New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-16
THEATRICAL INCIDENTS.

Mr.. Henri de Vries's performances. at the Madi-
Square Theatre in "A Case of Arson" have
peen received with favor. Mr.. de Vries is good
actor. careful. exact and remarkable in his re-
production of minute detail The trembling. pick
ing fingers and the uncertain. wavering eyes of the
half witted brother the burly strength and surly
defiance of the guilty John Arends. mingled with
subtle lenotement of fear and suffering; The la-
bored, asthmatic breathing. together with the ner
vous brushing of the beard, Of the police officer;
the weakened face and busybody ways of the gro
Ger: the impudent. rolling self-assurance and com
placency of the innkeeper: the snufy, prosy.
kindly dotage Of the father; the numbering strength
and ponderous movement of the painter. his splat-
tered apron with the torn pocket and worn APP
pearance,-an reproduced with Photographic
exactitude Mr.. de Vries's facility of physical
transformation though. necessarily, expedited by
assistants, is wonderful. But no one of his per
formances. viewed apart from the collective effort
would be deemed extraordinary. The best OF them
is that of the half-witted brother in which there
is an affecting manifestation OF pathos- The por-
trayal of John Arends is a very easy feat for an
old hand-the great. powerful bull of a man. torn
by anguish. and by fear which he strives to con-
ceal breaking down. at the last. and becoming
abject and pitiable in his weakness and misery.
There IS no intent TO disparage the performances
of Mr.. de Vries. He is a good actor: at the pres
ent time the absence of such actors from the
theatre is lamentable: and Mr.. de Vriess perform
ance being of unusual ability. is particularly
welcome. Everybody ought to it. if only to
a
IS published as dispensing with the aid of make
up" And ali who Mr.. de Vres will derive
pleasure from his acting. But he is not great
actor and it IS unjust as it is unwise to over
rate him. only because he happens to come from
Continental Europe said of him abroad
that his presentations of the different char
acters are so distinct that it. is impossible TO
recognize them as being given by one and the
same actor That is incorrect. His personality is
always visible Mr.. de Vres is far too talented
yl;1-f,~ O-,o1tv
serve to be classed with mmics. But one of
his presentations denotes imagination and with
out that attribute actor. no matter what the
excellence of his method. can rightly be classed
among great opponents of dramatic art
correct iudicious. remarkably effective and
touching performance, and one that we'll exempli-
fes the value Of experience reinforcing genuine
talent is given by Joseph Wheelock, the elder,
now participant in the representation of The
Clansman." at the Liberty Theatre. Mr. Wheelock
represents elderly Southern gentleman kind
sweet-tempered, patient, moderate person. SUD-
missve circumstances and credulous of the
possibilities of peace. The only pathetic incident
in the play is his delivery of prayer at the time
when the disappearance of a little child has in
spired a horror of apprehension, but too we'll
founded. Mr. Wheelock. at this point, saved
situation which, in any hands but those of a real
actor would have been absurd. 1t was a pleasure
to this veteran again-and strange to recall,
after many years the time when he acted lovers,
in the plays Of Adelaide Nelson.
.
Mention is frequently made with bated breath
and whispering humbeness' of Mr.. William Arch
CT. of London, authority about the drama.
How little Mr. William Archer merits this rever-
ence, and what Mr.. William Archer
make of himself, is indicated in the following para
graph from his pen about ''Therese RaQuin'
We how infinitely superior a tragic
poet the great Zola is the Wanted Shakespeare.
Instead of a Scotch laird spouting philosophy, and
a STACEY Lady Macbeth, scrubbing off imaginary
gore. have hero and heroine of real life. who
talk and act naturally. and whose crimes instead
of repeng is by their useless ferocity, attract
by their perfect truth 10 FRENCH nature AS David
slew Goliath with single stone. by this
realistic tragedy has Zola forever demolished the
loose thinking and obscurely worded works of
Shakespeare, the bogus literary idol who has too
long dominated the English stage"