The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1892-11-03
THEY WERE PARALYZED.
Mrs.. James Brown Potter UndTsSSss
Upon the Stage
Her Return 70 America Is Proving
Exciting, and HeF --latest Play
Raises Cain In the old
Yankee staSss.

Mrs. James Brown Potter'a return 10
America is proving unusually exciting.
She Is accompanied by Mr.. Kyrle Bel
lew, managed by Mr.. John Stetson and
pioneered by Mr.. Ariel Barney. Her
object in playing "Therese Raquin" was
doubtless to create sensation. She has
created It. The story is summed up in
the passion Of 4 wife for her husbands
friend, the grim murderer oi her husband,
the passion turned to abject fear when
the act has been accomplished, . black
and grisly bridal, the discovery Of the
concealed crime by the mother, who
drops paralyzed at the mention Of Il; the
guilty pair left face to face, day after day,
with q paralyzed spectre; the old love
transformed into savagery, and then the
murderers covering before the one wit
ness Of their crime brought back to life
again. Emile zola, the author, has
frankly exposed his purpose. ''Therese
and Laurent" he writes, "are human
brutes, nothing more. l have sought to
follow, step by step, the career Of these
brutes, the secret working Of their minds,
the prompting Of their instinct, the cere-
bral disorders following nervous crisis.
The adventures Of my hero and heroine
are the satisfying Of a necessity"
Having duly shocked Boston with this
monst'osity, Mrs. Potter and Mr.. Bellew
set out to shock New England. The first
objection came from Salem. Mayor Ran
toul threatened to revoke the license Of
the Salem opera-house unless four alder
men OF the town went over to Lynn, saw
the play and pronounced tbst the virtue
Of Salem would survive it's representa-
ton. The four wise men Of Salem made
the journey, and at Lynn the radiant
Mrs. Potter received them. So radient
did she appear to the aldermen f'Om sa-
lem that they pronounced her IN incom-
parable actress, and vowed that every
body In their native town should zee the
exquisitely chaste scene in which she
strips off her clothing piece by piece be-
fore the audience until she appea 8 10 q
simple robe de mutt. Eut the wrath Of
M. Stetson, that vigia0t moralist, was
aroused by tho mere threat Of inte'fer.
ence. "Whai," he cried, ''is there
anything wrong 10 NJ 5. Potter having an
outside gown taken OF and leaving her In
a loose-fttlng white robe? No limbs are
shown. Everytning is most delicate.
tell you 'Therese RaqUia' teaches a stern
lesson to all who see IT," 81 confess 10
surprise" said Mr.. F-ank Eicbrr,ls, who
Is Mr.. stetson's local manage "that his
toric Salem, with It's witchcraft, tradi-
tons and the grisly story Of Hestor
Prynne, should object to the production
Of such a psycholngicsl study" As for
Mr.. Ariel Baraey, his mind was made up.
"We will play Theresa Eqqdin' Il we
play Il In barn." he sail. Meanwhile
Ms. Potter continues - give hsr dissolv-
ing scene IN the bridal ch1mbe' in which
she removes her gsrments piece by piece
until the climax is r+arhei. It has
shocked New England, aPl II recalls
Mrs. Potter's promise when she becamea
professional actress she Would elevate
the stage"