New-York tribune., 1905-05-14
and the vividness and distinctness of their por-
trayals OF character

and the vividness and distinctness Oh 'heii
trayals OF character
Mr. BERNARD Shaws plays of paradox anu
,,aasantrv have been more popular in America
than in England: and the reason perhaps nos
been that the critics have persisted !" ''e
hin, TOO seriously and condemning them -ol l'0"
of consistency and unity. Writers OF pay
who accent the current dctum that pay NJ
be convincing and that there must oe ueiA''''
logical treatment of a single theme are ou' "a
MACE in a theatre where his uncohNeH'ioiai
nieces are produced His plays moreover Ha'
saIdo,, baen stage managed here intelligently'
and until the work Of presenting thenl sElnPA
theticalIy was undertaken at the Court Iheatre'
H. norts have never been distributed among
oo,,na+an+ actors Mr. Granville Barker Is an
actor who understands the whimsical studleS
Of life and character in Mr.. Shaw's Irresponsible
work and he has succeeded in interesting
trained company of versatile players IN theil
production as a labor OF love- CohseQueI14''
Candida" John Bulls Other Isanu' ioO
Never Can Tell' and other works have been
source of delight to highly intelligent auolehce'
at the pretty little theatre in Sloane SQUARE
Perhaps the most satisfactory OF these perform
a,ces has been witnessed this week in the para
doxical little seaside idyll which opens IN hNe-
shilling dentists operating chair and closes with
a
quin. while the walters son. who has 'urheu
harrister is deciding whether Fergus Champion
or Mrs. Clandon is responsible for dlVlueu
household and three fatherless children; Inc
title. You Never Can Tell" applies with Pc
culiar force to the motive of the play WIN"
cannot be discovered by any logical process
Mr. Barker has begun by convincing MS Ieilo"
players that they do not need to concern thelh-
selves with either the plot or the IDEAS OF lHlS
farrago Of nonsense and grotesque fahcy' OuU
are merely called upon to let themselves go ana
to follow the caprice of the moment, as thoush
they were all children following glittering soap
bubbles. The company having started in this
irresponsible way, end by keeping the auolehce
conyulsed with merriment and tingling with de-
light Mr. Louis Calvert's impersonation OF the
genial waiter is something delightful ana SO
artistic that it may be compared with MI. ETC
Lewis's Mollentrave-one Of the best DTS OF
comedy acting witnessed in London for long
period Apart from three hours Of frohc there
is as good acting in this play as one can see on
any metropolitan stage. Whether Mr. Shaw can
write popular drama not, he can give accom-
plished actors all they want to do, provided
there is a stage manager at hand clever enough
to give them the cues.
The late James Staats Forbes was known as
one Of the chief collectors Of the Barbizon
school and a patron Of modern French ana
Dutch art he was never unwilling to lend his
pictures for exhibition in England Scotland and
America His executors are evidently in doubt
as to the best disposition TO be made of the eX-
tensive collection which he left behind him If
it were dispersed at auction in the course OF a
weeks sales at Christies, the Capel-Cure col
lection Of Renaissance treasures has been broken
up this week. there would be some good prices,
but also many sacrifices of fine works which
have temporarily gone out Of fashion among
buyers. The executors have accordingly acted
prudently in exhibiting portion of the collec-
ton at the Grafton Galleries in the hope that
il may interest collectors at home and abroad
and possibly lead to private negotiations for the
purchase of considerable sections. Among the
four hundred pictures exhibited there are gems
and potboiers in close association, and an auc-
ton sale of mixed lot would involve
startling results have been witnessed at
Christie's, where a terra Gotta bust of the
mother of Lorenzo di Medici attributed to Dona-
telIo drawn a single bid of $50, in place Of
the $4,000 which Mr.. Cheney reputed to
have paid for it. There are large groups of NIil-
let's Bosboom's. Corots, Daubigny's, Diazs,
Rousseau's, Troyon's. Mauve's. Israals's, James
Maris's and other modern painters works; end,
while the examples unequal and the British
section is less characteristic than the Barhzon
ern pictures could be made by selections from
these walls.
The action of the mismanaged woman's club,
the Lyceum, in blackbaIling Miss Ellen Terry
on account Of her supposed lack Of literary
qualifications for membership has not only made
the organization a laughing stock but is also
menacing its existence. Mrs. Craigie has voiced
the feeling OF the really influential members in
withdrawing from it. Mrs Humphry Ward hav-
ing been informed that false reports have been
printed in America to the effect that she sided
against Miss Terry and was in sympathy with
the MANAGEMENT. asks me to contradict them
with the strongest emphasis She considered
Miss Terry's qualifications for membership en-
tirely satisfactory and has sgni1ed her disap-
proval of act of intolerance and folly by re-
signing her own membership in the club She
has indeed been fully in accord with Mrs. Craigie
in the whole affair. INT
SHERIFF STTTT tn FIGHT TNTTrcTTrr