New-York tribune., 1906-11-20
THE DRAMA.
Mrs, Fiske at the Lyric-"The New York
Idea"

pNASAfS' AA4NOHsiSLent caprlClOuS,
ardent IN temperament. unconventional In man
ners impetuous and irrational IN conduct, tremu-
Ious with sensibility. and charming with volatile
humor is precisely the person whom Mrs. F1ske can
perfectly embody. and in the heroine OF this play
she has n character completely harmonious with
ner bthe disposition and her brilliant professional
faculty She acted It in a delightful vein OF way
ward, tantalizns. vexing, winning spirit, culmi-
mating in a very sweet and touching manifestation
OF womanlike emotion. half grief and half Joy.
The principal merit of the play that it is actabe
and that 1t affords opportunity for the actress to
evince great variety and amplitude OF feeling. The
cast has been tudiciously made The acting. as
whole, is exceptionally fluent and decisive. The
scenic dress is rich and elegant. The audience.
which was numerous and cordial. welcomed Mrs.
ftske with enthusiasm and evinced lively interest
in the piece that was presented-a fabric recalling
the manner OF some of the earlier comedies of
Bronson Howard.
The ethics OF Mr.. Mitchers play are shallow and
trivial. The intimation that peculiarly in New
York, marriage is regarded Incidental. incon-
sequent. temporary arrangement cannot be justified,
ana. IN TACT Is gratuitous nonsense Discomfort in
the matrimonial relation exists, to some extent
everywhere 1t is not peculiar to New York. In all
places, and from time immemorial. many marriages
have been made precipitately, and many persons
thus welded have subsequently found reason for
regret To veteran observer. indeed. the reckless
ness with which young people sometimes unite
themselves.-thus bllndy taking the most impor-
Hfe,-is shocking and dreadful: but haste in mar
rage and misery the consequence are incidents
of social life everywhere and not restricted to
any particular place; nor is volatile idea of mar
rage any moro prevalent in city than in an
other. Assertion that society in general ia less
regardfl than IL ought to be of the awful soernity
and sanctity OF the marriage tie might be defended
even as the basic idea of play-although the thea
ire Is not the place for discussion of such themes
Philosophers have expressed somewhat strong opin-,
tNva rhar S1lhf
Hardy (next to Thackeray the truthful painter
OF actual life who has written our language-though
ne does not always write It weID says: ''It ap-
pears that men take wives because possession is
not possible without marriage. and that women
accept husbands because marriage is not possible
without possession: with totally different aims the
method IS the same both sides" In that the
acute observer glances at blind precipitation and
lack Of prescience. DR.. Johnson went much fur
ther; Sir" said the sage. 'It is so far from being
natural for a man and woman to live IN a state OF
marriage that we find all the motives which they
have for remaining IN that connection, and the
straints which cviizsd society imposes 70 prevent
separation hardly sufficient keep them together"
Ihat dehverance. by one of the keenest observers
tAaS ever lived was made in 1772. and It Is true
now as it was then Mr.. Mitchell Is little late IN
hls ethical discovery, and decidedly provincial IN
restricting its application TO one spot
An author VINO assumes TO depict actual life and
manners necessarily establishes his limitations
~ NO1Aio ~ respect prODaOlliry. Mr.. MtchelIs
story teens with incidents that are impossible in
the system OF life that IS established here or for
that matter. in any scheme OF life existent In any
civilized country. The narrative discovers that
Cynthia Karslake, monlentarily discontented IN
the married state. obtained divorce from
her husband and presently determined 20 marry
another man, also divorced, but, on learning
that her divorced partner was about 20 marry
another woman. also divorced. she became Jealous
mad love pang. intervened. and. happily finding
that her divorce was Illegal. resumed with joy her
FORMER conJugal condition. The vertebra Of the
structure is sound: such is possible and so
Is such an episodes the ribs OF the story-the Incl
dents-are out OF place and loose The congregation
and admixture of two divorced pairs. expedi-
ent may be broadly con1ic but as managed in this
piece IT is irrational and improbable. and in any
piece 1T would not be delicate. The comic aspect OF
IL s, really the OF the play.-whIch correctly
designated Is farce. That comic aspect is height
ened by the Introduction OF brisk. bewidered
Briton admirably acted by George Ariiss), who
finds himself perplexed IN the company OF persons
apparently married. who. legally. are single.
The arraignnent Of this capital for its alleged
ucentious views of marriage is expressed as follows
by different speakers IN this jaunty compositions
New York is bounded the north, south. east
and west by the state OF divorce" Marry
the man you have whim for, and leave the rest to
the divorce court-that's the New York idea cor
reotly stated" THE present divorce and
marriage system takes my wife and hands her over
TO you TO pass along To MIN. Marriott
Married. Married In less time than 1t takes to prav
for-rain. I tell you the Church is a regular mar
riage COUNTER And clergyman says: 'I
argued in my that IL there nothing final
IN nature-not death-why should marriage
be inaI oh. my dear. It exquisite sermon
All New York there-and all New York went
away happy"
There is good farce material IN the play but it is
clunsily used The situation involving the two
divorced husbands. the clown lover (for that is
what the part ts-and only the fine art OF Mr. Arss
lifts Il of the sawdust). and the clergyman is
grossly vulgar: the treatment OF the clerical Office
throughout is offensive without being humorous:
and the travesty OF the marriage service shows
deporable insensibi;ty TO good taste and good feel
ing. In the closing act there is good situation
pery devised and there is deft touch of equivoks;
and the acting at this point is exceptionally true.
delicate and potential AIr Arlss shines: Miss
Marion Lea makes capital ooquette; and, through
out the effect of Illusion and Of amusement owes
much to the consunmate seriousness and beguiing
ease of John Mason. in situations radically raTctcal
and absolutely preposterous.
A desire to be satirical and brilliant Is percep-
tble throughout the fabric Of the play. but the
intention is note fulfilled Neither satirst nor
novelist does MI Mitchell convey the slightest
conviction Of authority sincerity. There are
Smart lines In the diaiogue.-such Life is
Joke marriage is a picnic, and is q shawl
strap."-but those ebulltions Of labor1ous epigram
are more notable for pertness than for sense or
point. Juyeniity Is the pervasve characteristic of
the cooquies and patitude is the substance OF the
implied morality didaot1cism. Mr.. Mitchell.
probably does not care the value Of a nickel
whether the institution Of marriage is regarded in
New York as a sacrament a froIic. He has,
doubtless. heard Of some scandalous proceedings
within the silly circle OF "the four hundred" and
IT has occurred TO him that this topic might be
profitabiy handled on the stage. Nature never in
tended him for moralist. II she did he has
begun his minstrations while yet IN the bud.
There are persons who do not mind playing with
edged tools The play Is carried by the acting OF it
Jobn Mason George Arliss W. 3. Mack Ida Yer