The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-11-15
BRILLIANT PLAY Is REVIVED
"IHE IMPORTANCE or BEING
ItR\EST'' PRESENTED.



New York thratregoers owe Charles
Y-.rrnan a debt Of gratitude for reviving
oscar Wlde's farce The Importance of
B.ng Earnest last night at the Lyceum
TG.arr. IN. play is all but unknown
be-. New Workers are proverblally
indifferent Ia revivals. but the few per
forr.ancss Of the play at the Empire
Theatre in the spring Of is9S and later
IN rsc should not prejudice the public
AGAINST one of the few great comedies
OF ne. day Possibly the prominence
NJ 'hrS drama NAV not be understood
yrur-allv Yet II will no plain Ia spec
,a,or. that take tn. trouble To visit tho
Lyc-um
Whom MIR. Fruhman gave the piece
her. m its infancy such "A cloud hung
over rh. name Of the unfortunate author
rha' m" world was blind to even the
merits II his work. IL refused To share
w.ld. theory expressed IN Pen. Pencil
and Prisoner that mans established
grnlr As prisoner did not IN IN. least
ar"c' m. quality Of his prose.
Inc memory Of some excellent acting
bv Henry Miller and William Favcrsham.
bv Margaret Anglin and Nav Robson. a.
0-ll a. ~ IN. punches Of roses that Mr..
Frohuan distributed on tn. first night.
AZ. today all that survive Of those few
first performances. The play had been
revived once before at his theatre when
n November ysar ago George Alexan-
der IN order % I'LL his stage after IA lure
had suddenly to ne withdrawn. once
more hrouSh; forward The Importance
Of Being Earnest II has played for
nine months. London showed greater APP
PROBATION OF its qualities than ever.
With no thought Of the author and his
fate 70 distract their approval from the
pee. itself audiences delighted in its ex-
qulsI,e whimsical point OF view and its
finished phrases.
1t would he a great credit to the intelli-
genc- of New York audien ces IL the play
met with the same approval here. IL
deserves the greatest success. II Is one
Of The few brilliant comedies in our Ian
R,Isge II NAV be urged that IL il artif-
cal. But II IL proba bly, a. true to- the
conditions under whic h IL was written a.
the works Of tn. second Ca rolir :sa play
wrights And II is just "a brilliant IN its
speech Il Is rather q part Of the litera-
fur~ Of his period than OF the theatr re. yet
Oscar Wilde succeeded in imparting such
hne literary flavor TO his dramas that
JfeIr Deficiencies in theatricalism may
readily he overlooked for the sake Of
hearing literary speech in the playhouse.
he creation OF a mythical brother
called Earnest 10 explain his conduct. the
necessity ultimately OF doing away with
thus person and the incidental whimsl
call'i.s that arise from this situation
are still capable Of amusing audiences
that may perhaps miss some Of the other
merits IN she play. IL il. moreover. for
admirers OF The Importance Of BEING
Earnest as delightful TO listen to the
sparkling and finished language Of tn.
speeches as u ever was. That the char
sc-.rs all talk like the author and not like
themselves is no detrimenI to the impor-
lance Of the drama a. a literary effort
he characters Of the Restoration Come
dies all talked in the wholly artificial
manner Of the conventional world IN
rhich they lived Tn. fame Of m. great
Y riters oi that period has never been
by this fact
A. r. Mathews. the Young English
comedian who has not ~ far Jared well
here. appeared in the leading role. lie IL
an easy. finished actor. with an evident
of acting II IL unfortunate that he
possessea 40 little personal distinct ion.
His gait has the simian IndecisIon that
have become the most important charac-
'eristics OF George NJ Cohan and his
Imitators. Hamilton Revell. had all the
preston Of the huraor OF the creator Of tn.
fctitious EdrnsH. He knows that the
f,ln Of this play Of Oscar wilde's depends.
ike the humor Of the Gilbert comedies
on . com piets absence Of all consciousness
If What the characters are doing IN the
actors. Then Mr.. Reville has a certain
distinction ~ manner which was more
important than ever last night. since he
supplied all that 10 necessary To tn.
Ilusion OF the two young aristocrats.
The play was admirably acted through
out Ethel Winthrop seems to have
arrived At the psychological moment
She Ia the real grande dame that the
New York stage has 80 long needed
Her oyeremphasized worldliness was
deli ghtful in Its lack Of self consciousness.
Florence Edney delivered the incIs.
speeches II the governess with such
nt-lli genc@ that not a point was missed
May Blayney as the youthful ward Of
the heir atoned for an excessive maturity
~ her obvious understanding and de
livery Of her lines, and Jane Oakcr lost
none Of the hurnor Of her speeches
The union ~ this good acting and Mr.
Wilde's play resulted in q brilliant revival
NJ one of the few classics in the con