Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-08-24
@vERA.n
Oscar wilde's Drama Finally Produced nc
thc union square Theater.


oscar w,lde's Drama FINALLY Produced at
t'sc Uaicn square rheater.
New York, August 2i.---wlth every
thing In his fnvor except the weather
and the cast, Oscar Wilde introduced
his play Vera, the Nihilist," last
night NJ the Union Square Theatre. A
professional and critical audience was
present and favorably disposed.s The
play itself opened well but worldly
and fell Off la the last nct. IL dealt
with nm ideal or imaginative Russian,
whose heroine
rs A NIHILfsl,
whose car Is craven tyrant, and
who hero IL both n Nihilist and n son
of the ear. The heroine, a peasant
woman by the name of Vera, whose
fnther keeps an inn on the road TO
siberia, discovers her own brother
among a group Of prisoners who are on
the way ~ the mines. She cannot as
stat him, but his parting words TO her
are revenge, and 10 this she devotcs
her life. We next sec her In the secret
meetings of the Nihilists, wholly given
up to the ferocious task of carrying GU /
her brothers. iniunctiops. Here she Is
the moving spirit, the mort relentless
OF all the Nihilists. But into this
secret conclavc of con spirators comes
the czar's son, who is n lover OF the
people, and for him she entcrtains
4 PROFOUND PASSION.
not knowing who he Is. He, OF course,
returns il, and Is willing to brave all
dangers for that love. He Is indeed
suspected of being spy by several OF
the brotherhood, but when the soldiers
break into their secret meeting place
and ure about to- arrest them all, he
saves them by disclosing his rank and
ordering out the soldiers, whereupon
the Nihilists all greet him as brothers.
We then havea scene in the Imperial
Palace, where the son endeavors To
thwart the tyrannical purposes of his
father and the cruel minister, Prince
Paul Priedlanibon, by picturing the
WRONGS or THE PEOPLE
and demanding justice for them. The
car, who is an utterly craven emper-
or impersonated by Mr.. George Boni-
face, not only refuses to show mercy or
deal justly, but proposesto destroy the
entire Russian population and plant
graveyards In every province, because
he Is afraid OF the, Nihilists and espee-
tally of Vera. In the extremity the
son announces himself to the aston
ished sovereign and courtiers rs Nj
hilist himself He Is then ordered by
the emperor to be shot, and the order
Is given to the troops from balcony
10y the ear himself, but while giving
it he IL shot by u soldier, and the son
IL proclaimed emperor. 1t Is now
Nera's duty to kill the new emperor
and the man she loves, because the
oath of the conspirators directs the
vengeance Of Nihilists against men
WHO ARE CROWNED
rather than against the enemies of the
people, and Vera, entirely blinded by
the sophistry of her companions, re-
news her vows TO assassinate the con-
crete man she loves on account of the
abstract liberty she thinks she loves.
The new emperor has dismissed all
guards, and it Is easy enough to get
into his chamber. especially as Prince
Paul has now joined the conspirators
and furnished them with false keys to
all the rooms In the imperial palace.
The last act shows as the young ear
apostrophizing liberty, Justice and
equity until he IL AZ tired MS his au-
dience, and then he filings himself
upon am imperial lounge to sink into
the slumber of innocence and at that
moment Vera dashes the curtains
aside, and, with
DAGGER IN HAND,
steps into the room, clad IL sanguin
AIRY red, the incarnation of Democratic
vengeance and the exact reproduction
of "Clytemnestra.' Just ~ she Is
about to plunge her avenging stilletto
into the breast of the sleeping man he
wakes and, catching her arm, says;
Vera, why did you stay away Sc
louua'' This Is too much for Demo
cratic vengeance. 1t stays its rigida
hand. 1t bushes, 1t hesitates. TIL,
czar reminds her that he accepted tn,
crown only for her sake. Demo
cratic vengeance moved II,
tells her that It was Low
for her that made him emperor; tina
MS INTENSE PASSION
for the people alone influenced him
He has no other desire than TO plac
the crown upon her head and lead he
out 10 his enftanchised subjects an
proclaim their absoluteand everlastin
freedom, Democratic vengeance thel
drops its dagger, puts itslong arm
around the ears neck and allows hir
to kiss what he Is pleased 70 call ne
portal lips In fact at this point tn
drama OF retribution sinks suddenly (
what It's customary TO call jolly-gag
cling. The pair entwine themsevt
into an aesthetic emblem OF unity
The people and the imperial power al
one. They sink upon the couch, the
renew the portal lip and tide,
become indlssomhly mixed. But I'll
nlurmurs of the Nihilists on
side ARE heard. She has promised
throw them her poisoned dagger mt
signal, when II has done its deadl
work. So she stabs herself and crit
exultingly, Long live the Car,
There is only Que other thing to
done, and that is for the ear to st,
himself also. This he does prompt
and touchingly aud the curtain d
sends upon two fine corpses. The n
dience receives this play with lnu,
favor up to the last act, and then
laughed rather jeeringly at the p;
sion, which became maudlin,
JERE =. BLACK.