RUSSELL AT THE GARRICK.
"The Younger Mrs. Parting"

stupid play, called The Younger Mrs. Par
=" was revealed last night at the Garrick The
-. and Miss Annie Russell effected her re-en-
80 here acting the principal part in It. This
- e said to have been derived from French
S5,al-rhe adaptation having been made by Mr..
Sson Chambers. The theme is domestic dissen-
-, resultant incompadbility between a young
- and her husbands family. The story makes
,oun that a girl named JacqUellne Carstairs.
s,,,5ter OF a dubious mother became the wife Of
mig named James Parting; installed, by
~ N the home OF his straitlaced relatives;
Ind that abode intolerable and therefore left 1t;
-sred social ostracism. because of her objection
-. mother; took offence against her husband, for
s-,inR that offensive incumbent out of their lodg-
,,e. and. being apprised by him OF his inten-
-, again 20 install her in the residence OF the
,asr Parlings. took a walk, with a lover named
~-ru Martyr. and never came back. Puerility
mid not be pushed much further. Miss Russers
,srforunance OF Jacqueline. the younger Mrs. Par
ling was ipsipd in quality, mawkish In demeanor,
,,notonous IN speech. and Ineffective. The play is
mess Of trash and fribbe. to illustrate the plat-
-. that a young wife cannot always dwell har-
o-so,,sly with her mother-in-law, and that there
=. N roof broad enough to cover more than one
,,mfv This is true but II is also trite. and the
-,nr theatrical statement OF it. by Mr.. Chambers,
~ serves 10 make vapidity more vapid and 10
deenen the dulness OF a dull theme
The story is developed by dialogue not by action
s,t,-loc,tors and among them there are three or
,orr setchIie types Of character-a jaunty. sport
sre raklsh baronet; dyspeptic, malarial' hen-
recked husband; a blatant. sonorous OLD ass VINO
talks about Duty; and a vulgar hussy' VINO oe-
cla-es the intention Of marrying a fool IN order
,bo+ she MAJ, live lcentiousy with scoundrel 1t
= nice lot Three men IN succession ask girl 10
1ecorne A courtesan: the fourth nan asks ner 10
beeone his wife. Two censorious danes Insult her'
after she is married. her father-in-laW oouoy ~
suits her by his ELUSIVE espousal OF her cause anu
4nallv her husband whom she has never IoNeu,
6isg7,sts her with his hidebound respectabity ana
honelesslv conventional behavior-and she can en-
cure no more. No situation is devised N climax
.s reached or even sought. The only GIiinme' OF
vitality is perceived in voluble speerh' Dy ule
distressed young wife. when ser patience mas DeeA
exhausted and she fires verbal shot at heF lot
mentors There is no opportunity for real acting
The part Of Parting requires the animation o. 'le
sellvfsh and this supplied by MI Joh~ Nlaso1.
II seems 10 be the cruel fate OF THIS eAceIl ''.-
comedian almost continually to be saddled with
had narts Mrs Glendinning managed TO strike
fire for moment, as Mrs. Pringle' sort OF NINA
,ura Mrs Candour-supercilious. malicious. To-
ouacious full Of meanness. but outWaroIy genial
Mr. Oswald Yorke's idea Of acting Is 10 SUCK ms
hands in his pockets and swing his legs MI Eoerle
presented exceedingly we'll a sort OF respectable
pecksniF Mrs. Gilbert-greeted with whirlwind
Of epplause-appeared as a prim, formal, middle
class English 'matron who is bullled by her sell
righteous husband: looked the part TO perfecuoh:
slumined it with deft touches OF her own peculiar
hunor and acted in a mood OF competent art ana
exemplary vIgor Miss Jeffreys-Iewis presented
-ainfll spectacle as the shady Mrs Carstairs A
strange study Of perverse. morbid. shameless du-
-l,citv and depravity was shown by Olive Murray
much the most novel and interesting artistic enort
az the night The piece. however is failure; Ger
tainly # ought TO be: and most certainly Miss
Annie Russell cannot save H.
Tho acfguR Of Russell has always lacked
ginger and lately il has become absolutely mawk-
Ssh and fat This performer,-like some others
who might be mentioned,-needs either re-
.uveuaton or retirement Only those persons
.zhose duty & Is 10 write about the stage can
quite appreciate the melancholy fact that most OF
the contemporary things that praised are
praised only because they used to be fine and be-
cause is hard and painful to admit that they are
fine no longer. There are more than forty theatres
in and about New-York. and there is scarcely one
OF them in which anybody is doing anything that is
Interesting or important. They are open. as wood
yards are open. and scores Of persons are saw
ing wood in them. Veterans. who might nave
played before Noah, when he landed from the
Ark. wander about the fats and totter ana mum
he. Persons who were "supers" yesterday are
stars today Three-cornered girls, proclaimed
IS actresses rasp the wellda with voices that
rival the screech OF the peacock The SHINY muck
Of Mr. Ibsen and the lunacy Of Mr. MaeterhncK
are made TO trickle into the public mind and turn
lands provided with rancid plays about hber-
tines and wantons. fix a steadfast gaze on
the coast OF Greenland and whisper TO the scenery
In the third groove, and vaunted as prodigies
Of genius and intensity" Historical demireps
of England and France are theatrically celebrated
for social delectation. Women whom scandalous
divorce has made notorious difuse upon the thea
ire the efuvia Of their foul repute. Prizehghters
and unspeakable cranks-John l. Sullivan, and
KID Mccoy and Carrie NatiOn-are obtruded as
actors The plays Of the hour are mostly fur
nished BY writers who manifest the brain Of the
rabbit combined with the dignity OF the wet hen
It seems only necessary TO open hole in the wall
End call II a theatre, and a multitude PUSHES into
s. to sweat and Singer. There has not been a
time In lfty years when the theatre al so low
q level as it has reached to-day-when the impulse
vanity the motive is greed. the method is sordid
engrossraent the aim is exclusively business" and
the result IS a barren traffic and an arid waste.
Voices, indeed. family crying in the wilder
ness, TO signify that somebody beneath the under
brush wants 20 elevate the drama; but these,
IN every case. are found 10 DO the voices Of
visionary zanies like the sentimental Mr.. W. B.
Yeats whose actual purpose is only TO elevate
themselves. The art OF acting needs "eleva-
ton" II only needs competent representa- ives
and capable and efficient exercise and display:
and the present state OF things will endure until
NE number OF theatres is greatly reduced the
Ayora Of monopoly strangled and destroyed, a
horde Of Incompetent performers driven into other
pursuits for which they are fitted the played-out
veterans tucked up in their little beds. and the
eIena made clear for the men and women who can
really act W W