New-York tribune., 1909-06-13
LONDON DRAMA
:, .-;oan PIays-FIorentine Farce
Admiral Guinea.
London. June 3.


msnass .yThe Chorus Lady, with Miss Rose
,Ol ', trsunphing in new-fangled slang and Old
sisni q sentiment at the Vaudeville, has
ias--.. ,o,-ed by 'Funice' at the Hicks and
been ,,-orosn IN the Case" at The Garrick; and
In' -,.zs have been well received by first
TIE ia-5,enoes and treated with good natured
Hisn. g bv dramatic critics. Each Of these
'nou-s.i t.a,ions from America is crude and theat-
Tmt ID each has a repellent and disagree
'So1+ one is essentially stage made. with
fne --4+rout sufficient sense of character 10
putf them into a semblance Of reality: yet
'l'- -,-,s-ic interest increases with each act,
~ ,..s Fannie Ward. whose methods have
81 II with hard work. has a triumph as
'n .,,,qs 60 with the final fall Of the cur
81. -A. other is equally play of the theatre,
-. hur1or TO relieve the poignancy Of the
Ni--s -.4,,s nor having any definite relation TO
FL, nee II has been saved from disaster by
. ,ris.er fascination of Miss Violet Van
- IN enacting the part of coarse, upsy
f.-.-,r-ess. and in emptying herself of all her
-..+s-,stic refinement and elegance. Not
.bs ofensiveness Of the melodrama nor
- .;r,ess Of the final bedroom scene, with
= ,hsyr5itv Of snticlimax. could counteract
=. e4eo1 Of this brilliant performance 1t was
,,.tbsouae spectacle. to be recalled only with
-.,5ser Of disgust: but the acting Of Miss
-.h-,gb was an amazing exhibition OF tech
- sn5 sdaptab bility- Miss Grace Lane sup
- her with intelligence and genuine power
:. .,s duel between wife and adventures
.-,sricsn playwrigflts cannot complain Of un-
.,,- treatment either by audiences or critics In
-,,son Their work is received on its merits
,,5 Il they are accounted craftsmen rather
,,., artists. serviceable puveyors Of theatrical
..,ss+ious rather than men OF dramatic
,,s literary genius. no exception can be
,.ksn with reason TO the judgment The
,1t,cs DO not emphasize their structures Tor
,,.v know that their own stage is In
sss way utterly impoverished in ideas
end urgently in need OF the repertory theatre
~ snue other invigorating system: but they
- -, consider these crude rnelodranlas. with
..,,- ,5oie-7t contrasts and artifciality, great
81 and say so plainly. e without offensive
-sss Mr. Fitch and his American colleagues
vhose works are seen here. are described as
,ls.,er r-orkrnen with keener interest IN stage
stustions and effective curtains than IN the
r-cs,erns Of real life and the subtleties Of char
scter. Critics also find in these plays evidence
Of g cult Of the ugly. the repellent and the
o5ous This is carried to such lengths that II
ceases 10 be plausible when the staggering
sdventuress, powerfully portrayed by Miss VAN
hrush becomes so vulgar creature-so 10"
N auinal-that she could not possibly have
fascinated either Julian Rolfe or his intimate
.aend with whose murder he was charged
E5er these disagreeable plays are heralded as
ttarnphs Of American stagecrafI Whlch nave
ss,s IN and down the Western continent, Eng
ha noransts ask with fine cynicisn "hether
l--ricsps are bored by everything pleasant
sov7fxv IN Ink
srou the worst side OF life The question
-. =. sa4.efactortlv answered until bet
IN class OF American plays is sent across the
water.
The only new English work this week is "A
Merry Devil" by Mr James Bernard Fagan, al
the PLAYHOUSE Il is described as Florentine
fares Of the sixteenth century, but IN reality
81 is z whispering gallery echoing with reralIls-
cenoes Of EliEabethan comic drama notably
Twelfth Night" The Merchant" The Merry
Wives" ard Tanning Of the SlreW." There Is
e beautiful view Of Florence from the gardens
Of the Capponi palace. and the costumes ana
furnishings are Tuscan. and the literary phras-
ing has the ouaintness and nervous energy OF
NJ Hewlett's Little Novels Of Italy but the
practical joking and fsrcical byplay are frankly
cld English. The Merry Devil" is Madonna
confidential companion. Madonna Cassandra, by
tormenting her suitors with the widest pranks
Thers are three Of these lovers. Captain Barn-
bazone potvaIiant and svvashbuckler: Count
silrio lean poetaster and Sir Philip Ltlley.
sssclemn English knight errant, without capac-
ify for Southern whimsical humor, yet romantic
as Don ouixote She fools them all and makes
sport of them FOR the entertainment Of her re-
tstners. and she Is finally tanned by the serious
EagIshman who uses a switch her white
shoulders and makes a conquest Of her affec-
tins When the mischievous lady is fmper-
su-sted by 80 accomplished an actress as MISS
Rinttred Emery. with pretty Miss Jessie Bate
nan ss her accomplice. there is good fun at
ths fair for short evening, although there Is
little that is original in the EliZabethan Flor
entne revel
Il is however, pleasant to see Mr.. Cyril
&sude In new part after his prolonged eX-
pe-ience as patriot in 1.-The Flag Lieutenant.
As Captain Barnbazone' he uses the hoarse
tones OF voice which helped TO make the eccen-
me hero OF Beauty and the Barge" ludicrous'
and exhibits Falstaffs girth and swagger- His
naocap mistress Furnishes him by coaxing MIN
70 eat green figs and iced wine and frightening
nm with the notion that he has been poisoned
Nhen convinced that he has nothing worse
man stomach ache he lends his red top boots
aao cloak 70 the adornment of a win poar
heo's and carcass. which are passed OF as ms
corpse; snd when Sir Philip consents TO bury
the dummy IN the palace gardens and is caught
4 NE act by the guards the sudden reappear-
s1ce Of the braggart disposes Of the mock trag-
cay It is when the prosaic Englishman mas
iaAoiy sceurged the lady for her pranks that
ee doughty captain organizes squad OF pal
Fttainers for counter attack and AFTER a
'Iesoue hattie leaves him bound ana fettereo
1eet her eyes and is called a BOBBY for ms
pms It is most amusing fooling for genties'