New-York tribune., 1908-10-18
LONDON PLAYS
Three Good Actors in Poor Drama
Weak Pld3Tcrights.

=, their own craftsmanship and artist, ii
.tt;1i+v rather than BY reason OF the e-..a
- of the dramatist Miss AshueIl r,av.-
ho.,er fortune at the end OF the week. b-,s. -
:. .ba hest known actors have triumphed =, II
-,..,,.- ~, snite OF unsatisfactory PLAYS o.
.tose fs Mr.. Martin Harvey. who honorz h, y,
obfes Sir Henry Irving. BY re-enactinz -
orca nIaved at the Lyceum- For The Cor...-
r,-o+bers" he had the original text and ni,-,
,,,,tb remarkable power and sensioility Fer -
last Heir which IL variant Of 'Favenzz,os
.,d e. based on The Bride % Larnmar,o,..
he has a new text IN prose. with occasional ~
cages Of blank verse which Mr. Stephen p-s
linz has supplied His inpersonation o. tbs :
mantle melancholy Master Of Ravenswood a.
AdeIphi IS a brilliant work. although the ess
acter is drawn In a small way. witnout b-r.s
effects or imaginative treatment With his -
voice. noble bearing and exquisite sensirIvsus,
he imparts dignity and vividness 70 one o, IA
most picturesque OF Sir Walter scott's cba-se.
ters. The success IS the actors. not the ulsy.
wright's-
Mr.. Phillips is a shakespearian student, ana.
hampered by his own knowledge OF EIizabstaa.
drama. What is needed in stage version ,.
'"Tbe Bride Of LammermOOr' is Scottish ssrso.-
phere. and this is lacking at the AdeIphi On.
Ierv. and Is reminded OF Macbeth by the T,,.
cessive appearances OF the three witches. bvs,
Unfortunate suggestion OF Caleb that the ys-,.
should murder his guest IN the castle and byrss
inordinate enlargement OF the comic business, !,
Craigengelt- These adaptations tend to mas.
the work artificial The story belongs in n,
realm Of pure romance. and 8Ir- Phillips fnua,,
the force Of the appeal to the imagination h.
60
vey's personality has a potent fascination a,5
saves the situation; and he is well served BIZ ii.
associates. Miss Mary Rorks is weird ays
striking figure as Aisle C0Urlay, the p-inrFr.r
witch, and Miss De Silva acts with power a,
Lucy Ashton. Mr.. Charles Gleuney is the sxsz.
gering CraigengeIt, and so vivid Is the nnaks.g,
and so broad is the comedy style that one sse~,
to be in close touch with shakespeare's infnta-
Bile swash bucklers.
Mrs Kendall is another artist who excsls IN
gifts OF temperament and style Her tscbu,rp.
| triumphs even in commonplace scenes and t5sa,.
ricaI rubbish like The House OF Clay ar III,
Coronet It is an adaptation from a French
work, and the motives are uninteIigibls to 2,
English audience. The wife. who ruins her sse.
ond husband by handing over her fortuna .,
| the children by her first marriage. does not e7r.
| mand as much intelligence in London As IN
Paris The theme does not attract symuathsu5,
interest nor is the construction OF the pIav any,
| thing but STACY and old-fashioned Mrs Ker.
| daIs acting pOrtrays a heartrendlny st-uEss
| between the wife's love for her suffering hus
! band and her sense OF moral duty 10 her chE
| dren. 1t is so subtle and so powerful that aua.
/ ences are thrilled with emotion even wheu rhsg
| are bored and wearied by the play.
A third actor who has little cause for jgrzH,
| tude 60 his playwright is the successful oznE
! of three theatres. Mr.. Roy Horniman has sup1Hsl
| Sir Charles Wyndham at the New Theatre win
| a congeniaI part and a bad ending As Lari
| BeIIamy he is an impeTturbabIe whimsical razs
| and spendthrift. who never loses his seit-pos
! session when beset with difficulties and always
succeeds in amusing himself with MS own MS
/ fortunes and the weaknesses OF human na1ura
He has only one rival n part OF that kind.
| Mr.. Charles Hawtrey. and his ar has a vide;
! range and q irmer grip upon the affections 1
/ an audience. In "BeIlaHy the Magnificent" rs
! seems to have renewed his youth. if he has ever
| lost it. and fills the stage with his genial
/ humors. his spontaneous drOIsry and his buoy
| ant spirits. The most censorious critic cou5
/ not ask for lighter and more satisfactory CON-
edy style, nor could the pathetic passages az ia
I close and the final tragiCaI catastrophe be car
| ried out with more flexible stagecrafr Yet re
/ first night audience. which had been highly s1-
tertained by five long acts. did not Ike the end
| ing. and many critics assert dogmaticaly that
it ought to be changed and the plsasurs-loTtns
| crowd sent OF 10 midnight supper or 70 bed
without the suicides pistol shot
| The tragic note suddenly sounded startlss tas
| spectators Of social extravaganza-" II is II
| deed. an unsatisfactory substicxts for sarr'
] which should have saIted The ,smart talk anl
| brilliant persifage of the five acts- Ihe ol1
touch OF 1t is IN the title for Bellarny. nsSaaai
| being the Magnificent is a rake Indifferent
| his wffe's affection. enamored CT fasen2us
I nilliner and other women. dependent upon avas'
| for his daily makeup and sobersd by sls
| serious idea-dread OF the intrmit'es Of age q
prides himself on being a gentleman q =
| world. yet has numerous liaisons in hisa a.
| low life. pays for the hats OF one of his SA''
friends, buys Jewels for the miliner p'Tco1s'
detective employed by his wife to Ns'en -
introduces a social upstart in his draVins ~.
| to oblige a PennleSs broker, laughs WEI
intrigues are discovered. keeps thiesisn ''-
| in his service because he needs good 49,
and shoots himself when he is caught UiI
king Of clubs up his sleeve and denounese
cheat. dying like q gentleman instead Of ~,
| dicating his reputation and exposins - =,
nant bit OF sharp practice. The endhs
be effective. If the play were co1siS's'. =
on the vacUous pleasures OF smart soci7'' -
since the episodes are strung together
farCical extravaganza Death comes N
CHASTITY interloper to ring down the cuF4".
The same lack OF wholesome satire =
the treatment Of the other characters
Mr.. Tempest is incon'rarably dr''--
we1l-born snob dependent upon social @o'-
and intrOductionS for the payment o. NS -,
ing debts. and Mr. Paul Arthur gives al =,
finished performance as the detective -
recourse To Matchmaking and takes noh7' 4.
husband and wife Miss Kate cutter