Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-08-31
The DRAMA.
"Civil Marriage ut tho Opera Ho,

"Civil Marriage ut the Opera House.
That so admirable q dramatic team as Mr..
John Jack and Miss Annie Firmin should
have selected from their extensive reper-
tOiIe such An abominable piece Of dramatic
mechanism as the play Of ''Civil Marriage"
was surprise and disappointment to the
"small but select " audience gathered at
Fulton opera house last evening to wit
ness the initial bow of these two artists
before our people. The Kisses that greeted
the production of Sardou's "Daniel
ROchat" " before Paris audience last win
ter are quite explicable in view
Of last nights performance, which Is
said to be sort Of adaptation Of
the former play. It is a crude and awk-
ward piece Of work, composed for the
most part Of ponderous PlatOnic dialogue,
Socratic reasoning, athcistic utterances
thinly diluted SO as to prevent their fall
ing too harshly upon the car Of tho audi
tor, with frequent offensive filings ut the
church. There is no motive or human
interest in the piece, nor any skill in con-
structicn by which its intrinsic defects may
be concealed. No one goes to the theatre
to listen to rationalistio reasoning and
diatribes against religious faith, es-
pecially when the attempt Of the
adapter to tone down the effect
with the purpose Of shielding tho hearers
sensibilities results i'll distressing gram
matical bulls and q lot Of stuff and twaddle
that are wearisome to . degree. The play
bears tho ear-marks Of French compost
tion, and though not unclean is profoundly
stupid. The alleged plot is as follows:
Henri Rochdt, French atheist, makes
a speech in favor of human liberty; Leah
Henderson, an American Protestant, hears
it and becomes interested in him; the
interect kindles into love that
becomes mutual. He proposes mar
riage; she accepts and tho wedding takes
place according to tho French civil code.
When the bride proposes to have tho cerc-
mony sOlemnizcd by the church she is hor
rified at her husbands refusal, and learns
for the first time his atheistical opinions !;
the remainder OF tho play is fOr the
most part taken up with discussions pro
and con of tho relative merits Of atheism
and Christianity, the effect being neither
pleasing to the car nor invigOrating to the
wearied spirit Of the long suffering auditor.
Leah refuses point blank to consider the
civil contract binding Henri insists. The
latter's atheistical friend, DR.. Bidau, pro
cures papers granting a divorce. Leah,
whose love has been destroyed by tho
revelation Of RocAafs opinions which sho
discovers to be tinged with cowardice,
signs the document, R0cAdt does tho same,
and thoy arc legally divorced rs they had
been legally married and there tho play
forming to no law of dramatic cOnstruc-
tion or unity, and fully three-fourths of
the audience retained their seats ut the
1oc sJrnv, Of tho curtain nn01NIo fn
vince themselves that it was over
and that the stupidity of the piece was
not to be illuminated, even ut its
ong-drawn-out termination. The cx-
tinguishment of the fOOtlights at length
conveyed the intelligence, and the audience
dispersed with anything but satisfactory
feelings. Miss Firmin's acting was the
redeeminS point in tho performance. Con-
sillcrin. the poor material she had ut her
disposal, her impcrsOnatiOn Of the role of
Leah Henderson gave evidence Of
judicious and painstaking effort. Mr..
Jack, who no doubt is clever
actor, distressed tho audience by his unfa-
miliarity with the text ,and his playing last
night was anything but that of an artist.
The impression he made was directly
opposite that created by Hiss Firmin,
whose agreeable presence, we'll mOdulated
voice, easy self-posscssion and rising
above her stage surroundings, established
her in speedy favor with the audi
ence. Tho burden Of the perform
anco rested upon her shoulders, and right
bravcly she bOro it, unaided savo for tho
assistance Of Mr.. Sam Hcmple, whose ex-
aggcratcd representation Of DR.. BidaH,
the rabid, satirical atheistical friend of
tho hero, diflused some humOr through
the performance. The audience were kept
in blissful ignorance Of the identity of tho
other members Of tho cast by the absence
of programmes. A feature Of interest for
the ladies' in tho audience was the ward
robe of Hiss Firmin, whose costumes
were models of rich and tasteful elegance.