The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-12-10
UNUSUAL THINGS THEATRIC.
AN EXPERIMENTAL PERFORMANCE or
MARGAR&T ELEMINGs

AN EXPERIMENTAL PERFORMANCE or
"MAR6ARST FLEMxNG.s
uerre ~ disciple or fsse.--Aessss TAe-.
.eive. Compose an l.sere-tisg A-Aienes
for Miss Belyett"-Aass-vysek Netes s~
the Changes Of nine.
A bold experiment was made with a drama
and an audience yesterday afternoon at Palm
er's Theatre. The purpose was to ascertain
the effect OF representing. bluntly and plainly.
10 an assemblage OF well-mannered people
things which. IL real. those snme people would
not have seen or heard voluntarily. One
Of tho women characters was hab.tu-
ally profane.. Two Of the men cursed
ronudly In outright blasphemy. sev-
eral phases Of childbirth and MALPRACTICE
were mentioned without reserve. The seduc-
ton OF a girl was discussed freely. young
mother unbuttoned her dress from neck to
waist and began to unhitch her corset, prepar-
a.ory to giving nourishment to an infant.
when the curtain fell in time to avert STAN
rede of panic-stricken women from the thea
ire The parts OF the performance here indi-
Gated were grossly offensive. Nevertheless.
the play had beon acted several times In
Boston hall. and had received high praise
from literary censors there as q triumph Of
naturalisfn.
The theme OF this work. entitled Margaret
Fleming is that Of the social degradation
which Furnishes a faithless wife. as contrasted
with the forgiveness and reinstatement easily
obtained by husband guilty Of infldelity.
The author. James Herne makes out strong
case, through which to expose and condemn
the common inequality Of usage. His illus
trative ecoundrel Is man with q fond and
trustful wife and year-old babe In his homo
of comfort and happiness. while stimuli
taneously his mistress and her babe Of
day are dying in the same village. The base
ldupllcity OF the husband. the mental suffer-
'ings OF the wife, and the physical sGoniss of
the mistress are all made manifest At length.
after years OF separation have passed. and the
Numbered couple are brought together In the
iprssenoe, Of their child. they do not become
lreconeiled. rs would happen in an ordinary
blay. The repentant husband Is anxious to
five with his wife again. But she absolutely
'repulses him. Would he be ready to take her
back to his arms II she had been untrue to
him? No. Then she will never let him.
the fouled ono. embrace her. who has been
chaste. One law Is enough for man and
woman alike. and the piece closes with the
wife's svowal OF that doctrine. Yesterdays
audience sat undepleted until 5h o'clock. al
shs ns sns
%snsn sppsadsd y sitS excited PnsNPl%ity:
teaching as they had been ashamed at his in
delicacies Of instruction.
sss
rules Of dramatic art sesmingly tor the double
eritlss and eommsndsd 81 advocates Of literal
ISM It is clear that Ibsen has been Herne'stnspi-
but he while hs, 20
any which ibsen has, yet dramatised ,Herne
Search sna for @o'ssr stolen an s%ost
ss an os esens 50 Re moS Ssa Sa s
inss q slehtless quest and II doing this b.
f Thesefs.e 10 IA fleming ssseetsS
old.isshloned in important respects: no.twithh-
is t att s%i real
srssstS Sss
chosen set OF actors. Mrs. Herne. an excel
sos Ss hosnd sss ha ae
there IT. 81 were vs 1eornits enough al entirely
s ss|sh sro sss ana nd payed sssa
MATINEE Nth Rssansy xsss sns5 rssras s
s sRR'sysc i%assfa e Il sss sts1
wa s'e crowded @ a0 By iRv3ed spssts Mt com.
pany In or Near New York vas uHsep Ds
ssnssd sps j sSt saSSss
ssssssis
q hex 81 a4d
f ie e Marie the CASING
divinity, was ALMOST as consplcuously boxed.
Sspsssi in into sSa oS'
RsS.n took Who s ss %R sthss s smbsls
hs baly But 81 all the gusass
box. and any Boucheron or Beasco point e
ssss ratsn"n that Aea
the auditors would read IKE the pay rolls Of
cSmbined With the Dramatic agents registers
sSit 1.-THE unemployed m Ii TWAS great afternoon
s5sy EfHsy y afs q ut yet
s 1eeP sasysps dam sna 70
ST. ss.F .%sSss HSss En- #
vented p9t only ro% go the Issh
john B ns %S! takna Ris sses Tkis
on uf sss M sssH x
Vpera House. 1t was viewed with kindiy n.
pleased those Who heard its stirring speeches
and sawits excellent pictures. Probably ~;
It does not give the star actor 10 It SUFFICIENT
opportunity; but Nj; Lacy is not 4 GOOD actor
Sa dsS botsa than The
remains as 1t was when the play was acted In
the Bowery q few weeks ago.
Continued entertainments which present
s some features Of news are Reilly and the
Academy. The new play at Harrigan's was
announced for Monday but it will not pc ready
then. and a postponement, is rendered neces-
Eortant and beneficial changes this week.
Bertha Ricci. who inherited that large fortune
not long ago. was displaced by the manager
mont after her perfnrmance on Last Saturday.