The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-12-06
THE yLEMENCEAU CASE"
MAYOR 3IuvsoN ousSrloNso
IFS PRODUCTION.

stNN"e
Mayor J. Taylor Ellysoa. yesterday amer
noon about o'clock, wrote note 20 Messrs.
Berger a Meyrs, lcssecsi Of IL Academy
OF Music, asking them 20 appear at his
Office at o'clock 70 show cause why "Ihe
Clemenceau Case" should rot be suppress
ed. when 4 O'Clock came Quit, a crowd
gathered an the Mayors Office, among whom
were Mr.. c. v Meredith. City Attorney
Captain Page McCariy, editor Of The Demo
Graf: Mr.. II. NJ. spith, Commemorative at
torney: Captain J. b. Angle, Captain Of
Second police district; Captain W. kirh
Matthews and Mr.. J.. o. Ncndcnourg rep
rpecuting Berger a Myers; Mr. ~.
Cesby. Jr.. Sir Preston Bclyim, Mr.. Edger
Allan, Mr. Thomas g.. Lca,h; Mr. Orlando
\. Blofwright. stage manager Acad my
Nr Joseph Davis. MIR. Charles T. collins,
who j. associated with Mr.. beflei; ana Ai.
Berni jarrett, manager f"lhe ,icmenceau
Case"
Mayor rlyson opened the proceedings nl
stating that any lewd or indecent eNhiui-
lion would come under the bans ol the Jaw
~ provided for hy the city ordinances. "af
official notice" he said, 'was called 20 the
.Cicmenceau Case but before acting an The
matter wished 90 hear statements in re-
gard 20 the natter
After the investigation Captain Angie
stated 20 a TiMKs reporter that De hNa
called the Mayors attention % ihe play ht
(Angle) having drawn the inference rom
the remarks made about The play Thursday
night that IL was am indecent production
WAS DISAPPOINTED.
General Edgar Allan was asked his opin-
ion as regards to The play. Tie stated Una,
..hc had read the book on account Of what
he had heard and seen as regards 20 the
dialogue part, and Thursday night be saw
The performance. ] may say tnat was
disappointed in the presentation, Tor inei
was an absence of aii taat could possibly
he Objectionable from The play. or course,
the plot is based on the unialtliulncss oi
LA 10 her marriage VOWS, bat the language
was not ia the slightest degree ohec-
ti0nable. The fact. of course. remains,
but every care has been taken % make me
play unOhiectiOnallC. As % the model ~
looks exactly like statue. except the uu-
dulations of the shoulders. Before ! could
get ms Opcra-glasscs go my eyes TIE ofapnii
was thrown arcnud La. The tights worn
are deeper than flesh color: and, take ihe
presentation rs n whole, 10 is one %. TOE
best have seen for two years
In answer 90 the question as to whether
be would take his wiie and daughter Dir.
AlIAll ~sNlNtA iNNN tNNNt MIH't Nifi't''N''''tt
such that bee would not take his wne
In Richmond. bat if the play was pre-
scented in Washington this winter he, would
certainly do so. As TO taking bis DAUGHTER
too. the General stated tbat be- would much
prefer 10 take her than for her 10 read tle
book. He ended hy stating tnat "the Gle
manceau Case" was not ball as objection
able a. the usual comic operas of the period.
GOING INTO BACK CENTURIES.
Captain Page McCauy was next asked
his opinion. lie stated that for the past
sixteen or seventeen centuries 10 had been
a conceded fact that a perie city nude figure
or statue was not half as immoral as "a b ili-
draped figure lie further stated that Doe
had seen many plays in Richmond which
were guch more Objectionable. including
LA Tosca, "Camille," school for Scan
dal." and other plays OF like order.
MIR. Preston BelYin stated that be consid-
cred LA T0sca.' Camille aud the 'Sea
King" infinitely worse. 'srhe newspapers
he said. 'had caused ala The trouble. for %
they had not advertised the piece so extern
sively nothing would have ever been saii
The play is not half 40 bad as most comic
operas / admit tine language is broad, but
the language Of Camille aud Ia I0sca' ),
ten thousand times worse
Mr. Joseph Davis said that Dee had talked
during the day TO many friends who had
seen the play. and they had stated that there
was nothing Objectionable IN it,
ART PROPOSITION.
Mr. Berger stated that "1he Clemenceau
Case" had been performed i'm the principal
houses IN the country; that no present there
were three companies on the road playing
the piece-one at the llaymlrket Theatre,
in Chicago; one at Harry Miners Theatre.
in New York. and the other al his house.
lie further stated that the play did not have
half the immoral suggestions in 10 that can
be found in "L'Article A. Faust" and
Camille"
"If You stop This play be said, 81 will
have TO give mp twenty contracts that
now have, and YOU viii take from the city
much legitimate amusement. As 20 the
model. IL is an art proposition. oud If there
was ANYTHING wrong lu the play both MS
regards the language and the model !
would stop the performance. There were
many Of the Board Of Governors Of the
Mozart present, and | saw quite number
OF them to-day, but have yet TO hear one
say that there was anything Objectionable
in the play"
MIR. Jarrett stated that the "Clemenceau
Case" had been performed eight weeks az
the Standard Theatre in New York. and
had gone away for three weeks, and then
played = return engagement of three weeks.
Mr.. CT. Collins stated that he had Wit
messed the play and could see pOthing
Objectionable in IL.
LIKE MANY OTHERS.
Mr. Berger stated that Mr. W. Cahei
Trucman was unable 20 Doe present, but that
he had stated he could see nothing more ob-
jectionabe IN the play than IN hundreds OF
others that had been presented in the pres
ence Of and cOunlenauced ny some of the
best people in Richmond. That 10 had been
we'll presented, aud hc wis anything Out
unfayOrably IMPRESSED with IL.
At this juncture Mr.. ELS son asked thai
all retire except Mr. Berger, Mn. jarrett
and Mr.. Meredith. This was done, and
Mayor Ellyson stated last night chat
Messrs. Berger and Jarrett had promised TO
drape the figure OF the model and 90 purge
the play OF any Objectionable features.
"With that understanding ! allowed The
show 10 10 on"
III these gentlemen do not carry out their
promise, will YOU take any action iO-mor-
row. to-day asked THE FINES reporter.
"Perhaps 50, d" he replied. 81 Will, how
ever. have 10 inquire into the matter before
take any action.
IN NEW ENGLAND.
The "Clemenceau Case" was performed
In Boston, but after the first night the City
Council ordered that the play be stopped,
when was done. me pay lueh toNltiNtNr
however, many features which were obiec-
tiOnable, and have since been eliminated.
AT Lynn. Mass. the piece was 90 have been
PLAYED Thanksgiving Day. ln the evening
number Of the Boston C0uncimen went
over 10 Lynn. and insisted on the Council
men OF that place stopping The piece. A
meeting was called. but 10 was finally de-
cided that the Council. Us a body, should see
the play at the matinee, and That IL they
thought IL immoral. they could stop the
night performance The Councilmen
went, and after the second act
they were taken behind the scenes by
the managers and introduced 90 Miss
Silbel tombstone. who was then rendering
the part Of liza. In the language Of some
one she made "dead set az them, and so
charmed the city fathers that they came
away delighted. The only part That the
manager objected 20 was that every Que OF
them wanted 10 bring their wives and
daughters At night, and IL cost 'the house
from seYenty-fye 10 n hundred dollars for
free tickets.
LAST NIGHT.