The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-04-03
AMUsKAENrs.
sTher~.e R.qa,n.. q CerAr.y.a


"Ther-se Eaqnin. the drama:izasion of
Emile Zela's book OF the same name, was
given is Initial performance at Cordra-'s
sheater issftvenins and proved an artistic
success 50 far IS the Individual work Of
the members Of Mtss Ethel Brandon's
company il concerned. The drama Itself.
however, 10 gruesome and of too sonher .
character ever 70 be successful The aim
OF the author. in the production Of ais
book. was q purely scientific one an9 each
one Of in four interesting acts reveal this
study OF curious case OF Psychology.
lola has simply undertaken on two living
bodies the analytical work which surgeons
Go on corrses The book is assndy of tenn
peraments, not character. Therese and
Laurent are human srutes dominated by
their nervee-,he one . powerful man and
the other an excitable woman. II is evil
dent that Zola. in creating them. has al
loved them 20 run riot and has sought to
follow, step by step, the secret workings Of
their diseased minds, and il is the CON-
piiation of their joint criminal acts that
form the nucleus for one OF the
most violent dramas ever pro-
daced. Miss Ethel Brandon and her
company have scored another artistic
success. and with the nervousness of a
first production over the play tonight and
the rest of the week should 60 with snsp
and prove attractive. Every act closes
with an effective tableau enhanced by
calcium lights. The tab!eau of the first
act represents the murder of Camille from
. boat The second tableac the betrothal
of the two conspirators with the ghost Of
the murdered man lowering over them.
Every act ends with q similar striking tab
leaa, and in the Last scene la the last act.
where remorse, or rather organic disorder
In the rebellion Of two nervous systems
strained to their utmost, drives the two to
commit suicide, the moral of the two
violent deaths would be greatly smpha-
sized by tire apparition Of the murdered
man in the background. The great work
o. the evening fell on Miss Ethel Brandon
and Mr.. Arthur Elliot, and. from q strictly
artistic standpoint. 1t may be said TO have
been their greatest success. Miss Brandon
sunk her individuality in the part Of
Therese. aud the selfish, deceitful, cal
cuiating. passionate woman was depicted
in Q cold-blooded manner that sent .
shiver down the back Of the audience. She
gave wonderful semblsnce Of reason for
the woman's desertion of her imbecilo
husband and becoming the slave of her
own unrestrained passion. She clearly
carries out Zola's intention of represent
Ing woman material in every sense of
the word and entirely void Of soul. What
appears like remorse In the third and last
act 10 only the result of fear consequent
on her crime. which results in . disordered
brain. Miss Brandon carried her audience
through these various phases of mental
expressions, and received welLmerited APP
piause and several curtain calls. Nr.
Elliott also fully shared the honors Of tho
evening. and the workings Of his mind,
haunted by the ghost Of his victim, gave
him opportunities for some effective and
excellent dramatic work. The other char
acters are mere side issues. comparatively
speaking. Arthur Livingston made the
most Of the imbeciie husband, Camille.
Sara Stevens WAS wonderfully effective
and impressive in the last act. where a.
paralytic she RECEIVERS her speech in time to
judge the murderers Of her son. Miss Anna
L. Daily was pleasing as Suzanne. The
comedy element was given to two old
dodgers. Grivet and Michard, who have
idiosyncracies that bring them in constant
conflict They were well represented by
Tilleston Bryce and Cornelius Hawlegs,
respectively. As q psychological study
"Therese Raquin" Is q remarkable produc-
ton and should be seen.