New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-03-24
THE DRAMA.
MANSFIELD AND METAPHYSICS.
"Jekyll and Hyde.

at the New Amsterdam Theatre where crowded
house witnessed Mr.. Manshelds famous study of
those antagonistic and strongly contrased charac-
tiers, only revives that old theme OF inquiry the
place in art of things monstrous and horrible and
only prompts the reiteration of views that sub
ject which have been expressed before. Mr. Steven
sons grim story of The Strange Case was published
in 1885, and this play. based upon it, planned and
sketched by Mr.. Mansfield and written by Mr.
Thomas r. Sullivan. was first performed on May "
1887 at the Museum, in Boston. 1t is strong play
rapid in cumulative action. animated with incident
fluent in colloquy various in character, weirdly ef-
fective picture and fraught with impressive
meaning. The incidents situations. ground plan and
central idea have been taken from the book. but
the characters have been modified and displayed
under changed conditions, and endeavOr has
been made 10 invest the story with the atmosphere
domestic life and love- relieving. some extent
a monotony Of horror and clothing a fantastic
baleful. abhorrent subject. with some slight garb
of reason and nature
In categorical selse there is a basis of Sig
nifcant truth in the metaphysical phantasy of
Mr. Stevenson's novel Human nature is COM
posite. Human goodness would sink supine in
sloth If there evil in the warp of things.
to compel 1t action-evil being the agent in
creation that never rests and cannot rest. Many
persons go through life without lapsing into
vicious conduct. But most persons who, from the
summit of middle age. look back upon the past
aware that they have sometimes had the con-
seriousness Of evil moods and impuses-a tendency
In themselves so wrong that had it ripened into
wicked acts instead of ending in the conquest of
good over bad. it would have alienated them from
their better nature, and thus might almost be
said to have changed their identity. When good
man does wrong he has, for the time, ceased to be
his actual self The who keeps con-
sciously doing wrong must, eventually, blunt his
power of resistance evil till at last he becomes
incapable of reverting to his former state OF
virtue. The old theologians called that catastrophe
the ultimate triumph of Original sin" The scien-
lists of to-day declare it to be the temporary
| a1O,,{
human which evolution has not yet entirely eradi-
Gated.
In any field of art the portraiture OF the
strous is, comparatively easy. good actor
fill the measure of Caliban readily than he
can I'LL the measure of Lear. But the portraiture
of the monstrous. if easy is superlatively fruit
less. Doubtless it enables the actor to make
startling display of his skill The monstrous is
almost always powerful It is the crocodile the
cobra. and it frightens sckens horrifes.
But the spectator derives lasting benefit from
display Of power and skill in that direction. Hor
rOr is barren. except of disgust E L. Davenport.
! in the full maturity of his extraordinary powers,
set out to achieve a national popularity by play
ing Sir Giles Overreach. He played it marvellously
well, and his great ability in it recognized and
admired but the better his performance was the
more it avoided The character is monster.
| and. being merely a monster is hateful Such
creations devoid of human side.-being neither
| brilliant, fascinating, conscience stricken, like
Richard Ill nor awful and pathetic like the fend-
! driven Macbeth-cannot be redeemed and
| mended to sympathy by any felicity however
great. of artistic treatment.
The movement of the play begins in the house OF
| Sir Danvers Carew. who is present. in company
with his daughter and their guests. Among the
| latter Mr. Utterson and Dr. Lanyon The
! time is evening and the is of domestic
comfort and repose. The theme is opened by
! talk between Dr. Lanyon and Mr.. Utterson in
which Hyde and his savage cruelty described
DR.. Jekyl comes upon this scene-a pale, sad man.
forlorn and wistful. whom it is perceptble
| that trouble has cast subtle blight. But DR..
Jekyll and Agnes Carew the daughter Of Sir Dam
vers Carew. are betrothed lovers and it is inti-
mated that they to wed. The girl cheers
her lover and will not heed his self-reproachful
words. Presently the scene is cleared of all but
| Sir Danvers Carew and Agnes who linger while,
In affectionate talk Of the past. Just they have
said goodnight the grisly, sinister figure Of Hyde
emerging from the moonlight, enters the ROOM
through a window at the back Of it-a figure like
Jekyll, yet unlike him; shrunken, malevoIent re-
pulsive stealthy insolent in demeanor, horrible
| in facial expression, harsh in voice. loathsome
image of depravity and menace. This reptile
| coarsely commands the father to call back his
daughter and, being repealed by the intrepid baro-
net, suddenly springs upon him and chokes and
mauls him 10 death The spectacle is hideous but
happily. it is Mr. Mansfield is an art
list, and he does not linger upon any point once
made.
The second act consists OF three scenes. Hyde Is
shown In his secret lodging where. with blood
curdling glee, he fills a cup of wine and, as the
door swings open if of its accord he pledges
the ghost of Sir Danvers Carew. Mr. Mansfield here
wisely and widely deviates from the novel, by sur
rounding this miscreant with profuse. disorderly
luxury,-not that of taste, but that of exuberant
sensuality. This scene shows the police in pursuit
of Hyde. and ends with his escape, through
artfully devised secret He is next encount-
entering the mysterious postern of Dr. Jekylrs
cabinet. and there he is accosted by UtterSon.
Act third is occupied with the startling scene
in DR.. canyons house, wherein Hyde mixes and
swallows his drug and is visbly transformed
into Jekyll In act fourth DIR. Jekyll. immured
in his cabinet. and shuddering the verge Of
involuntary transformation into the brute that
turks within him, beseeches DR.. Lanyon to bring
Agnes beneath the window, that he can look
upon her face for the last time. Jekyll is
doomed, and his better nature must take leave of
all things that good and lovely in the world
The tragedy and the pathos of 1t that the parting
is eternal The girl is brought. but at the
that he looks upon her the transformation begins
and the wretched man swallows instantaneous
poison, and,-changed to the brutal Hyde-sprawls
horribly into death.
Mr.. Mansfield depicts, with frightful animal vigor
and with intense. reckless force of Internal
malignity, the exultant wickedness of the bestial
and frenzied Hyde. displaying a carnai monster
OF unqualified evil. 1t is assumption remark
able for prodigious power The actor possesses
great volume of voice and great impetuosity of
nervous force. and his acting OF Hyde viewed SIM
ply execution. furnishes conclusive evidence of
his exceptional resources and great proficiency in
the dramatic art But Mr. Mansfield rises TO a
nober height than that-for he is able in the con-
current and associate representation of Dr. Jeky
10 interbend the angel with the demon and thus
to command lasting victory. such his baleful
image of the hellish Hyde could never. separately
achieve. That is the basis of his success. He is
distinctly individual in each of his characters
His dramatic art and his temperamental
quality are as cogent in the as in