New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-01-25
THE DRAMA
Otis Skinner in "Sire" at the
Criterion Theatre.

/ which do not accompany tn. niece when
I II is played al the Criterion In New York.
/ Felix Huguenets acting the pavislans tell
rs. was wonderful" Nine piersor's was
i filled with 'pid World charm" as was
| that Of the impersonators Of the Doctor
and the Able. Old World charm. None OF
fl wa percepuble in the Criterion Theatre
/ Tuesday night. and the exquisite fra
/ GRANGE OF France France in the Forties.
could barely be imagined there surely an
eminent Academcian can write q better
/ play than this; doubtless no must do so 10
gain presentation At the Coincide. What
I happens, then. between the House II
Moliere and Forty-fourth Street
Is Il all Louis Parker's fault He trans
lated-the programme says "adapted"-the
play He is q busy man these davs Is Mr.
Parker But he has an appreciation Of
delcacy, Of charm. Of appropriate phrase
and touch and color that this Sire" play
never betrays.
f Il would seem that no matter who the
translator or adapter Of a French play
may be nowadays the play is a sorry thing
+ when the light Of Broadway strikes it.
Sire" IS out an item in a long list, At
/ tractive, indeed could the story be.
+ Nile the Countess dc Saint-Salb Is a
/ gracious lady If about sixty winters. lv-
/ ing in tie reign Of Louis Philppe-is4s.
+ 10 be precise-and longing for the coming
Of Louis XVII the son Of Louis XVI and
Marie Antoinettel whom she believes a.
many have believed. did not die in the
Temple She longs 70 sec him. TO see
, him on the throne. and to pay him homage.
/ When a child she saw him. also child,
at the Tuileries where she made him a
little gift. II IS her life 10 dwell on this
and on her hope Otsessed with her idea
the sweet and gracious lady gives her
physician and her spiritual adviser cause
for alarm. They fear that if her life does
not break her her mind may break. They
make d little plot. thinking 10 help her.
They will find some one 10 play the
Dauphin. The isolated little lady will never
know the Truth Of the matter Her house
shall be the stage. She never goes else
whore. excepting 10 mass Doctor and ply
stefan find Denis Roulette. actor and jack
of-all-trades They persuade him 10 be-
come the Dauphin in their little drama
The good fellow. with inflated ego, is
iattered. Besides the adventure pleases
him. Furnished with money and dressed
20 the mines, he appears at the home OF the
. Countess de Saint Salb as Louis XVII. the
fugitive sovereign. The sweet and veueTat-
ing lady offers him hospitality and fortune.
and for a fortnight the little comedy is
kept on. Then comes revolution. the barri-
cades are up. and Roulette, the actor
Dauphin, who, before his little comedy was
undertaken, had been hauled by his vanity
into a republican and incendiary plot is
discovered masquerading by his fellow
, conspirators IA prodigious crew. and sen
fenced 20 death as q traitor TO the noble
cause Of throat cutting in the name OF
politics. The Countess, by this time. hnds
that she has been tricked. Roulette mean
while, rnds that he can save his life by
volunteering with the revolutionists. The
Countess persuades him TO side with tie
king. lie promises 70 do so. and az he
leaves } or she kneeis and says Sire. as
II tie word We're a prayer. Then the cu--
tain falls as the actor-Da lphin-revolution-
ist-loyalist stands in the doorway with the
spotlight playing over him. Oh, happy,
happy ending for Broadway,
Now i'm Paris az the Coincide FRANCHISE.
they had quite anoyher thought. They let
Ioulcjte-Dauphin e 90 the firing line. 80
doorway no spot light They sent an Off
Ger OF tie Guard 10 the Countess. telling
her that her player-king had died OF the
steps Of Louis Philippe's throne--he had
( helped the newly deposed king 20 escape.
And so tho dear lady's life-dream ended,
/ but she felt tina; her player-king had been
king indeed
Alas for the gods that grind out happy
enCines for Broadway Thus they mange
French plays, just as II no one would ever
know as il IL never could matter. But
what happens These mangled matters
are never taken mp for the best They
come % quite unhappy endings Of sort
/ that never was intended.
+ Before now Otis Skinner should have
. been mention ed-wou'd have been men
toned had ne not been wasted ON this
desert air. He acted well. Could he do
/ otherwise There was his accustomed skill.
vivacity good spirit. magical flow OF words.
But he was i'm an actor-part last season.
and he is iu an a"tor-parl this season. and
50 much OF actor-parts Wearies spectators
and tends 90 tasten mannerisms upon the
PLAYER himself. OF otis Skinner playing 70
part in which he is supposed to be an
actor q fond public has had quite enough.
/ OTIS Skinner Is Justly one Of the favorites
OF our public. What player Of them al
holds quite the same place in popular af
tecticno Let him not run 10 these too
theatrical characters, amt these battered
plays. Sire thus Englshed is a feeble
Speciment Of play making Without OTIS
Skinner this version would not hold an
audience for an hour. With h.m-weu you
wish ne had something unlike his play
actor part of last year Aud yoG wish
that be would somehow dnd part that IS
worthy of him iu a play which has some
resemblance 10 life. He was IN the picture
no doubt Miss Bert was almost In IT,:
not quite. but she played with feeling and
appreciation OF her opportunity. The
others probably did what they were told
10 do There can be no other explanation
Of the curious ana Impossible conspirators
NJ the Red Hand. Decidedly this is not the
play they put on az the Comedie Fran
,aise I'm November 1870 something cropped
ont ON the vav over. A.. ".
CAST or SIRE"
Denis Roulette. ..-..-.--.-...-- gts skinner
B. Abbt Reuus ----.... John CIulop-
DR. Cabst..-.... .s.......-. - -. Andrews
Darling ..-OhdrIes &. Wslies
BrossCttc ..............-. Edward Field Il
y trot gnOIN ...-.... ...... Arthur Row
CaWus ....-.... ....-....... Walter scott
Tagratte .....-...... ....... Arthur LYMAN
Niaitre IAtourneauX. ......-... Thomas KMgshury
a Soldier. ...-....... George Devareaux
Naderiois. lie d. Saint-salbi ......7. Msbel rcrt
I Ilonie bouqufi. .....-.--- -izeta Jewel
Gertrude Alice Gale
Madame Auralie ............ Msrgaret Sayre
ROBERTA DE JANoN MAY WE'D