New-York tribune., 1906-10-23
THE DRAMA.
THE REVIVAL OF "cYMBELINE.y
Viola Allen at the Astor.

-~.. Allen has long been known as an actress q.
- character; tender heart; acute sensihiIitv. sh
So. hecsuse natural. refinement; and essentiellv
s.-,,s ioveness It was inevitable that having
sntered the Shakespearian realm. she should
CIV. o. sc. Tmogen. No other character IN Shake
.,.are would suit her so well; for the appeal of
- g-czaanly quality in 1mogen's nature finds an
60. response in her own Sweetness of teupera-
n,r1ty OF life: the dignity OF virtue; the soorn
q ysce; noble passion OF viiied honor; the grief
- r-1eiy wounded heart; fortitude; grace; wist-
sa ohiIdlike winning simplcity.-fhose were clear
,,sAned attributes TO her performance and by her
ss-+,.ed unobtrusive art, those attributes were
s,.,6ed into sympathetic personiication of chaste
,-rnosut, excellent womanhood. Her conquest of
- audience complete and decisive Her per-
--ssnoe was not perfect one but she revealed a
EARNING ideal in charming manner giving nat
- embodiment 10 the most endearing and the
ms. adorable OF Shakespeare's women; and SO she
-, crowned with honor a long career of earnest
s-sesror and worthy achievement. In it's repre-
..ntstiye aspect OF womanhood, Miss Aliens i'm
xsouation Of Imogen is the best portrayal of char
ser mind. end soul that she has ever given In
.s ousltty and at points in its execution there
,c-s for II 10 improve: but, as whole IL is tri-
uh for the actress and beneficial delight for the
community.
me public gain, in seeing true, and therefore
,r,u-ess.ve satisfying performance of Inogen con-
,sts In having surprisingly beautiful poetic ideal
a rouanhood transmitted into a living image Of
hasutv sensible 10 the vision, sympathetic with
.bs feelings and instantly appreciable by the mind.
Portia Is beauteous, generous arch, blthe. loving,
sDa winning: Rosalind is noble. free. gay, spark
ting merry. 2 creature OF enchantment; Beatrice
is the personthostion OF piquant briliancy; Viola
s romantic. gentle tender and lovely; Cordelia is
embodied Adelity: Perdta is the sunshine of youth.
,ows and 10Y; but Imogen the true wife, the pas
s,ouste lover the imperial princess. the magnani
aous patient. devoted. almost infinitely pathetic
hs-oine whom no hardship subdue and in
.uEuoe pervert, unites all the qualities that
fascinating and worshipful in & woman. 1t is
slight task 70 act such a part: fl is permanent
honor 10 act # well Miss Allen was beautiful to
see ana sweet to hear. The personality, suffusing
the art that OF & pure, gentle, amiable, in
senuous, conhdng girl Placidity would appear to
be ore Of Miss Aliens chief characteristics, and
refined domesticity 10 be condition closely con-
renal with her temperament. She speaks earnest
"; awakens sympathy; inspires kindly solicitude;
and stimulates feeling Of protective regard No
spectstor OF her performance of 1mogen could fail
70 discern in it, and To appreciate. the charm OF
rsod and Iovable nature. In Imogens affiiction,
m being cruelty parted from her husband. the
fess might well have been less inert; II seems to
be her pecularity to be inexpensive where feeling
Is to be shown by condition ard aspect and not
hy explicit action but, in the rebuke of Cioten she
famed into life ana in the repuise Of Iachimo she
splenddly expressed the shrinking alarm of star
tied delicacy. the amazeInent of insulted royalty
Ead the fiery Indignation and whitening scorn OF
offended virtue. In the reception Of the letter from
Posthumus, appointing the tryst at Milford Haven,
she bacame the vital sparkling embodiment OF
hope and happiness. and at that moment in
deed Imogen. Upon Pisanio's revelation Of the
murderous message from Posthumus she rose to
an euinence Of passionate grief-and also Of ex-
emplary fortitude. At the mouth Of the cave she
Geftly used the business OF trspidation and
sumec valor that has been customary on the stage
ever since Il was invented by Helen Faucit; and
throughout the cave scenes she was exceedingly
pretty and winning. now wistfu and now blths-
alternating, IN mood between assumed glee and
Irresistible melancholy. To the frantic outburst
the dead, headIess body that Inogen sup
poses TO be that OF Posthumus, she proved un-
egusi' bur her revealment OF Imogen's grief. COM
bined with her forlorn effort 10 submit. was mex
pressibiy pathetic Miss Aliens acting. at all
times. shows more heart than imagination, and at
taat point her heart was deeply touched The
Egnel notes OF feeling that she squareIy strikes
and esaTly sounds. in Imogen, are those of ex-
ungzI JOY and despsiring sorrow The excep-
aaa condition,-the personal slperiority-of
imsssh was not positively denoted by her. The
iarThsic glory that the performance has yet to ac-
CURE is that OF Poetry-the exquisite ineffable In
eshhEbe magic that iilumines and haIlows all the
rest The imagination OF Imogen rises high and
travels far Hath Britain all the sun that
shihesF' Ihe temperament of ImogeR is that Of
rsEulous i-npetuosty scarcely restrained by self
control, ana therefore the involuntary manner Of
lmogeR IS swiftly apprehensive. eager and alert
One OF her most representative, self-iIuTninating
speeches is the that begins with 20 for horse
With wings" Imogea should not be placed at
tanbOur: poetic heroine must not darn the family
Stockings. Nothing about Inogen is in the least
t1ggesve Of that domestic. nreside angelicaI para
Een VINO IS mentioned, IN dreadful couplet by the
poet Wordsworth. "a creature not too bright
and good for human natures daily food: nor
thould there ever be occasion for the spectator
gazing % safety superabundant, placid recti-
fane 10 nurnur. with Tom Moore,
Bs az angel, my love. tn the morning
sut @. be q woman tonight.
As to details the performance can only obtain
tosoute exactitude through repetition. It is not
IluAate ezpedent, for an actress who is not tall.
" HNart her figure by standing in lofty, open door
Ways or closely against objects that furnish the
Spectator with an instant means of measuring her
height The pages dress, which is pretty above but
WY below neither disg5iises the woman creates
ue seinhlance Of boy. The scene of the obsequies
eaa the finding Of the headless body should pass
Z tElight-which would be a great help TO the
@Vuess because il would obscure the barbarous
tAPeeient Of the nangled corpse and at the
Diae would heighten the desired effect of tragedy.
ne Play OF "CyEnbeline" could, Of course. be
0'eo II literal accordance with the text OF Shake
sFsasei but. II il were SO acted, the performance
sOO.d be intolerably proIix and the effect OF It
D-io 0s disgusting at points and lethargic
: al II mas 10 be cut. The colloquies relative TO
Ns wager are not spoken precisely they
s'ilten. nor could they be spoken without giving
esss offence. The theme IS nasty, and is some
u'e language, while the story is complex and
Ne Treatment Of It is exceedingly diffuse. The play
eenTaFenes the only historical authority upon
llA IL part, the structure Of its plot is reared.
r st authority Hoiinshed's Chronicle and
..'1hsned distinctly lntimates that Cymbeline
HSerty 10 pay the tribute not, and that Gym
-he Ike his father Theomantius, lived IN quiet
III ne Romans, and continually paid the tribute
uheFa- 6hakespeRre's introduction of Roman
80 Into England for the purpose Of compelling
n trfh-.t hat he