New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-09-14
THE DRAMA
Sardou's diplomacy" Revived
at Maxine ElII0tt's Theatre.

1t was proved on Tuesday night. IL proof
were needed that '-Diplomacy. if ade-
quately presented. retains its power to en-
terrain and hold an audience. For ''DiploD-
acy" was not adequately presented on the
first night of it's revival at Maxine Elliott s
Theatre. Seldom has 1t bean seen so lameiy'
presented at any theatre of the first rank m
this or any other city. But it interested the
audience in spite of the shortcomings of the
evening The faults of the performance
we're not so much those OF the actors as
OF the conditions amid which the acting pro-
eeeded. The play had been rushed on. and
il showed the effects of haste. 1t was. TO
speak frankly. stability mounted; several of
the performers were Hiscast, some of them
almost con1icaIly miscast; almost all OF
them showed the effects of the pressure 10
which they had been subjected and the
total result was far, very far. from being
as good as other rSvivals have given, and
very far indeed from the merits of the
original performances thirty-tNo years
ago There was refreshing eXcep-
ton in the person of Miss ChryStai Herne,
whose Dora was at all times charming. and
sometimes quite emotionaliv strong. Miss
Eerne is not only as good IS the best OF
the Doras of the English speaking stage,
she is a little better than any of them
Leaving Miss Herne aside. then it cannot
be said that any other member Of the cast,
with the exception of Charles Hickman,
was really in the picture, and even Mr.
Richman was too heavy and hard But he
at all events might have been Henry
BeaucIerc, of the British Embassy III Paris.
The Julian Beauclerc never for Il moment
suggested any such attachment TO place
and purpose. I-e was a good natured and
rather raw young American, who might
have been travelling with Cooks party.
Theodore Bergen, who is a clever actor,
might have been anything but Russian;
at any rate. anything but Sardou OrIon'
Notwithstanding the feeling and discretion
with which he spoke his lines. And Effins-
ham Pinto as an English youth on the
outer edge of the diplomatic circle, was,
to put it gently, nowhere near the marx
Theodore Roberts made Baron stein I'M
necessarily rcpulsive in appearance. There
have been Barons Stein who have at least
suggested breeding. Any one who saw AT
thur Cecil or John Hare as Baron Stein
would scarcely care for the current pres
entation OF that amusing old rascal Yet
in the line of eccentric acting Mr.. Rob-
erts seemed TO please his audience. But he
vas always on the skin OF the character,
never under 1t.
Miss Florence Roberts thought that
Countess Zicka is a rleledramatic VII
lainess.' and she ladled out her belief IN
astounding measure. It never occurred TO
her that Zicka was clever at initiating the
great ladies of the smart world TO the
fringes of which she clung. She was DIS
tressingly far from grasping the meaning
and the manner of the part she played. a
good deal had been expected of Mrs Lee
rloyne as the Marquise de Rio Zares. Mrs.
Iemoyne was cordially welcomed, but her
performance. like SO many others OF the
evening, showed that too little time had
been allowed for getting a control of the
rart or even of the lines. Miss Ballou had
strangely inappropriate ideas about acting
Lady Fairfax. There was no atmosphere
in the presentation of this familiar play
A hundred little touches which have been
given to the business Of the scene by earlier
and more experienced hands were lacking
They may not have been thought OF But
when one thinks of the players who nave
played these parts, of the managers VINO
have staged this play, OF the fine lines along
which they laid their work, of the close
ness'' OF the action under their trained ei-
forts il is impossible not to lament the
fact that the spirit and favor Of 'plplo-
macy did not get over the footlights on
Tuesday evening, The players would have
done better, no doubt, had they not been
rushed at top speed into their task There
should be speed limit for the producers
Of plays. The performance OF Diplomacy
will mend a. it goes on. That o. Tuesday
hight may be regarded as a public dress
rehearsal The actors did all they could
do in the circumstances. Their exertons
partook largely of the nature OF heroism.
But for serving artistic ends something
more is required than the assembling OF a
group OF clever players, no matter how
admirable the capacity they have shown
IN previous undertakings. This production
seems to lack the guidance Of master
hand. Az