New-York tribune., 1905-11-22
THE DRAMA.
MISS GEORGE AT THE GARRICh.
Marriage of William Ashe. :

The troubles of the Ashe family. viii n were set
forth, some time ago. in a silly mover ps -
Humphry Ward. have found their way u ''e
stage. They take the form of dreary play VI liie
'Frou-Fr order. made by Miss Margaret Alayo'
and this can be at the Garrick Theatre @lie
it brought forth last night. with MISS III ace
George in the leading part Mr. Ashe' III D0t
novel and play a political prig, ana ne sol
married TO giddy young woman, naTneu hI'ts
Bristol, who thought herself to be a genius pd'
who was in fact, fool. Kitty, prior TO her mar
riage had been attracted by the bewilderlng, en-
chanting. irresistible charms of newspaper writer
named Godfrey Clffe, who sentimental, po-
etic blaekguard. Some time after the occurrence
OF the Ashe marriage Mr.. Clffe again appeared
and thereupon Mrs. Ashe SO completely en-
tranoed by his basilisk potentiality that she ran
away with him, in foreign land. where she gre"
weary of him-as he did OF her-and where. in the
book she expired; but not before she had repented
suffered. and been forgiven by her abused but mag
unanimous husband. Those are the bones OF the
story-the Oldest, and the most trte end tedious Oh
all the arnatory stock-stories of the theatre IN the
play Mrs Ashe is made to accept the protectlon OF
Mr.. Cliffe because her husband unceremonlousiy
repels and leaves her, receipt of a novel that
she has privately written and caused to be anon
ymously published. assang the British Ministry
of which he is a member.
Mrs Wards novel attracted some attention, be
cause 1t was thought relevant TO scandalous cpl
sode in the life Of the poet Byron--the episode
namely, of that bards dscreditable relations with
ward Lord Melbourne G779-1S4s). Ashe was
thought to be a portraiture Of William Lamb
Kitty a sketch of Lady Caroline. and Cllhe an
Image of Byron. The whole dirty mess was stirred
up again Iady Carolines novel of 'Glenarvon,
Byrons letters the subject, Medwin's "Conver-
sations," etc), and all that came Of it a bad
odor. Few books more mischievous in effect have,
Of late years been puolished-not because of any
inherent power in the novel, but because of its
obnoxious, deplorable resuscitation of caamitous
domestic experience that ought have been left
in the oblivion of vanished years. No whitewash
would refresh the moral character of either Lord
Byron Caroline Lamb: morality not the
strong point with either of thsm while the memory
of Melbourne--a wise statesman and, essentially,
a noble person,-reQuired neither vndicaton nor
establishment The book is tissue OF frivolous
coloques and commonplace incidents; is written
in tunid hysterical style: is Iahored, artificial,
devoid of feeling though well supplied with senti
mental furnmery; and, in its Characterization
(vewing Ashe and Cliffe as meant for Melbourne
and Byron) both ignorant and absurd. The char
acter OF Lady Kitty. however, fabric Of vanity,
frivolity, sentimentalty impulse, affectation and
miscellaneous fribble,-is sufficiently well drawn to
be recognized insuferable type Of feminine
weakness and folly.
All that could be done with such female on the
stage done in ''Frou- Frou''-and sickly and
CHASTITY achievement it was! Miss Margaret Mayo's
play is thin, feeble, die-away echo of that mel
ancholy wall. 1t serves however, vehicle for
Miss Grace Georges alternate vivacity Of demeanor
ana poutlng. WlStfui SenSlbllty which IS ner
est semblance of feeling. Miss George is not a
serious actress. Her aptitude is for mirth-and.
this time, her mirth was indeed needed; for the
character of Kitty Bristol is silly, shallow, pert,
and vulgar. and the play that she pervades is a
compound of cackle blather; the cackle being
furnished by group of those colorless, vapd, sap
headed, garrulous noodles who invariably come on
to represent society,", and the bather being about
equally distributed between the Poet and
the Lady. Upon the twaddle uttered by the
bard it would be idle to linger; but,
to the Lady's share, it ought to be said that
there is nothing original or brilliant in calling the
Bible "a damned good book" or in telling re-
spectacle old gentleman TO ego to the devil
These ebullitions Of genius though. consort agree
ably with the expedient of making a girl come
TO a dinner party with a puppy-dog under her
arm There is some pretty scenery fre-hghted
room and also a view of canal in Venice, in
carnival time; with accompaniment of fitting son-
dolas on shmmering water, and effective singing
Of gondoIiers. The complete absence of substantial
fabric in the play, however, makes its scenic en-
bellishment seem a waste of labor. Such stuff
has no value anywhere-least Of all on the stage.
Miss George herself received with marked
favor-but she should be content with beauty and
Inirth and leave serious things alone. W. ".