New-York tribune., 1909-12-24
DRAMA
"The Lily" Produced at the
StugrrsaHf Theatre.

ONeu. thus paving a belated compliment
to its faculty of dramatic perception Last
night. after the third act OF The LIZ
the curtain was raised more than twenty
FIVE times zone lost count az that poinO. in
response. not to what are termed repeated
calls" but % ons continuous shout from
all parts OF the Stuyvesant auditorium.
Miss O'NeiI had kiRdled this great hre Of
enthusiasm. which dfH not exhaust itself
until the actress had been permitted 20
stand alone upon the stage. receiving
tribute OF public admiration which has
scarcely been equaIied In this city In a
quarter OF a century
II was the first night % "The Lily in
New YORK.. and night that fully justified
Mr.. Beiasco's choice Of play. and. for the
most part. his choice of players. Mr..
Charles Cartwright. Miss Julia Dean. Mr..
Alfred Hickman and Mr.. Bruce McRae
shared literally IN the honors that we're
earned. Mr.. Cartwright. indeed. came next
to Miss O'NsiL His rart was an sx-
tremeiy difficult one. turning away AZ every
instant the sympathy OF the audience. and
depending wholly upon his remarkable
skill and judgment fo- It's holding power.
Miss Dean. IN what must be called the
great scene Of the play depicted with un-
expected aru heights OF tenderness and
depths OF anguish which touched al
hearts. And then. 20 cap all Miss
O'NeD for some moments took the
whole play into her strange. even wonder
ful. personality. seemed 20 absorb II and
all its woe and passions. and 20 bear q
aloft. carrying the audience upward with
her 70 mountain peak of imagination.
from which she commanded the spectators
70 behold the suffering Of all loving women
whose hearts have been torn. who have
tOiled up the path Of duty or have turned
along the primrose lanes os dahiance and
have borne the shock of contumely.
Here is powerful drama. true and search
ing Here Is acting which viii crowd the
playhouse for many months TO come.
Here il art castlgating the hypocrisies OF
the world. thousand preachers and all
the philosophers could not bring home %
the understanding as does this play the
folly of the vanity that worships the false
gods of caste and class and the TIN idols
OF convention which men set up I'm the
shallow ruts where they pursue what passes
for life. Here you find men % Intelligence.
men Of the world. prsttling OF honor aD-
pT0priating 20 themselves its attributes.
while they are profgates themselves. mere
selfish bipeds with the souls Of shrimps,
eager 20 sell an ancient name for a fortune
which they can sauander their mis-
tressss. while they deny 90 daughters and
sisters. long grown 10 womanhoOd the
right 10 love 70 think. 10 be commanders
Of their own lives, forcing them 70 assume
contentment with loneliness. drudgery aud
q shrtveIliRg narTowness-
The story ef The Lily is already
familiar to readers Of this newspaper.
whose Paris correspondent told it on the
occasion Of the original production in
France a year ago. and again the day be-
fore Mr BelaSco's adaptation was first
performed In this country the latter event
occurring on December s. in Washington.
on which occasion also the Washington
correspondent Of The Tribune teesraphed
an interesting account. showing that in an
important respect the play has been altered
since 70 was seen az the French capital
The account from Paris. printed in these
columns on December 8. closed with the
following paragraph:
M Pierre WoIn. enc OF the authors Of
lie Lys.' when asked yesterday IL. like NJ
Henri Bernstein. he had made any changes
IN his play IN view Of its production In the
United States. replied: No; none az all
The plsy remains exactly a. n was given in
Paris az the Vaudeville. in December. 1soS.
My COLLEAGUES. NJ Castor Lsroux. thorough
Iy agrees with me that our play should
stand or fall on it's own qualities. and no
alterations have been made with the idea.
as had been suggested. of preparing a So
called happy ending for American audi
ences which. To my mind. do not require
theatrical sugar plums. but which possess
true. unsrring dramatic instincts and iudg-
nnsnt and appreciate strong vet logical con-
clHslOns
r2r,t rba Drav has hasp rbauoaS NOT how
ever. for the purpose Of giving "A happy
ending" since the French ending vas not
unhappy according 20 Partisan lights. Mr..
BelascO has altered II on other grounds.
providing an ending in accordance with
ideas that are characteristic OF public opip-
ion in this country. and rightly 50. The
success OF the drama cannot be questioned.
The long sustained cheering last night
could leave no doubt In any mind. The
plav and the acting struck home. Miss
We'll and Afr. Cartwright do not need
congratulations. Neither they nor their
companions will ever be able 70 forget the
ovation which rewarded them. New York
This week is passing through an experience
which for its younger pIsygoers Is quite
novel What lessons will the directing
powers draw from it.?
Miss O'NeH has nov the surroundings
Nhlth VIII bflhS fofth the pest that is in
her and replace those defects Of training
which hitherto have concealed from super
hcial observers the powers which she pos
sesses In abundant measure. The per-
formance last night ended at a late hour.
1t will be timely enough 20 analyze the play
on another occasion. II Is sufficient at the
present moment 70 record a success 50
striking that il must remain conspicuous In
the annals OF our stage AW.
CAST OF THE LILY