New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-02-19
LONDON PLAYS
Nice Ethel Irving's Great Scene
wv" Miss Nelson's Triumph.
London february II.


to- rlay. with great scene. Is
A ason.s witness for the Defence
Mr., e. Jamess Theatre. Intensely In
II ne a story OF despairing VSom-
teTes'Hs attempt 20 gain happiness
ans - after unspeakable misery, as a
ard =. g loosely. almost clumsily. con-
:rs"s with constant exposition Of what
TT"e''~ OF the stage. The first act
les no. - n murder IN a teni on lonely
@os :. India. but the curtain falls before
pan i fred. \ drunkard on the verge
he - 80, ,renens and fsncying that he
.se hand Of a native assassin, has
sc ;ns,lting mis- wife in the presence OF
Na r,er lover. a London barrister. and
Going outside with the guest has re-
o." 20 threaten her with murderous
As he advances she bends backward
'se ,,cks Up the rifle. which the guest had
4, her hands when he came back for
The curtain fails ~ the critical
80, OF what is IN reality homicide
sslt-deience.
H.r..-isonle exposition would have been
- u the curtain had been kept up
.,er minute and the trial scene IN
-. the wife was acquitted on the per-
~ testimony of the harrister. were
80 ont as a second act AS IL Is. the
'.~,,,sl secured by "a blunder OF en- un-
-. rsnerous and sympathetic witness has
=. syplained al great length in Sussex
..-v house two years after, when the
- is 10 marry the sources son, who
-, her passionately. The squire and
y. ,.o,ber-in-law being IN doubt respect
w innocence. send for the barrister
!, .-oss-examine him. he succeeds in
-~.,srr their suspicious. and then meets
!. -,r,an alone and threatens to retract
=. testimony unless she breaks Off the en-
-.,7eut or confesses her guilt. Then fol-
-, me powerful scene. which IS enacted
~ Alexander and Miss Ethel Irving
y. al the resources of sne stagecraft.
: -. oreninc night tho audience was pro-
..,s,v moved and the players were re-
Ia q dozen times and finally dismissed
N rounds Of applause.
-,s barristcr presents his appeal without
.,ce Of priggishncss and with tremen-
.,,s simplicity. lie tells the despairing
- that she has no right 10 marry her
,.-,- with THIS hideOus lie between them.
-. o4s-s 10 marry her. II she will break
:. her engagement, and 20 take her TO
- ,tace Of refuge: and II she persists in
s..s,,,rc her lover he threatens 10 expose
..- guilt by retracting his own testimony.
n, Alexander acts with self-restraint and
.I,ssr "reminiscences, and by his unruffied
dignity and grave courtesy succeeds in con-
ealing the disagreeable features of an I'M
,v,,pathetic part. Miss Ethel Irving's per-
fornance is wonderfully varied. vivid and
nolenant. The wife lighting with passion
ate intensity for her single chance OF hap
-,nsss Incomes a dozen women in turn.
sbe bess piteously for a reprieve; she
,aunts the tormentor with running his own
career by the menace Of exposure, and
cannot be convinced that he will brand
himself as pertured witness; she describes
her husbands frenZied attack upon her and
draws from the barrister q reluctant ad-
mission that he had spoiled a sound case
.or homicide in self-defence; she coaxes
and fatters fasciDates with beaming smile.
sngrily revolts against his conscientious
scruplss. and at last defantly blurts out the
Ul-l b-ldA E44O 144U 4ONCi idNC HtNll
sscrs.ly married. Her performance has not
been squallet for many a day in nervous
;s,sion and emotional power.
n The end the disputants are interrupted
b. tie squire. but not until the heroine
~ agreed TO confess her guilt 70 her hus-
Nt This she does in accents OF despair
.rng the last act, and her husband. yield
s TO her fascination and plying her
rxchedness. Justifes the murder as an
act Of self-defence. and declines to torture
hr, The Witness for the Defence does not
lsy further stress upon his own mistaken
rssl IN securing her acquittal by perjury.
u. leaves the lovers and the humane old
tV1rs In peace. The acting throughout
las teen most effective. Mr.. Alfred Bishop,
H. Leslie Faber. Mr.. Sydney Valentine
I'd Mr.. Lyston Lyle supporting the two
pncpals with sound judgment and SYM
A.hstic art. II is the struggle between