The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-01-23

"OSler Joe"
Those years of work and of study
have matured the undeniable talent she
possesses, and those who went to the
my of Music last night simply
to view one of the most-talked-of wo-
men of recent years as a mere specta-
Gle, left the theater with high opinion
of her ability as an actress, for Mrs.
Potter gave a careful, CONSCIENTIOUS
and finished portrayal of the character
of Charlotte Corday, even though she
does not rise to actual greatness in the
role.
Outline of the play.
The house bill last night conveyed the
information that Charlotte Corday" Is
an original play in four acts founded
on incidents in the life Of Charlotte
COrday. l. C. Montesquieuson is named
as the author. He did outline and
write the play but it has since been al
most entile ely rewritten by Mrs. Pot
ters starring partner Kyrle Bellew.
The play is tragic drama and deals
with Il period of shame in French MS
tory. Il period when patrician blood
ran a deep crimson in the cutters ana
anarchy in the sacred name of the peo-
pie stalked red-handed through the
streets of Paris. Jean Paul Marat, a
low-born foreigner, assumed the magic
title, "the friend of the people, ana
as Citizen Marat stated his vulgar thirst
with floods of gentle blood. The horror
of all this is admirably depicted in the
play, .Marat has called for hundred
thousand heads for the greedy guillo-
tine. All France is in a tremor as his
blood-loving hangers-on set about the
awful task. Charlotte Corday is a
gentle upshoot of the patrlclan
D'Amonts, of Caen. Adam LUX, an
artist and her ardent suitor, is dragged
from her garden by Marat and his
minions Charlotte has ALWAYS been a
deep nature, thoughtful girl. She is
built of that nobler and firmer stuff
that brooks no wrong, however high
it's origin.
She Kills Marat.
After repeated efforts she gains ac-
cess to Marat's house and hears the
days guillotne list read Her fathers
name is on it and young Lux is al
ready condemned. She pleads for them
IN vain, Dul IL Is uOl iOI thtii o'tNN''
but for the sake of France that she
plunged the fatal knife into the despised
bosom of Citizen Marat Charlotte was
inspired to kill Marat by dwelling on
the act of Judith, who rescued the peo-
pie of Israel by cutting off the head
of Holofernes. So deeply did she ponder
over the courageous deed of judith
that she became monomaniac on the
subject and believed that she was or
dained by God, like Joan DArc, to do
a great service for the French people
that would be heralded throughout all
generations
In such a mood she slew Marat and
then refused to allow her friends to
save her from the penalty due her act,
declaring the person who was not
afraid to kill should not be afraid to
die. Around this dark and sombre
central figure the playwright has
written a story that contains few of the
light passages of love and still fewer
glints of humor, yet it Is withal a
fascinating play and holds the close at
tention of the audience from beginning
to end.
Given Chilly Reception.
When Mrs. Potter made her first ap-
pearance on the stage last evening her
reception was chilly. Her Charlotte
Corday is that of young gir! bleeding
for the wrongs of France with nothing
but hatred for such as Marat in her
heart; one who is incapable of loving
and Who is almost constantly in day
dream in which the horrors of the time
arise before her and gradually crystal
ize her determination to rid the world
of Maret.
THAT conception of the character
Mrs. Potter, who greatly resembles the
pictures of Charlotte Corday. faithfully
and artstically carries out. The first
act did not arouse the audience, but i'm
the second there was a warm outburst
of applause. The scene is laid in the
studio of David, the artist, where Char
lotte is posing as Judith, Marat also
appears in the studio and from it is
sues orders for the death of Adam Lux,
whom Charlotte has promised to allow
to WOO her when peace comes to
France" 1t lis there, on hearing Mar
ats order that she forms her final pur-
pose to kill him, just as the curtain Is
rung down. 1t was a fine bit of emo
tlonal work on her part and on that Of
Mr.. Bellew as Marat, but through a
misunderstanding neither responded to
the encore, and the curtain went up on
an empty stage.
ARepulsivc Monster.
Mr.. Bellew makes Marat in outward
form thought and action monster al
most beyond conception in vileness and
responsiveness. He is, indeed, a "noxious
shoot from the seething bed of an
archy." But Mr.. Bellew proves him
self a consummate artist by the man
ner in which he Stimulates the charac-
ter of Marat, cursed with so many
physical and mental blemishes. His
work last night was one of the main
features of the performance. In the
third act, when Charlotte kills Marat,
occurs the strongest scene in the play.
and both Mrs. Potter and Mr.. Bellew
did very effective work and were most
heartily applauded. Mrs. Potter being
compelled to make her appearance be-
fore the curtain.
She makes the killing of Marat a
grand, heroic deed. She did 1t not from
personal motives, but for the good Of
France. Mrs. Potter has peculiar
manner of delivering her lines that at
first jars on the ear, but this peculiar
tty is forgotten and lost sight Of
as the scenes progress. The hesltancy
with which she speaks and dwells on
her words is her conception of the man.
ner in which Charlotte Corday would
have spoken.
Mr.. Bellows greatest bit of work was
in the third act, when he delivers his
blood drunken sollloquy, beginning.