, 1891-02-05
THE AGONY IS OVER.
Everybody Now Knows All About
The Clemenceau Case.
II Is BY No Means as Bad as 1t
Was Painted.
A Clever Company Presents the
Play to a Large Audience.

The CZemeRcedu Case is a society
drama of the modern French school winch.
while it is unioubt,dly a true picture of a
phase of French lite, il entirely free from
the conyentiouslities which hedge in the
English and American society drama. 1t
is purely and simply the story of a Polish
countess, with perhaps only self confessed
claims TO nobility, who has a pretty
daughter and through this young girl
hopes to recoup her shattered fortunes.
A young sculptor who has lust about
achieved fame falls in love with aud mar.
ries her. The subsequent discovery of
her unfaithiulness gives the opportunity
for a very dramatic scene. Her lover
proves to be a Russian count, a childhood
acquaintance and lover, who, subsequent
to the marriage of the Young girl. falls
heir to a fortune through the death of
his father and supplies her with money
for the most luxurious surroundings,
which her husband is for a time deceived
into believing is the result OF the sale of
his statuary. Upon the discovery of his
wlfe's perfidy the young sculptor imme
dlately separates from Ter and
challenging her lover to a duel, kills him.
"Clemenceau," the artist, then goes to
Rome, leaving liza" his wife, living in
splendor in Paris. His i~niatuation for
the girl continues and finally unable to
bear the separation he returns to Paris.
On her part LA still loves her husband
.as..deeply as her volatile nature will admit
but above all and. belore all she loves the
splendor by which she is surrounded.
Upon meeting again. the husband, iuiatu-
ated beyond reason, is ready to forgive
and forget until he discovers that she is
still welded TO her luxurious surround
ings and her intrigues and then realizing
that for them domestic quiet and happi-
ness is beyond all hope of realization. he
madly plunges a knife into her and
she dies before the audience.
The action of the play throughout is
rapid. 1t does not enter deeply into de-
tails but suggests and leaves the imagina-
ton to round out the completed story.
There is no suggestion of moral to the
plot and there is not much more than
suggestion OF immortality to the way in
which it is untolded. It is simply what
1t pretends to be: A pen picture of a
phase OF Partisan life. devoid of mock
heroIcs and maudlin sentimentality with a
breezy irankness to its style, which, while
it may possibly at times offend some high
strung sensibilities can never shock them.
The pill is at all times deity sugar coated
and the spectator eau leave the theater
mentally e1hilerated and without feeling
any need of moral f~umigatiou.
With the central figure of the play,
Ia" Miss Sybil tombstone has long
been identified in the public mind and not
always in a way to satisfy the cravings of
a true artist. She has undoubtedly
achieved notoriety in the character but
she can never achieve fame through it.
Miss Johustone is sufi pretty and
her figure fine enough to fit her for the
character, although the reports of her
ravishing logeliness are decidedly over
drawn. She has ability as an actress and
there are quiet, spontaneous touches in
various scenes that Rave greater promise
than her subsequent performance realized.
Perhaps the most evident criticism to be
made upon her is the affectation OF her
manner, particularly in such scenes as
when she lovingly took her departure
FROM her husband On such occasions
size made her exit with exaggerated con,
tortion of the body which scarcely
strengthened the impression which she
desired to produce. The studio scene,
upon which the curtain goes up while
she poses in iesh-colored tights as a nom
inally nude model, was a rather daring
scene for a prudish audience, but the
handsome figure and graceful posing we're
enjoyed last night because of their artistic
excellence.
There were three other characters in
the play who won well merited applause.
Miss Reiffarth, as the mother of ''Iza,''
gave a breezy and unconventional present.
alton that charmed the audience with its
realism. Her Polish accent was that of
a oma to the manner born (as she is).
In other respects she more than filed the
full measure of expectatiun.
Gustavus Levick as "Clemcnceau' and
Charles Kent as Constantine won the
good will of the audience the moment
they appeared upon the stage. Their bear
ing was manly, their expressions virlle, if
cynical in the case of the latter, and there
was a finish to their work which won for
them generous and well mcrited re-
cognltion. The support otherwise merits
no attention except perhaps the Count
who should get out a search warrant to
6ud his missing voice.
Alba Haywood and his concert company
are underlined Tor three nights beginning
Feb. Is.
Good Work
THE LEADERS, Evanston correspond