Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-26
THE CITY STAGE.
Tie Clemenceau Csse-BristoPs Clever
Equine Actors-The Seasons Close.

The Clemenceau Csse-BristoPs Clever
Equine Actors-The Seasons Close.
"The Clemenceau Case" an adaptation by
william Fleron, of Alexander Dumas, fils,
play, was produced last night at the Bijou
Theater 1t is cheap and nasty exhibition,
which no self-respecting person should go to
see AS an entertainment it is dismal fall
ure, and If it were not so offensive IN
moral sense, probably it would not have
lived as long as it has. Examining
it. as drama, it may be adj
mftted that it contains clear story,
which reveals life and individuals to be
found in Paris and possibly nearer home.
The plot is unfolded with some skill; there
are several situations of considerable power
and the ingenuity of the French dranatfst
is shown in the management of intrigue
except its gross fndecency at times and its
general vulgarity. The language of the play
could not very well be free from these OBJ
Of the ns dssasa s
Clemenceau Case" may, beyond the inten-
tion OF its authors, teach a moral lesson. for
the guise in which it presents vice is GER
talnly anything but charming.
Sybn Johnstone is the La of the play.
Her appearance in a suit of skin tight 1esh-
ings Is popularity supposed to be the great
does stand upon platform, dressed so as to
appear nude, with black screen for back
ground and stream of calcium light upon
her, for several moments. ka is posing be-
fore her sculptor husband in his studio, and
there is nothing particularly immoral in the
scene, If it were essential in any way what
soever to the action of the play. It is not
essential; in fact has no influence upon the
plot, or point as an incident. Therefore it
must be concluded that La's exposure
Of her person is intended to appeal to the
title or fiashy frontispiece of cheap rail
way novel might If the indecency of the
play were confined to this episode, and did
not permeate the whole play, and ooze out
in gestures, winks and posturings, as well as
in words, we might commend 1.-THE Clemen-
ceau Case" to respectable and self-respecting
men and women
Miss Johnstone plays ka with great deal
of force, and at times contrives to represent
the emotions of the heartless heroine
with genuine truth. But she persistently
misuses, as not few actors do, violence and
facial contortion as indices of passionate
hate or fear. She has trick of closing her
left eye and screwing up her mouth to which
apparently that she is intensely agitated.
The agitation such a facial contortion usu-
ally denotes involves the digestion rather
than the soul, and may be allayed in
Johnstone deserves credit for most of the
acting that has any artistic value in "The
Clemenceau Case" and while the makeup
of her face in some respects partook of the
same exaggeratfon that marred her
acting, she made a pretty picture
in her pages dress and of the first and the
Partisan walking costume of the third act.
Mr.. Levick, who recently distinguished
himself in "Thou Shalt Not" plays Pierre
Clernencedu, the artist husband of la. Mr..
Levick is not suited for the role; he does not
look like an artist, and his manner of ex-
pressing all sorts of emotions by striding
about the stage, with or without disheveled
hair, is not impressive. The Constantine Ritz,
Of Charles Kent was slow and stupid to
degree at first, but he showed aptness in the
delivery of some grim and rather grimy
aphorisms anent women in the fourth act,
an unnatural and obscurely actuated char
acter. The same excuse may be accepted
in part for Miss Behman's Countess Donlbro-
no,cskd, the vagabond mother of La, and
French imagination could concoct. Do
Russian cou4ltesses usually come so heavily
moustachioeda in Miss Behman's makeup?
The other characters included Count Serge
Voiss0f, which would have been entirely
satisfactory as comic creation If Mr.. r. G.
Lewis had been allowed to do a song and
dance, and several shadowy beings whose
connection with the play the author alone
can explain.
The audience which saw this peculiar play
last night was one of the largest and most
noisy that the Bijou has held this season.
various parts of the house for dis
orderly conduct, and the play was
interrupted continually by irreverent ejacu-
1ery urchtn would shout: 'Buy me that,
mammar' Indicating a certain actor, and at
another some equally. impulstve spectator
tion with yell Of more power to 'em,''
When the undraped model scene was. dis
closed there were a few Kisses and perhaps q
score of hand claps, but to the credit of the
men, who filed 90 per cent Of the seats, be it
recorded that they did not applaud the play
Or appear to enjoy it. 1t may be that the
police have no power to prevent 1.-THE Glenn
enceau Case' from being tried, but the pub
lie has the right-and it is duty, too-to
stay away from such q fruition Of vile mo-