The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-11
EANSFIELD'S MISANTHROPE.
Az EVENING or PURE COMEDY
OFTHE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY.

Mastery Thcmes-'FOF Once, This IL
All Right, I'm Not KIckinE-But Only
OnceH One First NiEhter's Verdict
It was an audience mystlhsd almost as
much as amused, half Struggling With in
credulity even while II was interested,
that assisted Richard Mansfield last night
ct the New Amsterdam on the occasion
Of his first production Of Moliere's lie
Misanthrope' in English. OF drama there
was nothing-no situations no china Hes
There was not even a story, unless It can
he called such that a serious man loved
scoquette and made up his mind at last that
they had best not marry.
Though called comedy on the playbir
there was scarcely so much as a Joke In IL
II was like a continuous performance Of
afternoon tea. For five whole acts people
came into single drawing room scene
talked about one another, and walked out
bgain, The King Of France, with 1000
men, marched up hill, and then marched
down again. And Moliere. sthe beginning
and the end Of French comedy" as he has
truly been called, pursued much the same
tactics.
.. II was a strange adventure for Richard
Mansfield, the vivid, volcanic impersonator
Of picturesque, titanic characters, and
stranger still occurring on Broadway, the
home Of sound and fury. Yet the stranges
thing OF all was that the huge audience
followed each word attentively and re-
Varded stroke after stroke OF the pure
comedy Of manners with intelligent and
bartlett laughter.
Some Of the interest was due 10 the rufies
and frilla NJ
dandvism, which ran riot even In swaying
Ace pantalets. More was attributable to
, the quaint elaboration, the bowling and
soraping Of Aphonse and CASTOR polite
ness But most OF all was the spontaneous
recognition OF the deep observation and
sincere comic sense with which were pre-
scented half dozen studies Of character
which are as true and inwardly suggestive
to-dAyAs they we're two hundred and thirty
nine years ago.
- On the modern mind, used 10 the varied
striking and elaborate effects OF a highly
developed stage, the old comedy fell like
the tinkings OF a hArpsichord or the soft
mebdious sobbing Of a viol de gsmta.
What the concerts Of Mr.. Arnold Dolme tsch
lie Missnthrope' Is b the modern play
goer, OF our own selves and Unaided, let
We admit. we should probably have called
The whole thing thin and-perhaps-dull
Yet century before we were born time
had proved 1t consummate masterpiece
Emerson has called Plato the huge noun
tain Of philosophy, on which later philoso-
pners are merely detached powders,
Mutdhs mudHdis, the same Is true Of
Moliere, Not only tho best scenes Of our
own Wycherley, Congreve and Sheridan,
but the classic comedy Of Germany, Italy
and Spain-eyen Denmark-have their
origin In him
Certain scenes In this play-the reading
Of Oronte's sonnet in the first act, and
Celimtne's gossip of characters in the
second-have been handled and rehsndled
by all the masters Of the comic muse. The
popular verdict was very ably summed up
by bewildered first nighter: For once,
this is oH right. I'm not kicking. But
only once
The Aleesie OF Mansfield will not rank
IN the esteem of the public with his Mr..
Hyde and his ChevridL But lacking as il
Is In the more obvious effects Of the theatre,
u is a performance Of far higher power.
Tar deeper significance. The fun Of his
grun and testy humors, In salient contrast
With the urbanity OF the court Of the grand
'H0ndTque, Is admirably brought out.
The essential, intrinsic comedy Of bis
passion for the brilliant CoquettC, C6,imtHe,
ls denoted with a rare aftlatus Of the comic
spirit. Nothing could be better than the
denotement Of the bizarre fate which drives
him to uphraid the woman he loves, and
then, with a, delectable sOmersault OF
character, throw himself az the feet Of the
woman he has just berated.
Outraged at discovering proof OF his
Widows versatile wiles, he states his case
TO the sane and womanly Elidnie, and asks
her 70 help him revenge himself by marry
ing him. She is in love with him. and
II she were a shallower woman would be
deeply insulted But loving him, she
understands him; and with an Gle
walton Of spirit that Is one Of the
most divining traits in the play,
passes on his outburst with sympathetic
comprehension, leaving him to make gen
erous recognition In a later scene OF her
loyalty, In Withdrawing his impossible
suit. II Is q passage that only great
spirit could divine, a consummate master
Of acting denote clearly and roundly. Not
a shade Of II all escapes Mansfield
The C6lim6ne Of Miss Eleanor Barry il
less fortunate. 1t gives evidence Of care
ful and intelligent coaching, but lacks
authenticity and spontaneous spirit. Sew
eTal Of the scenes, as for example the oele-
brated combat OF recrimination with the
prude ArsiHoe, are far too Electrically
emphasized. The insidious correctness and
faultessly urbane insults OF the passage
at arms Il generate into open anger.
The ArsinOt Of Miss Gertrude Gheen, on
the other hand Is admirably conceived
and rendered. The ranking jealousy OF
the neglected old maid, the virllent prl-
riency Of the prude, are always suggested,
never thrown In the faces OF the audience.
Next to Mr. MansReid's Alcssts, II is the best
peiormance Of the evening. The Elidnis
Of Miss Irene Prahar is sympathetic and in
telllgent. but lacks depth and distinction
The Philinte OF A. q. Andrews Is
capable, but the part offers no great scope
to the actor The Acdste Of Morton
Seton is full OF comic JUNCTION. In the
small part Of Aloests's servant, Basque,
Henry Wenman was irresistibly laugh
able. As the poetasteT, OroHte, Leslie
Kenyon divides second hOnors. Like
Coquein. he lends an almost grotesque
junction TO the fatuous fop, instead Of Civ
ing II the austere absurdity, as Of a Nal
roho Of rhyme, according to the earlier
tradition.
The translation, credited 10 Katharine
Prescott Wormeley, Is for the most part
In loose blank verse, full Of redundant
syllables and so-called feminine endings,
which for the most part gives the effect OF
prose. One misses the gliding huency
and the varied rhyme Of the original. A
part OF the final scene Is In heroic oOuplets,
and reenforoes the impression that the effect
Of the whole would have been better for
rhyme, or at least for a more formal treat
ment Of blank verse.
Mr. Mansfield announces that the text
is given intact and entire and II there were
cuts or changes they ESCAPED notice. Ger