New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-11-15
THE DRAMA
"The Importance of Being Earn
est" at the Lyceum Theatre.

had not seen II since 1907 and even lHeh IL
was seven years behind London Ne"
York has waited another eight years FOR
the present revival-which should run Till
next April or May-London having again
given the cue, for there the play ran
through last winter and into the summer.
Perhaps some one will now be persuaded 10
revive Lady Windermeres Fan" By
careful searching an appropriate cast may
be found for II. Let the owner OF the
American rights in that other brilliant
comedy by Oscar Wilde take the hint. He
should find it worth his while.
Laughter ali the evening long And how
short the laughter made the evening SCENT
Quiet laughter. no roars. no outlaws, the
laughter OF contentment. the laughter OF
the satisfied mind. There is no mirthful
appeal to the eye There are no antics.
mishaps nor ridiculous situations" to stir
the crowd. An audience of blind men would
chuckle throughout the three acts OF this
play. The appeal is from the draTnat1st's
wit There is not a moment without its
delightful flashes.
I'VE live, as I hope you know, Mr.
Worthing. in an age Of ideals The fact
Is constantly mentioned in the more ex-
pensive magazines says GWendoiine-
Perhaps the chief difference between 1895,
when Oscar WiIdes play was first pre-
sented, and 1910. when it is revived. may
be disclosed by the fact that the less ex-
pensive nonthlies. and the upllftIng week
lies now proclaim '-the age OF ideals"
The play itself is good as ever. Which
is more than can be said of some earnest
persons who pursue high ideals In rather
low fashion. Gvendolins's ideal, II you are
lit hog
some one of the name of Ernest" But it Is
not necessary that you should oeiieve this.
On the whole belief in all that the divert
ing characters of this play say, or IN nan
that they say will put you out of the run
ming You must tear yourself from your
IiteraI-minded world and pause for while
in a-well, IL not a better one then IN
SUMMER one, anyhow one in which few
things are taken seriously, in which hea.y
things are mentioned lightly and never
discussed in which nobody makes speeches,
but everybody talks cleverly. and truths
are coated with paradox. and the worst of
bad form Is to be informing and TO wear
a long face Is there such a world? you
are almost moved TO ask Do not be
moved or again YOU will be out of the
running. If there Is no such world there
should ne one. Once upon a time there was
q world like this 1t was amusing enough
And the persons who liked il best may
have been those who were not in it, They
gazed at It from the public side OF me
footlights and chuckled with contentment'
as others will again now that they have
the chance.
Never speak disrespectfuily OF society
Only people who can't get into 1t do thaI-
saws AIgernon's Aunt, a worldly-wlse lazy
who does not approve Of mercenary mar
riages. and who therefore, having no
money OF her own. married a rich ariSto-
crat because she could never dream OF
letting her own disadvantage stand in the
way. Alsernon has nothing but his DEBTS
to depend upon, but he sacrfnces them
nobly and marries an heiress, who is a
charming creature. She is ward OF
Ernest's brother Only there is no ernest
Nevertheless the non-eXtstent Ernest mas
a brother whose name is Jack AND JACK
adores Gwendoline. John Worthins, you
remember. Is John or Jack. as the case
may be. In the country, and Ernest III
town The importance of being earnest IS
shown when Jack Is Ernest and when
AIgernon pretends to be the imaginary
person who has died an imaginary death.
For. Ike Jack. Algernon Is loved by
sweet creature who dotes on the name
Ernest. -,.....
Now. IL this seems complicated to the
uninitiated reader II IS not so TO the spec
tator STORY. Bless you. there is none 70
tell. sir" The telling of It is what carries
you out of yourself and away from your
humdrun stocks and merchandise and
daily stodgy disputations To lose one
parent may be regarded misfortune
to lose both seems like carelessness- Was
your father born IN what the radical pa
pers call the purple of commerce or did
he rise from the ranks of the aristocracy ?
Out of these sparkling nOthingS and a
plot that is slender enough for a comic
opera is made comedy renowned for its
brilliance through half a generation The
skill of 1t, the wit of it. have no parallel
In the plays Of writer's now using our
abused tongue What does II teach us?
asks Mr. Matter-of-Fact at the breakfast
table. Nothing. thank fortune. II fills you
with the desire to hear it again. For
mark you. the proof of this comedy lies
in the ear of the hearers And its success
Monday night was as brilliant the ap-
peal for success
Here. of course, is a comedy that cannot
be performed by any company of players
zaRement They need not be players of
remarkable merit. but they must be players
with q certain gift OF manner and light
touch All tho characters in this comedy
love nonsense but they love clever non
sense and they are mindful of the form
of their set. they have all the catchwords
of their set and the observation-disclosures
The acting in this revival is what this
comedy requires Beyond doubt though
the best appreciation of Wildes lines was
shown by Miss Oaker and Miss Winthrop
MI ReveIle had somehow dropped the ease
of manner which he has impaired to other
characters that need II less than John
Worthing and Mr.. Matthews wore an I'M
movable countenance. Focally. his EXPIRES
sion left nothing 10 be wished for, but even
Aigy Moncriefr must have had a pliable
muscle OF two in his face Canon Chasuole
would have been more In the Wildeian
spirit had he been pompous instead Of
sweetIy simple: and Cecily somewhat
taxed your imagination when she said
she was eighteen Oddly enough. the Eng
fish actors pronounced The Albany as II
they were naming the capital of New York
State Englshmen, as they cannot so
quickly have forgotten, speak the name in
quite another fashion. In the last act
Messrs Matthews and Revelle, for some
obscure reason. whistle snatches from the
..Merry Widow waltz, a melody which, to
say the least. was unknown In the London
of 1896. But. on the whole. the acting fitted