Wichita eagle., 1888-05-20
9ai1g eagle
MUSIC AND DRAMA.
PAUL kAUVAR.

The Latest Dramatic Production of Mr.
Steele Mackaye-Social Conditions That
Suggested the Play and the Historic
Epoch on Which 1t Is Based.
The play of !" Paul Kauvar," now being
played at Hooley's, in Chicago, is by BIZ.
Steele Mackaye, author of "Won at Last"
Hazel Kirke," ETC., and well known as a
builder Of theaters and inventor of theatrl-
cal appliances. According to the story OF
how he came to write his latest drama, which
is told,.in this wise, he is philanthroplc
as well as esthetie: Bis experience had
brought him into contact with many kinds
of labor, and the more he studied the ten
denotes of the working-men the more he be-
came convinced that the sophlstrles OF An
archism were gradually poisoning the minds
Of large mass Of otherwise good men.
He apprehended that if this madness
We're permitted to spread it would only be
a question of a short time before anarchy
would develop dangerous proportions and
sweep away in a few weeks of passion the
institutions which it had taken the patient
self-control and wise judgment OF ages 70
establish. AS the sense OF this danger
deepened Mr.. Mackaye conceived the idea
of writing play which should warn as
strongly as it entertained. In the pursuit
of this idea he selected the time for telling
his story of love an hour in history when
anarchy most clearly showed its face and
brought forth most freely the fruits OF the
insane spirit. This hour was that OF 1.-The
Terror" which reigned over France IN l793
and ended with the death of Robespierre
upon the guillotine-the ninth Thermidor,
as it was called, or July, 1874
A brief review of the facts Of that time,
which have an intimate relation with our
own history, may not be out of place. La
fayette, who had been the ardent friend of
Americans In their struggle for liberty and
the foundation Of the Republic, returned to
France deeply imbued with liberal ideas.
Although of noble birth, he loved his fellow
men far more than the advantages accruing
TO himself as one of the privileged and ruling
class. The ideas he took from America he
disseminated in France with such eloquence
that many ardent souls of that day espoused
the cause Of liberty and human progress.
This led to that grandest of all epochs in
human history, "The French Revolution"
1t was this uprising of manhood that over
threw the despotlsm established by centu-
ries and laid the foundations Of the first
Republic in France. Hardly, however, had
the Republic taken form when anarchy be-
gan its corrupting work.
The excuses of the period are too famil-
far TO be described in detail. Reason was
worshiped, but passion ruled, and then it
was that the spirit of anarchy" with a
mockery that was never equaled, began in
the name of the law that "Reign of Terror"
which brought such woe upon France, ulti-
mately leading to the destruction OF the Re
public, aud paving the way for the estab-
lishment of that plebeian Empire of Napo-
leon which deluged Europe with blood and
left France Inundated in the hands of for
eigners.
Mr.. Mackpye, believing that history con-
stantly repeats itself and that liberty, when
degenerating into license, has always led to
anarchy, took as the motto of his play these
lines: THE torch of liberty-which should
light mankind to progreSs-when left in
madmen's hands kindles that blaze of an
archy whose only end is ashes" With
this theme in his mind he put in dramatic
form the story of - Paul Kauvar." A year
had passed since the completion Of the play
when the Haymarket massacre occurred in
Chicago 1t was not in this episode, there
fore, as many suppose, that Mr. Mackaye
found the germ of his drama