New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-06-19
LONDON DRAMA.
ReUiUaJ of Pinero's cabinet Mn.
ister-Mr. HarUeys Hamlet.
London, juno 3


interests of good drama. Mr.. Frederick Harrl-
son broke away from Mr. Forbes Robertson when
that actor was supported by Mrs. Patrick Camp
bell at the Lyceum Theatre eight or nine years
ago Obtaining control of the Haymarket, he
became Mr.. Cyril Maude's associate in manage
ment, with Miss Winifred Emery as the leading
actress; and year after year this beautiful old
theatre has been the home of delightful comedy
and the favorite playhouse for fastidious old
fashioned lovers of the drama If playgoers
could have had their way the partnership would
have been removed for indefinite period; but.
deeply to their regret. it has been broken of. and
with short run this month of MIR. Pineros
comedy Mr.. Harrison becomes the sole manager.
and Mr.. and Mrs Maude will no longer be seen
the Haymarket stage. The two partners In
dissolving their business relations have wisely
refrained from taking the public into their con-
fdence and rehearsing their private grievances.
The conjecture that the retention of Mrs. Maude
as the leading actress was the real OF
trouble between the business associates Is a
natural one, but It is hardly necessary to do
more than to hint at 1t. The lovers Of the good
old fashioned art OF acting certainly have had
no grievances while the partnership has been IN
operation Everything behind the quaint drop
curtain with it's graceful dance from 1.-THE
School for Scandal" has been worthy O. the
honorable traditions Of the Haynarket- Com
edies old and new have been delightfully."- played
there: Mr.. Cyril Maude, starting out as az &c
centric comedian. has broadened his styIe and
become a versatile artist; and the theatre has
remained clean and wholesome place OF enter
taiument. where the comic spirit has been in
telligently directed.
.oThe Cabinet Minister" is an interesting choice
for the last joint production OF Mr.. Harrison
and Mr. Maude. 1t is not one OF Mr.. Pinero's
best works for the dramatic interest Of the story
is slight and there are no thrilling moments
when the audience is vitality interested. The
betrayal of a Cabinet secret is an old motive
which has been employed by Mr.. George Mere
dith and other fiction writers and also by many
playwrights. Mr.. Pinero uses 1t lightly IS
gossaner thread. to connect a series Of comedy
scenes and to round out an evenings mlrthful
entertainment with the triumph OF foolish
Cabinet Minister'S wife over vulgar money
lender The construction is ingenious: the dia-
logue is bright and while several OF the figures
are sheer carlcatures without a touch OF zeal
life there is q strong sense OF character in the
drawing room in Chesterfield Gardens and in
the quaint hall of Drurndurris Castle. The first
night audience thoroughly enjoyed the revival
OF this play and heartily expressed its approval
This was natural when the parts were disJrtb-
uted with painstaking care and the successive
scenes were brilliantly staged and enacted The
veterans who remembered the first production
of the play at the Court Theatre made them
selves unhappy by comparing the two casts
and confessing that they had themselves grown
considerably older IN the interval and could not
look at the stage with the same careless eyes
and buoyant spirits. The majority OF the speota-
tors had never seen the farcical comedy and
their enjoyment was unclOuded with critical
"reminiscences.
Mr. Pfnero's art was indeed subjected 20 a
severe test when a light comedy. without serious
purpose written to suit the taste OF play
goers fifteen years ago, and with parts specially
adapted to the range and peculiar talents Of
certain actors, revived by another company
for another generation. The mannerisms Of the
playwright were at exposed There was
the oIdtirne trick, borrowed from Dickens, OF
indicating character by set phrases constantly
repeated There was the empty headed noodle
who ended every sentence with the vacant inter
rogation, ''What?" and there was the dresone
intriguer of quality who wandered In and out
and assured everybody with emphatic nod
that she had a motive. Audiences have learned
I'm fifteen years to infer character without such
constant iteration and these mannerisms were
not so funny as in the old days The rhapsodles
Of Lady Macphail over Scottish customs and
scenery and the virtues Of her stupid son had
also lost their Ossianesque glamour and become
burIesoue of a coarser pattern: and the play OF
the Young lovers Valentine and 1mogen, over
sktuping rope and a box Of toys and the ola-
Iectics Of a pair Of doting parents over the
future profession OF an infant prodigy were no
longer whimsical and amusing. the peculiar
rnsnner1sns of the actors for winch inc pA-17
were originally created were also 1ei- MI
Maude was cleverly srotesque as INC SN-e
money lender, Joseph Lebanon. put NO Wa
striving Iaboriously to ACCOMMODATE hAllNon ~
q ,our de force to a part which was a perfect
Ar for Mr. Weldon Grossmith- MISS "Hl4l0u
Emory. as the Cabinet Minister'S wl1e' "1InOut
bsinp as good naturedly vulgar as MIS- JUN
Wood could be In the same part was as ue
lghtfully vivacious and capricious; anu NOT o'
Mfr Arthur Cecil himself, playing tho MUS Ii
.,,a ,,+sr,,a1s of state service could have taken
himself in a more idyllic spirit tnan INC o@p''
actor Mr. Eric Lewis Mr.. Brandon Thomas
with his genius for eccentric coineus' w.
original Macphal of Ballocheevin. and Mr.. NOT
man Forbes, as his successor, was eQuaAS 60
and fantastic Mr. Pinero may have had oerUAN-
octors ir, mind when he wrote the play, ouS ne
d,d NOT SCAMP any part, and consequently Tnero
,ras something for every to do a1tnousN
dsIicscv OF method nad TO be sacriHceo IN 7o1ii0
instances Miss Nancy Price entered so nesr'AS
into the vulgarity of the romantic dressinSA01'
Mrs Cavlustre that It was difficult TO conS4nS'
snectators that the part was not specia14y oi'
ated for her Altogether. Mr. Pinero's "erA ma
come ont exceedingly well when adapted 70 10"
conditions of public taste. A frankly oVeio
farce is naturally ephemeral; but there -
nine for construction in this one which JusNineS
its revival
Mr. Martin Harvey's Hamlet was 100 -at0
the field to command good run at the Asil
n IrVin