New-York tribune., 1906-12-21
THE DRAMA.
MR.. LACKAYE AS vALJEAN.
MANHATTAN THEATRE.

MANHAT TAN THEATRE
Under the title Of THE Law And The Man."
play by Mr.. Wilton Lackaye, based Victor
Hugos great novel called Les Miserables," was
performed last night in the Manhattan Theatre,
and Mr.. Lackaye appeared in It's central character,
Jean Vatican, the fugitive convict. The novel; which.
as elderly readers will remember. created a tre-
mendous sensation when 1t was first published. is
known throughout the world. and II has long been
esteemed the most eloquent and pathetic appeal
ever made. through the medium OF fiction for char
ity toward the sinner, for compassion toward the
Wretched, and for merciful Justice distinguished
from the implacabe rigor Of iron law. That repu-
Iatlon, certainly. 1t deserves Notwithstanding its
occasional interludes OF tedious preachment and its
hamboyant passages OF horid rhapsody,-because
II displays wonderfully true, comprehensive, and
anecting picture OF the good and evil in human
nature. the inequalities in social condition the
frghtful inquities existent In great cities. theyr
amy OF official rulers. the cruelty inflicted upon
prisoners and, in general the miseries incident to
ignorance and vice,-mseries to which organized
society is largely Indifferent blind
The desire to make the Christ-like spirit OF that
humanitarian novel potential on the stage as II
is in the library, is natural and in the highest de-
gree commendable. Several efforts have been made
to accomplish that object. but no one of them has
practically succeeded. the reasons being that the
essence of the novel is suffering. and not action;
that its principal incidents cannot be represented;
and that its principal character,-as much of him.
that is as can be reproduced the stase,-ts, ex-
cept at a rev sporadic moments, piteously sloonl-
lily, heavily sad, and intrinsically undramatic. Epi-
sodes of tbs story be utilized with good effect,
and various dramatists have advantageously used
them: but os whole. Victor Hugos great book Is
for the reader and not for the spectator Mr.. Lack
aye, in making his play, has woven together the
scene of the Candlesticks duplicating Vatican and
the Bishop; the scene Of Valjean's surrender of
himself in court, to save innocent man; the
scene OF Valjean's escape from the den of Thenar-
der; and few scattered incidents of the love
story of Marius and Cosette;-the result being
series of pictures. through which Vatican moves as
melodramatic fugitive from unjust, cruel in
exorable Law, pers0nihed by his inveterate enemy
the Police Inspector Javert. This treatment of the
subject Is neither in any way remarkable.
but 1t serves 10 provide practical medium for
theatrical display.
Mr. Wilton Lackaye. actor of approved and
versatile talents and OF large experience possesses
several of the attributes essential for true EN-
bodiment OF Vatican, robust person, aspect OF
strength, and intense temperament being the
most conspicuous OF them; but with the celestial
selfsacriice and moral sublimity OF the character
he evinced natural coincidence. His dignity was
conventionaI--not innate. and at no moment in the
performance did he touch the note OF pathos. Now
and then a situation afforded by the story.-and
indicated in the play.-had its natural effect
in touching the feelings; but that effect was
not caused by the actor. Mr.. Lackaye is
clever and a proficient actor. but he has
neither the benignant aspect the sympathetic
voice that are essential to a representative of
His portrayal OF the ruffan good; but
nothing is easy. for practised actor, the
assumption of ruf1anism. in all it's forms Several
other performers, among his auxiliaries, did the
same thing. and did it equally well. Anybody who
can play anything play Bill Skies. The finest
things done by Mr.. Lackaye, as Vatican, his
speechlesS collapse, before the benevolent Bishop,
who had saved him from the law, and his recep-
tion of Cosette's avowal of her love for Marius:
the first of these excellent; the other would
have been perfect, If the actor had not marred 1T
by dwelling upon II with excessive and superhuous
gestculation. The first half of the prologue is
needless and vulgar; and, for the second half the
actor did very little. In the court scene, where
Vatican declares his identity, scarcely word that
Mr.. Lackaye uttered could be understood, he spoke
SO rapidly and badly In the scene with the
child, Cosette, he evinced the stage tenderness
usual in such situations, when elderly pretend
that they like children In the highly melodramatc
scene of Valjean's escape from Thenardier and his
associate thugs he was. of course, expeditions and
effective; the old stager knows how to proceed in
all such emergencies that. Better STILL while at
earlier periods Of the play he had been too rapid
and had sacrificed effect by not taking sufficient
time. he maintained a fine reserve here. at the
top of excitement, and held his audience
In of suspense The sentimental
part of the play is silly and tedious and
the lovers were acted in the crude manner of in
sincerity-but the parts bod and the language
allotted to them is sickly with affectation Mr..
Melbourne Mcdowell embodied Javert IN a de-
lightfulIy grim fashion and let loose all the old
devices of melodramatic extravagance-the only
way in which such part could be made to count
for anything. A remarkably good piece OF char
acter acting set forth in able and tight
manner. by Mr.. F. Pollard. the bewildered peas
ant Champnlathieu The play and Mr. Wilton
Iackaye were received with much favor by
crowded house; but the success is not OF either
art literature important acting. W. w.