The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-08
"a BLOT ON THE 'SCUTCHEON "
MRS. LE MOYNE FRESTLES ABLY
WITH UNDRAMATIC BROWNING.

Society Discovers That the Blot Is Not for
l. P1gtAn MIsses-A Successful Benent
n for the Musical school Settlement
Poetic Drama and the stage
For the benefit Of the Musical School
Settlement and in the rarefied perfume
Of social sanctity Mrs. Sarah Cowell lie
Moyne produced Browning's A Blot on
the 'Scutcheon- yesterday afternoon at
the Hudson. The house was crowded
at 1--WE dollars a seat, and Mrs. Le Moyne
was greeted With unhagging enthusiasm
and flowers. Just how much Of Browning
esque edihcation the audience received
will never be known. One gentlewomAn
had taken two young pigtail children, but
when the plot began TO thicken and the blot
on the 'scutoheon grew more and more
gules she stood them up and marched them
out, returning herself, however, for the rest
Of the play. She at least must be conceded
10 have progressed in Browningism.
Il has always been known that the most
dramatic Of lyric poets was the least dra-
matte Of playvrights, but no one who has
not witnessed a performance Of this, his
most viable drama, IL able TO estimate how
far short he fell In the greatest and most
difficult Of the arts. His trouble Is that
Of all tho splendid line Of English poets
He chose 10 write in the ElizabethRn manner
for stage and an a &c that is in most respects
radically different from that Of Shakespeare
A hsndsaw IL a very good thing, as Frank
lin astutely remarked in his farmer manner
but not TO shave with. The Elizabethan
stage was on the whoSe the best executive
instrument for the poetic drama which the
world has yet produced; and just that Is
why the mordern stage tends 10 kill Eliza
bethan dramaturEy.
Browning added TO his difficulties. His
method Of attack on his dramatic theme
is strange mingling Of the .pre-sh9ke-
speGrean Chronicle history and the modern
novel. The exposition IL about as rambling
as Il could well be made and the attempt
! 70 pique curiosity by means OF mystery
proved a. blind as II always does In the
gtheatre Far from working up TO the
natural focuses Of interest In the story,
Browning ends his scenes In studious anti
\ climaIes Soliloquies and asides abound.
Once two men, graphing In mortal stTug-
/ gle, twist their heads In turn to tell the
: audience what they are thinking about.
! added to this, the style is as tortured as
Shakespeare at his most involved-not, as
with the great master, because OF the in
Nolution OF thought, but for sheer lack OF
clarity IN phrasing This IL not 70 say
that the performance lacked intelligent
Ahuao VINO nave INH0 NuN pay
gmay vel have got a new sense Of lie essen
tal interest In the performance, and those
Who have not may well be inspired TO read
) 70 70 ind out what Il "a all about.
That II u the work Of q mind and heart
pof vast proportions there IL not the slightest
question. Beautiful the theme Is In it's
etmphcity and ts passionAl humanity.
1nts lectual Il y In the best sense Of being
fTich IN the knowledge Of men and women
BIN 10 Illuminating heart wisdom. Over
h. - kaalII Ant
futility, almost comic at timss. there u a
Svaster sense Of tragic pathos. Here was a
oman who, n he had studied his instrument
with reverence and patience. might have
kibuilt dramAs Of oonsummate spiritual
band emotional grandeur-worthy, AZ no
H0thor poet has ever been 20 continue and
kdsvelop the majestic tradition Of Shake
kGpeare.
II MrB Ls Moyns was radiant With the full
eush Of feminine maturity and eloquent