New-York tribune., 1905-02-28
THE DRAMA.

Mr. Frank Keenan, opened the Berkeley Lyceum
Theatre last night and. in the presence Of small
but apparently apDreciative and occasionally de-
rnonstrative audience. presented three short plays
NJ. keenan, Is an actor Of some ability. Of an en-
+irely ordinary and conventional order. and he is
g., earnest and 20 This extent he is meritOrious.
and deserving Of success It does not seem
llEelv however that he viii obtain success
with his present exhibition. He certainly
does not deserve II. The short plays might
each OF them. be advantageously shorter; one OF
them ought TO be shortened out Of sight. In the
6rs OF them q burglar interrupts elOpement
and delivers homily. The situation is not only
improbable but impossible Admitting its possibility,
though, Mr. Keenan, sustains Il Well-fer he pos
ssses repose; and he has considered and perfected
al the details Of the action and the scene. The
thing is not worth doing. but the careful doing Of
Il pleases attention and maintains interest The
second piece IS q variant Of the well known sorry
of Z PaCiacci" IN which the conspicuous figure is
that most hideous and monstrous type Of
6eprsved human nature, z sensual, treacher-
ous wanton. heartless This part
called Francesquine, is acted with remarkable
fidelity 10 the superficial aspect OF the character
by Miss Filkins. The mountebank, Tabaren by
name is assumed by Mr.. keenan, but, tragedy
Ia completely beyond his reach. he produces only
Ire effect Of effort In general IL may be said OF
this (and II Is true OF many OF his contempo
ra-iesl that he represents form, but has no sub
stance-rothing under the surface The third
pSy = an outrage equally on TlgnI lee4lLS anu
good taste and il ought 10 be hissed from the
stage These are strange times. however. and all
manner Of fads and cranks are loose. The
person who thinks that there is anything coTnical
in the condition and conduct OF the insane must
have a peculiar idea Of humor-fOr madness, no
matter what its form Is the most deporable spec
tscIe in the world. The genius of Edgar Poe, ike
thz man himself, was deficient in the element OF
humanity He understood il well enough in theory,
g1d he had great poetic sensibility; but there is
cot 2 pulse Of genuine human feeling in any page
dream of denying his extraordinary intellectual
powers: he is distinctively, the most original
genius among American poets-for he wrote
I)reanland.'' The Sleeper and The Haunted
Pa lace but the note, in all his writings, IS men
tai and not Of the heart He deemed IL
humorous TO depict the vaga-es Of a
lot u mad people. and now his sketch Of
Dr. Tarr and Professor Feather (Which is about
coHical z body-catcher whistling. at mid
night in q cemetery has been turned into a
theatrical skt and obtruded on the stage It
lad enough IN the book AS a theatrical scene II
affords melancholy example Of mistaken judg-
Il did not, any point, rise above mediocrity-
,Ir. keenan,. as Dr. TAR, presenting a notable
image of that extremely popular ingredient. II is
lamentsble 10 think that, in q civilized place an
audience could be found 10 listen with patience
and TO accept with laughter display Of the pitia-
bic iufTmities OF lunacy. To this degradation how
ever. the theatre jn this instance. has come.
W W