Wichita eagle., 1890-01-26
MRS. ARD-BEERE AS La ToscA.

rib1s for the stage, they said But in each
case the result was the same-the theatres
were filed at each performance In Paris
great audiences gathered to see what could
! call forth such praise; in America the Curl
osity of the people was aroused to see what
| was worthy of such wholesale condemnation.
| For some reason the play was not given in
London until the present season, but recently
! Mrs. Bernard Beere has brought it out in the
English metropolis Stoical John Bull has
not gone to either extreme in speaking of the
piece-raptures are not in his line. The Eng
lish critics say little of Sardou's work, but
they praise Mrs. Bernard-Beerc.
A condensed story Of the play follows: A
young artist, Mario Cavaradossi, is painting
in a church in Rome. Cesare Angelotti, a DO
litical prisoner who has escaped from the
Castle st Angelo. PUSHES IN and begs Cavara-
dossi to save him. Mario swears to dc so,
and dresses Cesare in wcman's clothes, taking
hun in that disguise from the church to his
studio. Baron Scarpia, regent of police,
traces the fugitives, but by the time he has
reached Mario's studio they have fed to the
latter's country house, the location of which
is known only to its owner and his mis-
tress, Floria Tosca. Scarpia decides to work
abouts, and tells her, in order to do this, not
that her lover has fed with man in wo-
mans costume, but that he has run off with
a woman.
La Tosca lis reused to paroxysm of jeal-
ousy and gees to Mario's villa followed (but
without her knowledge by the police She
finds Mario and overwfelms him with re-
proaches. Mario reveals the truth and points
10 Sfiu bo1f i,,
tune. La Tosca grasps the situation at once
and the lovers fall into each others arms
At that instant noise is heard outside the
villa. 1t is the police. The lovers conceal
Angelotti in grotto just as the police force
an entrance. La Toscs and Mario swear that
they do not know where Angelotti is, and
Mario is taken to an adjoining room, leaving
Scarpia and La Tosca together Scarpia
says:
Tell me where Angelotti is and you will
save Mario Cavaradossi from a mauvais
quart d'heure."
La Tosca exclaims: what is happening
behind that door!'
Scarpia replies, with cool nalignity. "Oh!
merely this-Mario Cavaradossi is reclining in
an easy chair; his legs and arms are tied fast
with steel ch sns; band of steel with three
sudi y oPtdl uthlctt polNtS eilCIICIeS niS lore
head; an executioner stands over him Grasp
ing in his hands IA screw, each turn of which
drives the steel points into his forehead. The
torture will be most exquisitely excruciating
unless you by one word reveal Angelotti."
La Tosca hesitates, pale as ashes and trem-
bling
Then Mario, with superhuman effort, in
faint accents, eXclaims:
"Tosca, you know not where Angelotti is,
you can disclose nothing"
''Tournez!n shrieks Scarpia
Then a terrible wall OF pain-a cry that
seems to come from the very soul of dying
MANS heard. 1t is frIghtful cry, that
seems TO veil the universe with misery and
desolation.
La Tosca yields and Angelloti is dragged
from bis hiding place, but he is dying from
poison self administered Cavaradossi ap-
pears with blood dripping from his forehead |
"a frightful sight. La Tosca tries to en-
brace him, bus he, seeing that she has be- |
trayed his friend, pushes her aside, where
apon she rails fainting. Scarpia places La |
Iosca and Mario under arrest.