New-York tribune., 1907-10-08
THE DRAMA.
THE DILEMMA OF MIR. 0'NEILL.
LYRIC THEATRE.

8ir. Junles o'Neill, at the Lyric Theatre last
night acted Monte Cristo, and OF course pleased
his audience. The subject does not In the public
interest. require extended comment. Mr.. O'Nen
has been acting Monte Cristo for many years and
he has acted # more than five thousand times
There would, indeed be cause for wonder If his
performance Of it were not Il fluent and effective
one. The drama Of Monte Cristo' is replete with
stage tricks. The play is, specifically, artificial
bearing much the relation to reason prob
ability, sincerity, truth and the artistic treatment
1f them that pepper bears TO food Par
.icular narrative Of Mr.. ONeilrs proceedings in
the performance of the mysterious. opuent retrib-
.tive count would be "damnable iteration"-as
much so is the performance itself Mr. O'Neill
IS Al actor OF fine ability. ranking with the best
now our stage. He deeply respects his art and
he has long desired. and often attempted to main
tain himself in the acting of great parts: but he
has never been strong enough TO oppose and defeat
the saddenng. discouraging, destructive influence
OF shop-keeping. money-grubbing counsel Great
things are rot achieved either by weak surrender
70 the moe-eyed judgment Of the box office or by
pusillani-noUs Difference 70 the ignorant caprices
Of popular taste. A leader must lead-if he
expects to be followed Edwin Booth never
asked the public what il wanted" He gave
Il what it ought to have: he gave the best:
and the public followed him: and, incidentally ne
made several large fortunes The art OF acting is
great art, and when It is administered in a noble
spirit, Il is always victorious-and always will
Disappointments. losses. and sufferings are TO be
expected: they occur in all vocations, and they
q part of the discipline of life: but they never
should be permitted swerve any man from the
right If he does swerve from it. he only
eonfesses his weakness and he ceases TO be impor-
tant Mr.. ONeill lately revived the splendid TRACE
dy Of ''NIrgnius' and he gave a fine performance
Of the central character in II, but the
ciated with him were. almost without exception,
and Notwithstanding their sincerity OF purpose and
zeal 0f e1deavor. incompetent act the parts
assigned 20 them and therefore the play was
spoiled Cleans Of intelligence were. here and
there. percepIible-but that was all. Several crit
ical chickens. chipping in the press thereupon IN
formed Mr. ONeill that the tragedy Of 'Virginius''
IS odd fashioned" classical" ''pompous not
up date" The revival a failure Now It is
purposed 10 revive Julius Cesar so that Mr..
O'Neiil can Antony. He will act that part very
well but he viii he surrounded in the way
BEFORE and he will meet with the result.
Some caow youth. recently out OF college. who
knows more about acting than a sheep knows
about astronomy. VIII apprise him that Julius
Cesar is archaic" and he will drop Shake
Epeare, he has dropped Knowles, and will turn
his footsteps toward the regions of hay. and act
dear old Monte Cristo' till the end OF the chap
ter. II is a melancholy spectacle But meanwhile,
Monte Cristo'' is here. and persons who like
diluted theatrical synopsis OF Alexandra Dumass
extraordinary fiction should take TO enjoy II
while It lasts Mr.. ONeill's engagement at the
Lyric Theatre will extend TO October 1s Mr.. z. H.
Sothern will succeed him there w w.