New-York tribune., 1910-02-13
THE LONDON STAGE
II. b. TUing's ActiHg Strike
PIa7J-4ngI0-S0TOR Farr0gO.
LonAon. Februarv ..


he has vividly recalled his father 70 the
memories OF pIaygoers: in the other he
win challenge comparison with Richard
Mansfield, with some essential differ.
ences I'm the play itself MT Comyns
Carr has supplied him with a better
adaptation Of Stevenson Dr. Jekyu
and Mr.. Hyde" than the crude one in
which Mansfield appeared. T. 5 a more
consistent storv. with a development %
the love interest. two women competing
with each other in their influence over
the infatuated investigate. The blind
wife appeals 20 the angel that is in him.
and Lady Carev, the discarded mistress,
arouses the british devil vno can bs
liberated by A powerful drug-the sym
Dol OF the will power for regulating
ryotentialities OF good and evil Wnen =
Lady Carew suggests that her hono-
shall be protected through the murder
6f her husband by poison. he responds to
the influence Of his virtuous mentor ard
condemns the tempter: but when tie
brute in him has full play in Mr. Hyde
Sir Danvers Carew IS choked to death.
When the drug loses its potency and he
cannot deliver himself from bondage to
evil. il is his blind wife's hand that sets
him free and enables him 70 die as Dr..
JekyH. he alone among the awestrUcl.
watchers. being in ignorance OF the truth
about the transformations
The story in the newer version be-
comes less OF a psychicaI study, and
broader. more theatrical. as melOdrama
: There are Two Inevitable consequence
the acting diminishes in subtlety and
: the play becomes less grewsome. because
il is more frankly impossible While the
horrors OF the murder scene increase
| and the contrasts between the psyche
/ logical enthusiast and the fendisa ghoul
! are heightened. the appeal 10 the inagl-
/ nation is impaired by the artifciality o.
| the rnelodrama. Mansfield used 20 send
/ his audiences home unneryed by the
strain OF a weird and uncanny perform
ance Mr. Irving's houses viii be enter
/ tained by an exceedingly effective ex-
( hib!tion Of the old-fashiOned art CT act
ing in strongly contrasted parts. His
/ audiences will have seen in Dr. JekyIl a
face haunted with remorse and mental
| agony, and bearing a striking resem-
/ will have witnessed a Quilpiike dwarf
| circIing about the stage with fendish
! rnahgnity and swoOping down upon his
| victim like a vuIture. They will have
/ admired the facility OF the transforma-
. tions in Mr.. Hyde's lodgings. where DR..
I Iauvon dies from heart failure when DR..
JekyH stands in the place OF the mon
ster, and in the final scene. when, after
I horrible conflict in the laboratory
prison, the blind wife. kissing The dying
man. finds the good doctor whom she
I has loved. whereas those beside her have
seen a moment before the loathsoms
ghoul. Yet they Will grope their way 10
their own doors without abnormal ex-
element or the haunting dread OF hav-
ing a skeleton come out Of a closet ar
the head OF the stairs. or a grisly ogre
claw at them a. they tumble into bed
| If Mansfield. 10y his subtIety in bring
| ing out the dual nature of good and evil
I blended in every man pointed 10 Edgar
Allan Poe as SteVenSou's master. Dir
/ Irving. by his stagecraIJ- shows his ca
pacity for enacting widely dls<inliiar
parts when workmanliie play IS pro-
|
| dra tist as Nr. Carr. Il Is amazing
| lneIodrama aJ the Queens Theatre. en-
acted by Mr.. Irving with practised anu
! facile technique. cumulative intensity
/ and vivid coloring Without suggesting
unity in dual personality he dinereh-
tiates one character from the other, Ell
ha sizing strongly ths physical repui-
siveness OF the hideouS creature without
! a soul and not connecting him WIN t.7
alchemist OF the laboratory. who IN 'nS
| first act forecast Ike a specuialNs
philosopher the triumph Of science
There are two men. not one. IN Df'
JekylI and Mr.. Hyde" and one Is 80 eh-
like the other that it IS not strange tha'
! DR.. LANNON'S heart fails him when th'
two are suddenly merged by the drop
ping of the horrible name ana tH0
| STRENGTHENING of the bent. CTouSAlhg Hs-
ure as the coarse cloak falls from the
shoulders Mr. Irving leaves the dram
atist to explain as best he may WY ~
Jekyll should make a vii IN favor .
! Mr.. HYDE and why Mr. Hyde beCcu'o'
the accomplce of Dr. Jekyll IN preNeH.
ing the disclosure of social Scahas.
His supreme moment comes when, WIZ
| a leap in the air. he oVerpoweTs Ms VIZ
tim and sloats over the prey Lac W.
oarrion bird
| II the love interest developed on GO"
ventional lines diverts attention 10"
| Stevenson's unique theme 50 also i -
! pairs the force of industrial Hei'ula'D
/ at the Lyric Theatre. Mr NtLe''
The Strong People" ought u Oe
strong play as Mr. Ga-s"olH
strife" hut Mr.. LOWS Waller VII"
robust. buoyant style. GCes not suI..
in making it equally effective. II 'N'.N
had been an actress Of more WV"
sonality than Miss Dorothy l''N iO' -,
part of Judith. the dramatic sf'eV' =,
have been intensified. Yet tAa' w..
have strengthened the love interest," -,
have clouded the conflict OF i'uus -,
forces. and. as il was. the pay -.,ion
of balance. for il was an open d"'s
whether the hero was in earnest !" "A
venting a massacre OF the striNei'
in effeetjne 4. reconciliation between
| itaJ and labor. or whether ne Was
uated with a beautiful woman s,r
dr,uins room climax was substitute
iii fYsuirF SSTltNS