New-York tribune., 1907-10-17
THE DRAMA.
wARFIELD At THE STUYvEsANT.
Belasco's, New Theatre.

--s,d ArTay Man. gave a strong. sympathetic.
- touching performance of an old soldier
- ;s subjected TO affecting domestic expert
% The play presents neither surprising in
.,yitv OF construction nor uncommon felicity Of
lie. but It tells a plain story in plain way.
rhs chord IS struck in It is that OF romantic
,vost paternal altogether manly. and very beau
sIT,I affection. AS a work of dramatic art it ap-
s.-tsins TO the class Of comedies represented by
- plays as Grandfather Whitehead" The
p1-ter's Knot" and Tho Chimney Corner
,avs IN which the theme involves unselhsh love
,s the sentiments and emotions that cling TO the
Isss Of home In that respect it reverts 10 style
- drama once. fortunately. dominant-at a time
xben our stage was illurlined and adorned by such
sors as Henry Placide. John Gilbert. John Nick
tsnn Charles Couldock, William Warren, and
Wsrk Smith The authors of II. David Belasco,
pauline Phelps. and Marion Short, deserve con-
s-atuiatiou on their good judgment and good taste
they have provided Mr.. War1eld with vehicle OF
srsmatic expression that exactly conforms TO the
tsnt Of his mind The plot is simple, but. by
son OF being natural and being fraught with true.
ss opposed 10 false. emotion. simplicity nowhere
declines into insipid commonplace. The chief char
scts- Wes Bigelow. is veteran of the Grand
.-rpy Of the Republic. He has never been married.
IN youth he has loved a girl. but has won her,
and she has become the wife of OF his comrades.
Years have passed. and the American Civil War
has occurred That comrade has been killed in
hattie The widow has died: but she has left a
son that comrades boy, and Bigelow has adopted
snd reared him. The substance OF the play is his
,1perisnce with the fortunes OF that ward
II happens sometimes that a man whom g gir
has rejected. and who remains unmarried because
q his absorbing love for her. will fix his affection
on her child,-she having married q more favored
suitor and produced a famiy,-and will love that
child IS Il il were his own. That happens TO Bige-
NV The of his loved and lost idol is the
light Of his eyes and the Joy Of his heart. There
Is no labor that he Will not do, and sacrifice
that Re viii not make. for the lad of whom he
sr6snly prophesies success and honor. The boy
Robert has been intrusted with money, the prop
ery Of the Grand Army veterans. and instead Of
vlscing 1t in the bank, directed to do, he has
USED it, in speculation, and lost It. When the
knowledge OF that fault comes 10 the veteran he IS,
a. first stunned by IT: then enraged; and then
h-eken by the conflict betwixt the sense of shame
and the struggle of affection. He tries 10 thrash
the boy with horsewhip. but in that manifesto
ton of wrath. he fails: his cherished pet cannot
have done wrong: has only erred through acci-
dent; can surely be redeemed: must of course
make enends-and all will be well. The
comes TO trial, before Judge who privately. is
hostile 10 Bigelow. and measures taken to In
sure conviction. The veteran offers TO replace the
money that has been used by his waTd,-suppos-
ing that The complaint Will then be dismissed That
money he has obtained by sale Of his personal ef-
fects. and also by means Of q mortgage imposed
his farm The old soldier makes inpas-
stoned, pathetic appeal to the court, but the hos
Tile magistrate cannot be appeased Robert is con-
time passes, and Roberts sweetheart. the daugh-
ter Of the malicious Judge, leaves her fathers
abode and seeks refuge with BigeIow and the kind
oid woman who keeps house for him. Robert is
psrdoned, the intercession OF the veterans mill
tary comrades, and he comes home. 10 his guar
dian and his love. New Years Day.
Nothing could be more simple than that unpre-
isntious dyl OF home. II is in situations OF sim
pliciy, however, that actor is subjected 70 the
severe test Of his inherent power, his fibre Of
character. his knowledge OF the human heart his
OF experience. his Of feeling and his
artistic faculty Of expression. AIr. WeTheld en-
dUres that test. At the time when that actor be-
gan 20 come into prominent publicity he
photographic.-giying sedulous attention TO exact-
tude OF picture and minute details His style now,
without any sacrifice of precision, has become
broad and free He allow the torrent OF feeling
70 precipitate itself without apparent restraint,
and at the same time, he can control and guide it.
That was shown in his inpersonation Of the Music
Master. II is still more conspicuously shown in
his assumption OF the Grand Army Man He has
gone 10 Nature for Ais impulse, and he has obeyed
q right instinct Of art in his direction Of IL In
the portrayal of the noble. sweet tempered yet
fiery old soldier lie aimed especially AT self-eTace
Taent. az abnegation Of every motive or trait OF
selAshuess- On finding that his boy loves the
daughter Of his enemy. and is by her beloved. the
veteran IS almost once. disposed 10 pacate that
enemy and favor those young lovers. There is, 10
be sure little reluctance. a little struggle in his
mind; but that is soon over. The actor denoted
that struggle and that surrender in lovely spirit.
In the tenlpestuous scene Of Bigelow's hoTTihed
eonsternation the agontzing conflict between
eno love. when the misconduct Of the boy is eN-
posed ard confessed and the Old man, after trying
70 beat him felon, clasps him 10 his heart as
only the victim Of unfortunate, Vnial error. the
anguish and the passionate affection Of a strong
splendid ture were expressed with Irresistible
force The appeal spoken in the courtroom,-an
outbUrst Of honest simple. rugged eloquence. all
The more fervid and poignant because unskilled
and fettered-had the authentic note of heartfelt
enetion. IN circumstance those situations which
are the pivotal points Of the play. recall certain
supreme effects in olivia and THE Heart Of
Mld-Lothiaa": but the treatment Of those situa-
tons Is fresh. and Nj Warfield's achievement in
them displays him actor 10 whom the realm
OF pathos is widely open, and who can tread with
sure foctstep IN the labyrinth Of the domestic
Emotions surely the most perpleXing field with
which dramatic art has ever been concerned All
Observers know how easy 1t is in treatment of
themes in tf7 hreside, the family, the home. 10
lapse into taueness An actor must possess
sFdelt and beautiful spirit and must be greatly in
earnest-aa Air. warseId is.-who can sustain such
uenes and invest tham with The glow Of passion
t'e Etc Neither this part nor any other part that
NJ War1eld has ever played however, has involved
me sFree faculty Of imagination or has irnpinged
o. ths domain Of poetry. Edwin Booth is dead.
Joseph Jefferson is dead. Henry Irving is dead.
II no enthusiast Of this button making theatrical
rsrod fan into the delusion that the empty throne
mas been flied. Mr.. WarGeld is q capital actor and
lie has great opportunity. His success last night
vas decisive and unequivocsl. But while he has
SHOWN hne power and done fine things, he has not
:e' emerged upon the summit Of ernnence as an
imaginative actor. There Is still much to be
1cneVed,-which even Mr.. Belasco's adroit stage
management is powerless TO accomplish.
Ihs heights that great reached and kept
Were not attained by sudden flight.
Slt they, while their companions slept
Were to!i;ng upward. IL The night.