The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-08-23
VERA, THE NIHILIST.
Presentation of Oscar Wilde's New Drama
Estimates of the Work and Its Per
fOrmance.
New York Times.

New York Times.
The story of "Vera" is this: A young
girl, the daughter of a peasant inn-keeper,
finds that her brother is a Nihilist who has
been doomed to perpetual industry in Sibe
ria. This young man, about whom and
about whose past as a turbulent Nihilist we
know nothing, is brought with many OF his
brother Nihilists to his fathers inn, where
he and Vera recognize each other. There he
tells her his fate, and writes upon paper n
most dlaboical oath, which he desires her to
accept, In this oath she is forced to renounce
love, honor, duty, womanhood-and, strange
ly enough, and for no reason which Mr.
Wilde makes lucid to us, she renouncss these
things. But her will is not as potent as her
heart This truth supplies the whole dra-
matte quality and value of the play. Vera
joins band of Nihilists, who meet on GER
tain nights in Moscow. Among them is a
young student named Alexis, who loves her
passonately and unselfshly-as dearly
as he loves liberty. Vera too, loves him
in the yelled secret of her nature
But she has sworn to avenge her brother, and
she has already become known throughout
Russia as Vera the Nihilist." At a meet
ing of the Nihilist conspirators a troop of
Russian soldiers entered their house, led by
the chief of police. The Nihilists are seem
lngly lost, when Alexis appears and saves
them by raising his mask. He is at once
recognized as the Czarevitch by the officer.
scene between the Gar and his son fol-
lows, in which a lively argument upon the
rights of peoples and kings is held and
which ends with the death of the Gar, who
te ,k,NNA H.. So 81.
becomes the Emperor of Russians, and at
tempts. with praisewerthy sagacity, to re-
lieve the people of their burdens by careful
and moderate measures. He is of course
denounced as a traitor by the wild-eyed
Nlhilists, who, with a promptness which
does credit to their executive skill, doom him
to death. Vera happens to be the person who
is chosen to kill the young Gar 1t is under
stood among her companions that, when she
shall accomplish her act, she will throw her
bloody dagger into the street, in order hat
the brotherhood of destroyers may begin
war dance as soon as possible. Vera finds
her way to the Cars room. He is sleeping
She is about to assassnate him. At the
last moment her love overcomes her. she
stabs herself, and throws her dagger out of
the window The Gar embraces her while
she is bleeding and dying This is without
doubt, the one pathetic and dramatic scene
of the play. The fine poetic charm and the
SHiSllS III VI IulS llldl FeueGIll, one
is almost willing to say, the other four acts
of Vera" Yet this would be saying too
much. The Nihilism which is presented in
Vera" is stupid and tiresome element of
the work. These rabid fellows who talk
like lunatics, swear the most preposterous
oaths, and act like children give no dramat-
ic force to the play 1t should be observed
clearly that they do not act-they talk.
They yell their theories of liberty.
They argue and quarrel. What one
asserts another is bound to repeat The mo-
notony of the second and fourth acts of
Vera is simply depressing. The everlast-
ing garrnlity of these Nihilists, one is forced
to believe is like the constant babble of the
brook-only less musical. In the third act
the Gar and his son have a vivacious dis
pute, which carries on the peculiar argu-
mentative purpose of the play. Fortunate
~, the Gar is disposed of before his loquac-
ity ends. Mr.. Wilde's play is, in fact an en-
ergetic TRADE against tyrants and despots; i'll
is full OF long speeches in which the glory of
liberty is eloquently desert bed each of the
characters has his preaching" to do, and
each does it with extraordinary vigor; the
play is, we maya suggest, a kind of pulpit
from which Mr.. Wilde utters his declamato-
ry dictum upon freedom and the rights
of man. But all this does not make dramatic
play, and Vera is not dramatic Yet there
is constantly suggested in it dramatic
motive which is not shown concretely. The
first act or prologue, for example, opens we'll
as exposition. 1t is then felt that the
drama lies between Vera and Alexis, in their
love and tragic passions But the body of
the play does not exhibit this drama, which
appears only in the last act. This fact and
the fact that the Nihilists are dull haranguers,
kill the interest of the play, which seems
hollow and unsatisfactory Yet there is a
great deal OF good writing in Vera" and
Mr.. Wilde exhibits cleverness and wit in
character like Prince Paul-whch is CON
siderably sharper than NJ. de Talde in 1.-THE
Danicheffs." But his cleverness stops short
of dramatic art His play is unreal, long
winded and wearisome 1t comes as near
failure as an ingenious and able writer can
bring it. We do not think that such a play
can be popular.