New-York tribune., 1905-11-07
THE DRAMA.
MISS ADAMS At THE EMPIRE.
"Peter Pan"

Again the nir1ble kitten and the ball Oh yarn
Miss Maude Adams appeared last night d. -
empire Theatre, acting a conspicuous part Al - ;,
Barrie's fantastic fairy play called Feter an
and winning the cheer of warm Weiconie I'm
large audience. The presence Of TINS actress S. o.
lords pleasure to many persons for the sui.
reason that it is a sprigttly presence liiui'a
sweetness and mirth, and graced py the "i .
ment of pretty ways. AS an actress MISS | 80,
is incarnate mediocrity-for she possesses iei'io
imagination, passion, power, depth OF 1eehhs %
formidable intellect. and her faculty OF eAPieo'i'
mpersonation is extremely limited; but, as d per
sonality, she is piquant, interesting and asreeo'
and. in such a play Peter Pam which Is an
amiabe fabric of whm and fancy, devised for 1no
amusement of children, she is shown to adVai'aeo
and she the good effect of conmingleo illei
riment. sentiment and momentary thought |
drift OF Mr. Barrie's play,-in SO far as 1t nae '
drifts toward reflection escape, such as IalcS
provides. from the WEAKNESS OF the c1i W. W,
world. This clever author seems to nave hao H
Adams in mind when he was writing uiis fl',
and to have discerned in her those ATTRIBUTES =,
,nnocenca snrrhtIness half-joyful, half-rueLul
sentiment and p.uuant singularty whlch ha' -
deared her to g considerable puohc'-lle avn . 20
of The Little Minister, in making ti7 pa -
Peter Pan he certainly has fitted THIS loea' " w
woman The result is a vivacious' "aiiue e,
partly pautonimic, conpostlon,-more an !us' -
childhood than play, httie III 'ho sp pa
brakes "Culprit Fay,'-and sood pefloi
nv Miss Adams somewhat in the vein OF her Lazy
and VIM but by means SO iiiip -.
in substance so pleasing IN quality. or SO oe1a.1
in effect Miss Adams reached her zehltli " -
NAV Of .'The Little Minister" and nothills ~
she has since done has in any way iloolio -
irnnression then impaired Of her abilities anu us.
nature She is popular, and being one u '
good influences now operant on the stase' nel ~
fasstonal prosperity (although she mas peen
+rayaeantly and foolishly overTated)' Is aO O ~
.rati6cation and an encouragement, because II
creditable to that public intelligence iAhe
without which the theatre must lneVi'ao1'f
generate into nuisance and 2 curse. Inc SUI -:
"Peter Pam has been several times 'oid IL ,-..
nlace and iteration of details would pe u
some No writer has ever handled 1alTles vi co.
fancies as Pope handled them III Inc iS1p -
rocb, or as Southey handled thern' IN tlie oel 80
frl much undervalued epic poem OF Inc 80
Of Kehama": but Mr.. Barrie has managed u''l'.
his pey being flexible in constructor 80 ~,
6, stvle and abundant in ridiculous lncIuei4'
nbantasv sometimes runs into puerlhty' a"o 'l,0
resantatives of Peter Pan and his 1uFenIo
comrades and the pirates and Indians hAEe 80
cr,.v In throwing themselves into the spirit Vi ~
+benne and maintaining the Illusion. 4''e'
,naesurably succeed, however, and the achle'ei'
.. craditable to them. The spectators appeareo "
ha amused and gratlied AS Goldsmith wrote
Nv snorts like these are all their cares oesui7u'
Of chill