The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-01-10

obeys the orders OF Groom without .
murmur; timid and trembling he begs
that his two little daughters. may be brought
70 him. and when no holds them pressed In
his arms and weeps over the iGnominy Of
their birth. over the odious bonds that attach
them to thcir father. and over tho sad virginity
that awaits them. we have before our eyes. as
Saint Victor admirably said. "a group more
pathetic than that Of tho LAGOON. The fami-
~, enlaced with the monstrosity Of incest.
shudders at once with horror and tenderness
under the complication OF its Knots"
A still greater success at tho Coincide Fran
casc than "Gdipus the King" Is a verso adap-
tation OF Shakespeare's' Tanning Of the Shrew."
made by M. Paul Delair. who. being the poet
in ordinary OF hts Majesty Constant Coauelin.
may fairly be supposed to have proflted by the
counsel OF the first comedian OF the age. The
flaming OF the Shrew." in the French form Of
LA Megere Apprivoisee." is certainly q very
pleasant and amusing spectacle As, M. Paul
Stapter has remarked. the piece Is the history
OF cure by means OF moral homeopathy. 1t
is the application Of ono Of La Fontaine's
fables whore We read:
Quand rabsurde outrs ION ul fait tfop dhonnsur
De vouloir par raisonk combattre son erreur;
Encherir est plus court, sans s'echauncr In bila
90 fetCuCClO VAmeS Jn0 eHTeWlSIk huto Wy
showing himself more shrewish than she her.
self, and by exhibiting before her eyes the
magnifed and most detestable picture OF her
own shrewishness. He tames her by will
power: he tames her because he is man.
fine. vlrile sixteenth century male. In pres
ence OF tho iron will" to quote NJ Stapfers
book on "Moliere and Shakespeare" "or
rather OF the systematically absurd and un-
just tyranny OF this clever husband. Katheri-
mas naughty obstinacy will end by UNDER
standing that she has only to submit. and in
her violent and hard heart, broken by tho hand
OF truly strong man. the flower OF love will
terminate. Then Petrucclo will raise UP and
embrace his wife. who will have become by
her tender obedience and her reasonableness
the model Of all wives" Another remark OF
NJ. shapier's worth noting is that lie Maitre
de Forges." by George Ohnet, which piece Is
known in English BY tho title OF 1.-The Iron
MASTER" Is not without analogy with Shake
speare's comedy. inasmuch as NJ. Ohnet's
drama has the same subject namely. the
heart OF proud and rebellious woman
brought by the talent OF the husband under
the yoke OF love and Of reason"
The victory Of tho male the assertion Of the
authority Of the husband. the Affirmation Of
the man as the natural master OF woman. such
is the thesis and morality Of THE Tanning Of
the Shrew." And In these days Of feeble wills
in France and OF declining virility. the specta-
clio OF this glorious male. Petruccio exercising
his will and acting in all things tremendously
with truths OF general order. Strikes i'm
presses. and delights the French audience
The success OF the adaptation is immense
Sardou and Dumas have never drawn the pub
lie to the Coincide FRANCHISE moro sure
ly and more steadily than Shak espeare's
fantastic comedy pruned and trimmed
into lucid order by NJ. Paul Delair.
The first night was certainly bril-
liant success: but the public OF first
nights. composed largely Of artistic elements.
does not always find its verdicts confirmed by
the general public. This time. however. there
can be no doubt: several weeks have passed
since the premiere. and the success OF the
piece goes on increasing. 1t is true that the
acting is OF extraordinary excellence. Coque-
lin is marvellous Petruccio. His powers OF
communication and expansion are incompara-
BILE. and he has contrived to impart singular
variety to role which might otherwise have
appeared monotonous. Mile. Marsy. the purest
and most imperious beauty OF the contempo-
rary French stage. plays Katharine. and it Is
Joy to hear the rich metal Of her voice ringing
in response to the trumpet Of CoQuelin.
1t may we'll be asked what the famous con-
temporary French playwrights are doing to
allow two such very ancient geniuses as Soph-
ocles and Shakespeare to monopolize the first
theatre Of France and Of the world. The fact
is that the contemporary French dramatists
are traversing an unlucky period. Their pro-
ductiveness is either suspended or altogether