The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-09-13
MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC.
ssFer,apde,, at the Arch.

Victorien Sardou's play of Fernando, which
was produced at the Arch last evening, is of
the French Frenchy. 1t belongs to the same
school as Camille, and, like that once popular
drama, it will prove unpleasant to those are
impressed with the idea that the stage is not
the proper place for exposing the sore spots of
society and who think that there are more
attractive subjects for dramatic treatment than
the den1i. monde life of Paris. Strictly speaking
Camille cannot be called an immoral play, be-
cause it has a most obvious and impressive
moral. 1t is open to grave objections,
however, inasmuch as 1t sets before
an indiscriminate audience highly
wrought picture of a kind of life that decent
people, for their good, had best know as little
about as possible. Fernando, like Camille, is a
powerful and fascinating drama, but 1t is also
an extremely unpleasant one and its unpleasant
features are only made more obvious by the
poor attempt of the American adapter to cover
them with thin veneer of propriety. In the
original, Fernando" the heroine, like
Camille" has fallen into evil ways more
through force of circumstances than choice.
Her instincts and aspirations are pure notwith-
standing her degraded condition, and she ioy-
fully accepts the offer of a benevolent young
lawyer, "Philip de Pomerol," to rescue her.
"Philip' interests his friend the Countess Clo-
tide" in his protege, aud the lady
gladly takes the girl under her protection. In
the meantime "Clotil le' finds that her lover,
"Andre, Marquis de Arcis, has become alien
ated from her, and by a peculiarly feminine de
vice she brings him to a confession that he loves
her no longer, and that his affections are fixed
upon another woman, and that this woman is
Fernando" with whose antecedents "Andre'
is unacquanted, as he had never seen her ex-
cept at the theatre. "Clotilde" then conceives
the devilsh device of marrying the girl to
"Andre' without allowing him to know who she
is, and she succeeds in carrying out her plans,
Fernando" being made to believe that her hus-
band is acquainted with her history, and that he
has generously consented to forget and forgive.
The denOuement consists in ''Clotlde" informing
"Andre" of the revenge she had taken, and in his
taking his wife to his arms after an agonizing
scene, in which her good faith and pure inten-
tions are demonstrated in the plainest manner.
In the American adaptation Fernando" is
represented as the ''decoy duck of gambling
hell, acting under the orders of brutal master,
but pure in spite of her dangerous surroundings.
1t is obvious that by such modification as this
the play is materially weakened, and if we must
have such subjects exhibited upon the STAGE
the frankness of the French dramatist is in
every way preferable to the conventional pro-
prieties of the American adapter.
feTUuHue III every scene SHOWS Tue skill OF q
most accomplished dramatst, and it is un-
doubtedly one of the most subtle, most power
full, and most thoroughly artistic performances
that has ever proceeded from the pen of NJ.
Sardou. 1t is only to be regretted that this ac-
complished writer, like so many of his COM
patriots of both sexes, should exhibit q morbid
fondness for class of subjects that really
refined taste would decide to be outside of the
realms of true art.
Mrs. Drew as ''Clotilde' gives an unequal
performance, and does not put forth all her
strength except in the strongest scenes. Her
conception of the character is in an eminent
degree artistic, and her acting is exceedingly
impressive in those situations that make the
greatest demand upon her talents. Miss Price
as Fernando is pathetic when pathos is re-
quired, and her personation is pleasing if not
marked by any very high artistic qualities. The
part of 'Philip de Pomerol," +" which is assumed
by Mr. Barton Hill, does not call for any extra
ordinary efforts on the part of the actor, and
it is sufficient to say that MIR. Hill full
filed all its requirements with ease
and dignity. "Georgette de Pomerol," as the
spoiled, pettish, jealous, but affectionate young
wife of the lawyer, finds a competent repre-
sentative in Miss May Saville who proves her.
self to be graceful actress with ample ability
for such part as this. Mr.. James represents
'Andre' with somewhat too much of the stilted-
ness of manner that unpleasantly marks most
of his presentations; but, in spite of this defect,
his performance is one of much real merit.
Mr.. McManus, in the part of 'Bracassin,"
seedy attache of the gambling hell from which
Fernando is rescued, gives an excellent
eccentric sketch, just trife overdone, but in
the right style. "The Commandeur Jarbi,"
another Eccentric" character, apparently
intended to represent Frenchman's idea
of an American, is very badly played
by Mr.. Craig, who either does not understand
the part or does not trouble himself to play it as
it should be played.
Fernando is placed upon the stage in very
elegant style, and so far as the scenery and ap-
pointments are concerned there is nothing to
be desired. The saloon in ''Clotilde's" house,
where the incidents of the second and third act
take place, is,we believe, entirely new, and it is
one of the richest and most beautiful interiors
We have ever seen on any stage.
The City Amusements.