New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-02-12
THE DRAMA.
ELLEN TERRY AT THE EMPIRE.
"Nance Oldfeldr and THE Good Hope. A"

In fEe performances that she gave last night at
I've empire Theatre Miss Ellen Terry inpressively
initiated her extraordinary power alike to touch
80 leart with pathos and to charm the mind with
,.rr7or Her impersonation of Nance Odfeld was
80 ago adopted into the permanent treasury of
t.sutiful creations OF dramatic art, and 1t re-
.,.in,-vylat It always lovable type of en-
.tsnting wonanhood. The part as a part, is
bender Nance is loved b. a romantic boy. who
,ae seen her the stage, and in compliance with
re request of his commonplace father she has
20 disilusioniZe the lad, by pretending to be. I'm
rvate life. dowdy and hoyden The actress,
-, her skiiful alterations between exquisite
onernent and broad, comic humor. not only mani
tests copious resources OF executive, artistic
,lrr hut reveals nature that is opulent with
,,odress tenderness. sincerity. sensibity, and
grace. The aggregation OF excellence in all Ellen
rerrv's acting (and il IS a very large aggregation
ran never blind thoughtful observer to the de-
.isiye fact that the woman is greater than the
actress. in all that she says and does upon the
stage there Is irresistible charm. Time has
gi,eu MS but one Ellen Terry. There is no one
ike r,er nor ever viii he. Her acting of Nance
oidfeId I'm the present. differs in no way from
ter acting OF il in the past. She moves lightly
,s ever She passes as easily as ever from sweet
gravity sud natural dignity the bUbbling mis-
chef OF reckless froc. She uses. with The same
old Ioguilefgl skill. the delicate expedent of trans
,srercy showing through the coarse medium Of
rrischievous antic a soul Of purity and a mind
of fv. together with a sweet WOnanS natural
-eluctaDcc not only dsspato ingenious boy
Motto cream. rolinquish and repcl a de-
voted affoction--the thing which. rule, is
dearest TO all women, most priced by them, and
rsrest IN their experience. Ellen Terry has shown
herself 20 be the ideal Imogeu. tho ideal Opheiia,
tie iHeel Olivia and Margaret Tho scope OF her
artistic achievement is decisiveI2 indicated when
Il the other extreme she make equally actual
.urll characters implicate tho gawky simple
ness of Audrey the honest yUigarity OF Nine
Sans Gane and tho fictitious deviment Of Nance
mdfeld
Tho part that Miss Terry plays I'm The Good
Hone IS that Of widow of Dutch fisherman,
who has been lost 1t sea. ana whose infatuated
devotion 10 her deceased husband pursuit con-
strains her 10 insist that her sons, two in number
shall cleave 10 the same vocation, in which, ulti-
lnsteIy. they meet with the same melancholy fate
Tie play is translation from the Dutch OF Mr.
Herman IieijerTrans Its subject is the same that
vas long ago treated by Mr. Ihsen. in his pillars
81 Society" and, incidentally, by Charles Reade. in
,ne Of his uoyes-tbe iniquty Of those unprin-
.pled interruptions persons who send ont upon the
ocean vessels that they know are rotten and not
unlikely Ia be lost. The dramatic purpose Is TO
create pathetic situation All the feeling that the
play can awaken IS that expressed in Charles
Kingsley beautiful ballad of THE Three Fishers
with its infinitely pathetic close:
men soonest Sst G 1 sqd II, 9 eeoneP us st eb
And goodby the bar and its moaning
The fabric contains OF picture than Of ac-
ton and is far like photograph than 1t is
Ike a drama; and it is photograph, for the most
rsrt Of exceedingly commonplace objects and tedi-
persons. The first Of its four acts is unneces-
sary- Such movement il possesses begins with
Act Second, in which the Dutch mother hniertje.
constraius her reluctant TO embark aboard
, vessel which. by a tipsy shipwTght has been
declared TO be coffin. In Act Third Kniertje and
other women have a conversation about the
dangers of the deep, and KnieTtje's niece
who is betrothed TO her absent son Geert
reveals that she IS TO become a mother. with
having vet become a wife In Act Fourth
the loss of the Good Hope IS made known and seY-
oraI bereaved seek the presence OF the Eypo
critical rascal who has sent the coffin 20 and
"a various ways express their grief Miss Terry 8
fidelity 10 nature in a OF details was shown
without the least effort, and at the affecting close
she presented image OF utter desolation. Incar-
sorroI helplessly submissive the inevitable.
could not be better expressed. But the piece is
OF the most dreary compositions that the bale
ful example OF Mr.. Ibsen has yet caused to be
inflicted upon human patience. 1t shows not even
attempt at construction but is series of colo
Quies, cut off at random and tagged with homily.