The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-02
h. B. IRVING AND S. PHILLIPS.
"PAOLO AND FRANCESCA" ABLE,
AND BEAUTIFULLY PLAYED.

and LOrtIer Father The Play gish.
spite Of Fine Great Fourth Act
ArOuses Audience Z Enthnnasm.
The appearance OF Henry B. Irving last
night at the New Amsterdam in Stephen
Phillips's -Paoio and Francesca" held forth
two possibilities OF the utmost moment.
Here was a young man who has given prom
Use OF taking the place Of preeminence lately
left vacant by his great father, and here was
one OF the two strongest plays Of the poet
who has been hailed as the recreator OF the
English classical drama. Such q con
junction has not yet taken place in London.
Was It reserved for New York to witness a
great performance and a greater promise?
The occasion proved highly notable. The
acting was able and impressive through
out, the production splendid. The play
was obviously the work Of a man Of literary
temperament and poetic fire, whose APP
premiership as a minor Shakesperean actor,
moreover. has taught him much OF the
essentials Of the acted drama. The entire
production deserves, and will certainly
command, the attention Of all who are
interested in the better aspects Of the con-
temporary stage. Yet both play and acting
fell short Of the ina note OF distinction.
The fact is that the play, while it gives
scope to several passages Of impressive
acting, fails Of the ultimate dramatic appeal.
II Is distinctly less impressive. acted than
read. In the study it seems to belong
as all plays should b~elong-to the world
OF the footlights, but on the stage it is red
olent Of the midnight oil. Lines which
seemed full Of dramatic fire appear in the
representation studied and literary where
thew should be spontaneously dramatic.
And the story which seems OF absorbing
interest becomes Himsy. even sluggish,
when embodied Is the concrete realities Of
the stage.
The entire drdmdtis PERSONA appear TO
have read their Dante not wisely but too
we'll. Blind Angela has a vision in which
she ~foresees the sin and the fate Of the
young lovers, and when abe tells Il TO Go
Udnni he accepts II without question, and
becomes the ~avenging husband, subtly
plotting the punishment before the crime is
committed.
In the apotheoary's shop he overhears
Pdoto's confession OF temptation, and
though the most devoted OF brothers, lets
him go forth, as he supposes, to a ~self-in-
1icted death by poison. In the world Of
the printed page such things may be. but
when they are represented as the deeds Of
~ AA6 Nhoy ~ OACC IL
human and incredible.
PdoLo himself in the fated hour foresoes
the very fortunes Dante 30 wildly de-
scribes-and describes them, too, in much
beings impelled by the destiny Of oircum-
stance and passion, we have mere puppets
OF literature who fall into the prescribed
attitudes elf-oonsciously.
There are several passages which afford
the actors occasion for telling defamation,
huf the essential conflict NJ will and char
acter is lacking, the dominant current Of
strong passion n increasingly irresistible
fate.
1t il only in the last Of the four acts tina
the might Of this old story asserts itself.
Then we see francesca battling. with in
stinctive purity, against temptation-con-
Quering at first, yet slowly becoming en-
meshed in the web OF trivial circumstance
and overmastering fate: From the opening
Of the action there is felt a highly dramatic
suspense. This deepens to fear a. the
lovers fall unwillingly into each others
and rises to a blood curdling GER
tainty as the form Of Mdtdtestd is seen
swaving behind the curtain, and his hand
appears to draw 1t back and disclose the
tragic death OF the lovers. The whole act
is managed with the restrained good taste
and the consummate skill Of high poetic
tragedy; and it aroused the audience for
the first time to spontaneous applause.
Mr.. Irving has the advanta ge- which
Ia at the same time the dlsadvanta ge-of
powerfully suggesting his illustTious father.
His low, prominent forehead, heavy black
eyebrows, and deep, cleaning eyes arc
chance the limp Of MGldtes'1 brought
again before the footlights the paternal
stride. But the lower face, though promi-
nent and impressive, Ia without the fine
quality of the elder Irving. and
the whole form and being lack the inde-
scribable distinction of genius.
Over against this, however, the young !,
man has sterling advantages. His form
IL athletic, erect and virile, a md he is quite
without mannerism. His nun alton is
pure, his voice rich, resonant and POWER
ful. Best OF all, he reads his lines with the
finest discrimination OF emphasis and
a sense OF poetic rhythm at once subtle
and salient. II has never been our fortune
to hear noble verse more nobly rendered.
Miss Dorothea Baird. who in private life
is Mrs. Irving, disclosed q tall, 1.-the and
sympathetic personality, and a face Of
unusual charm; but she seems not to have
been meant by nature for a poetic and
tragic role such as francesca; Her voice il
not rich. M possesses few Of the colorings
OF passion. At times she has a slight lisp
which, though not displeasing, il here quite
out Of place. Her first and greatest triumph
on the stage was mad nine years ago as
Trilby; a~ndthough intelligence and training
hav done much for her it Is not in the nature
Of things that they should alter or remove
the limitations imposed upOn her physique.
The company IA a whole was we'll balanced
and played admira bly, together. The PdOLo
OF +. HATcourt Williams was personally
handsome and technically intelligent. As
the childless cousin Of Giordnni Miss Maud
Milton plNved a rather melodramatic char
acter simply and with a power Of presence
and Of voice that won deserved applause.
The minor members Of the cast wese physi-
cally handsome and the production Of great
richness and scenic beauty.
In both the play and the acting the note
of authentic genius was ~conspicuously
lacking; but talent was present in the high
est degree. Few playgoers Of any sort will
be electrified. but the occasions are very
rare which offer such a combination Of
uniform taste, intelligence and skill.