The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-09-01
A TOUCH OF SARDOU.
Aristocracy" Presented to q
Fashionable Audience.
BRONSON AowARD.s LATEST.
Satire ON the TAFT uniting Prepenss-
ties OF Rich Ansriean ssesety
People.


audiences greeted the presentation OF Bron-
son Howard's latest production. "Aris-
tocracy. NJ the Seattle theaser last night
II was not only abe frat night Of the en-
gagenent. but elso the opening Of the
theatrical season. and most of the fashion
aoIs people in the city made point Of be-
Ing present, The play is said to be the
most carefully fnlsned biz OF work Mr..
howard has ever written. After having
made the original draft be devoted nearly
year 70 each Of the four acts, and one
scene he rewrose twenty-;hree times The
play Ii satire on the foibies Of society. It
tells of the struggles Of . Californis family.
With their purses full Of recently acquired
gold, to get in the swim Of New York
fashionable life. and how they succeeded
by way Of London
Jefferson Stockton (Mr. Maurice Barry
morebis seh-rnsde man OF San Francisco.
Who Is blessed with many millions. sec
ond wife. Diana Miss Blanch Walsh and
daughter. Virginia Miss May Hamp-
toni by his first wife. He wishes 10 gain
recognition for those two ladies in the
very best circles OF American society. and
proceeds to purchase it for them just as
he would buy shares in mine or stock In
railroad which he might want to control.
We first make the acquaintance Of the
stocktons In their home on the Pacific
slope. In the second act We find them in
London. in the house Of the impecunious
Marquis Of Normandaie tMr. J. w. Pig
gottl. which Mr.. Stockton has rented.
Financial arrangements have been made
with the marquis and his friends TO gain
an easree for the Stocktons into the
''smartest" London houses.
This act gives Miss Hampton, Miss
Walsh and Miss Maud White, who plays
the part Of Katherine Ten Brock Lau-
renee. an opportunity to wear on the
stage some magnificent court dresses. for
the three ladies have just been presented"
at Buckingham palace.
Before the Stocktons went TO England
Virginia became engaged to Stuyvesant
Laurence, the eldest son of a wealthy
Knickerbocker family. The young mans
mother tMiss Helen Tracy strongly OBJ
iects to the marriage, and, while Virginia
Is in London, manages to bring about a
misunderstanding between Laurence and
his fiancee. and the match 10 broken of.
Virginia, warm-hearted and impulsiye,
hearing that Laurence 10 engaged 10 q
girl in New York. accepts IN offer Of mar
riage made by Prince Emil Won Halden-
wald & Mr.. William FavershamD. who, like
all the foreigners in Mr.. Howard's plays.
has a very shady character.
Emil Won HaIden valid is q polished Youe
of the worst type. who has learned every
kind Of vice in Paris aud Vienna. He
marries Virginia and at once begins TO
neglect her. Moreover. he manages TO
gain @ pefnicious influence over Stockton
young wife.
The Stocktons return to New York
Diana appeals to her husband to protect
her against the prince. She Is weak and
confesses that she has yielded more OF
| less to the fascination of the spell he has
cast over her. II know he Is the devil. y
| she cries, "and hate him as such; but be
| has the devils power"
stockton turns Prince Emil out Of the
| house and a eoidness springs mp between
| Jefferson and Diana. She is penitent and
fearful: but he insists that so long as his
son-in-law. who has gone TO Paris. is
/ alive, there must be q shadow between
| them. A cable despatch arrives from
France announcing than Won Haldenwald
| had been killed in a duel by his intimate
| friend the Due de vigny-v olante (Mr.
| Frederick Bondl Stockton opens his
| arms to his wife and cries out with grea,
| glee: Now, Diana, we may be happy
| once more-the curse of aristocracy has
| passed out of our lives"
| Meanwhile Laurence has not married
another girl in New York and never in.
| tended to; so yirginia's husband having
been got rid Of the curtain falls and the
audience 10 allowed TO infer that the
| young widow will, after the orthodox
season Of mourning marry her first love
and live happy ever afterwsrd.
The play is the distinguished authors
| most ambitious attempt Hitherto be has
been content to portray the manners,
| emotions and characteristics of ordinary
well-bred people in rather more than ordi.
nary situations. But in this work he has
attempted TO show something extra
ordinary in human nature, and while
| he hiss achieved more or less sue
| cess in the attempt IL cannot be said
to have been worked out in a masterful
manner. Amid scenes and characters very
entertaining. but not essentially ORA
matte, there suddenly leaps forth
q bit of genuine fame. and with.
out which s.Aristoeracy" would not
be very much different from Mr..
Howard's other productions. IL is unfor-
tunate that this ray Of inspiration should
be comparatively accidental. although the
suddenness with which il appears is start.
ling. Obviously the entire play is a satire
on society. whereas its dramatic force de-
ponds upon the evil fascination. the ser.
pent charm influence, the hypnotic con-
troll or personal magnetism which
despicsbie villain gains and
exerts ober pnre-minded woman.
whe ioathes, detests and hates him.
While scornfuliy rejecting his loathsome
attentions, and heaping execrations upon
him. she nevertheless fails into his arms
and ceases TO struggle against his hanefnl
influence. The scene is powerful and is
powerfully presented by Miss Walsh and
Mr.. Faversham. This Is the piece dc resist
ancs OF the play.
The company Is Gne one and 10 that
which originally produced the piece last
season. Miss Walsh is beautiful young
woman and an artist Of great ahii.
iiy. Mr. Bayrymore's presentation OF
the successful Western man Is
excellent, and In fact all the
characters are admirably rendered. Ii is
said that on the night of the first nroduc-
ton Of the play Mr.. Howard said that the
performers had done more than full justice
TO the creation of the characters.