The Washington herald., 1907-03-03

RS. FiSkE mas been seen III
NH Washington in plays of higher
value than Langdon OIitchelfs
THE New York Idea" but per-
Eaps in none that was more refreshingiy
entertaining in a light way. Its demands
on her fine emotional capabilities were
very slight indeed, almost negligible, but
IL showed how sure and delicate is her
touch in bubbling comedy, a field OF stage
art perhaps no less worthy and difficult
than that IN which she has made her
chief reputation. The one criticism TO
which her rendering OF the role in which
she was seen here the past week was
open was that she carried her usually
wise prediction for repression to a point
that seemed to make her escapade with
the Englishman rather Inconsistent and
out Of keeping with her self-revelation IN
the preceding scenes. To lead up to the
escapade that caused the postponement Of
the marriage with the judge, the charac-
ter should develop a more impatient and
uncontrolled temper, deeper ennul at the
OF the heavy and rather selfish lawyer
Then tue sudden impulse to run away and
relieve her pent-up feelings would be
more readily understandable, X may be
said that close consistency is not looked
for in characters in farcical plays Of the
order of The New York Idea" But one
Of the chief charms Of this piece as pro-
duced by Mrs. Fiske, was the artistic
plausibillty with which the absurd situa-
tons and the almost impossible characters
were treated and worked out. Mr. Mitchell
has given US what is in essence q farce
drawn In lines as fine as those usually
found in the choicest comedy. Otherwise,
the piece would not be worthy TO engage
the effort OF so accomplished an actress
as Mrs. Fiske and most of the members
OF her admirable company.
II he could I'll in his time with equal
profit anywhere else, no doubt Richard
Mansfield would cut New York off his pro-
fessiOnal visiting list in retaliation for the
shockingly rude things some Of the metro
politan dramatic reviewers said last week
about his production Of Peer Gynt" It
actor Of Mansfelds prominence has been
so severely handled by the New York
critics as the irascible Richard was
apropos Of his presentation Of the Ibsen
phantasmag oria. Alan Dale. Of the Amer
lean, simply refused 10 take the prOduc-
ton seriously, OF 10 see any value, inter
est, or entertainment in II. He didn't
even think it deserving Of an application
Of the corrodIng sarcasm he has on tap
for special occasions. He would waste no
more intellectual effort on il than was
involved in crude jeering and guying- He
declined to concede the production was
a good spectacle, OF had any merit what
ever except TO furnish strong additional
proof OF the correctness of his famous
contention that Richard Mansfield is the
worst actor in the world. one might be
inclined to dismiss Alan Dales utter con-
demnation Of Mansheid's Peer Gynt" as
due entirely to prejudice were It not for
the circumstance that the critic Of the
Evening Post, a careful and dispassion-
ate reviewer, practically passed the same
verdict. but in much more Gecorous and
guarded language. He asserted that the
production must be set down as a third
rate entertainment; that its artistic value
was nil, its comedy tiresome. and only as
a spectacle did il call for even slight com
mendation. This writer was unsparing in
his condemnation Of Mansfield for the
ruthless and unntelligent manner in
which he cut and slashed the original h.
sen poem in order to bring it within act
ing compass and to make sure no one but
the star should have anything to do in it
calculated to rivet the attention of the
audience.
There are two grounds on which the
jeering and rude rldicule Of Alan Dale IN
the American may be partly excused. il
not exactly justified. One is the fact
that Mansfield has had the bad judgment
TO give orders that the American critic
should not be admitted 10 the theater in
which he appears in New York. This
compelled Dale TO make a trip TO Phila-
delphia 10 see Peer Gynt." The other is
the accusation brought against Mansfield
by both Alan Dale and Acton Davies, Of
the New York Evening Sun, that the
actor himself fully realizes the WORTH
Iessness of his production Of Jpsen's
poem, and foists it on the public in the
belief that his standing is 50 high with
a large class of theatergoers that they
viii accept IS as good and great merely
because Mansfield produces il. THE fact
remains says Dale. that. viewed from
the dramatic vantage ground of an audi
forum, il appeals as an utterly mean
ingless insensate, and ludicrOus hodge
podge-devoid of every dramatic and
artistic instinct-a hodgepodge at which
one can imagine the sane and commercial
Mr.. Mansfield as ehuckling in his sleeve
as he offers TO q New York audience that
which q similar gathering in London o.
Paris would receive in stupcfed derision o.
And this is what Acton Davies SAYS 10
the same effect: Probably no one is
laughing more heartily at the fulsome
panegyrics which have been thrown al
the play than Mr. Mansfield himself In
private life he has very strong sense
OF humors and If he can make the pubii2
pay s. head TO give him a chance IN
laugh at them, why, the more power 70
him." II these writer's honestly believe
Mr.. Mansfield is capable Of this sort %
charlatanism, they are quite warranted
Ia declining TO bestow serious criticism On
his production and his work in IT, They
owe IL TO their own self-respect and "a
the public to treat him with rude deri-
sion.
It Is not at all improbable Mr.. Mans
field viii discover in the near future he
has seriously and permanently injured his
standing with large class Of theater-
soers by his production Of Peer Gynt,
whatever his own real belief about the
value Of the production may be. There is
no doubt the play was a great disappoint-
ment 10 many discriminating people in
Washington. who have heretofore been
admirers Of Mansfeld's work and WHO