The sun., 1896-12-10
SOME PERSONS IN PLAYS.
THE FRENCH WIFE OF "DIToR-
oONs" WHEN SHE TURNS ENGLISH.

Rietures-Sardou Writes n SpirituaI-
issie Dranas snd Says He IL Mesiuu,.
Herman Merivale has made out of sardou's
Divorcons"a comedy which. In spite of the
obvious stranRoness of It's chief situation TO
English life and character, appears compare
lively plausible and natural play. The divorce
question is hinged on fictitious condition. and
the programme explains that the bill Is one sup
posed 10 have been brought before the House OF
Commons" This element makes the talk of
divorce In the first scenes less convincing
than II does In the original piece but the char
noters have been made by NJ. Merivnle to
appear such . recklessly fast lot that the
Illusion is not entirely destroyed. and 1t
II easy to SEQ that they might really
have been as much interested as they seem
In the passage of q law that would mako
divorce easy to them. The absorption of tho
English Cpprtenne in the study of the new laws
provisions IL about the least comprehensible
feature of the plays transfer into English at
rnosphcre. But having once passed this pivotal
element OF the story. the rest of It moves along
pass,bly enough. To have made Cvprienne Itsl-
ian. and not English, was stroke that imme-
diately put her into readily understood contrast
with her associates and enabled her to do what
would never have been accepted by any au-
dience IL she had been presented by the
adnptor as compatriot of the rest
of the figures in tho comedy. What
che docs IL now readily comprehensible, and IL
was an equally expert management Of q dif1cult
situation to have made her cousin and the man
she thinks she loves also an Italian. The del
f and nj tb. On
It Is q positive and robust humor of q different
kind, hut It has the merit of cleanliness;
10 American lifef When it was acted at the old
pk by ASe LIN
The was saapsofs Of n Ffsneh isrcs.
can % Transplant % the Gallo Gallo originals and and
place them IL q class more allied to
any have
dramatists furnish us with the same people in
London thai fsarsd % for @ Instances. sta % IN F6s Mas s.
quernders" can be moro readily fitted into the
ss S Ss
is nlled with persons OF the fast country set In
ana aS ss Ss ahs
are not in reality - plausible to English speota-
,Srs as they are to u.s. whG see them At dis,
any types which our adaptors have tried to find
IN American society.
bered here a. lacking the qualities that should
DO distinguishing traits. A woman who had
With her lover. she acted with am asinE freedom
and knowledge. and 4 her conduct during the
fdence In her must have been boundicss. Miss
evidently her first dinner in private room Of
restaurant and: not IKE he1ane,s. the last OF OF
own impersonation is strongest in the second
act, where she denotes very naturally
Cousin @ % durine the % course OF her Confession ito to
her husband. But 1t was throughout per-
tssns Of fSaD
waiter who is amusing In almost any hands
% o s%
ward beginner, excited and bunglinG. and most
6. Elliot. as the weak.tneed cousin. proved hi;
facility as a character actor. and in Mabel
.a
of the entire performance. it's refinement and
the ,Ss q as
work in this second play.
=
,nt.,. ~ w. ~, :. ,vot.nS. - r.n,a..nt
may % wn1s 70
know how false Il is Plays of Western life that
arc arots.ouely srtiac,al have often found the
been expected that they would be laughed OF
audiences. and it is not tho most inscrutable.
mAs oe tnis eeeen'l,oity ".. ~ ieau NsT .orsers
10 accept tue fanny IN fooi Oh or'une'
ICED set of characters. Evidently, as the sit
uation is presented, the family 10 wealthy
and of plain origin. but has gained some
position in society; but in spite of this. the
frat act has the mother Of the house ask guests
to dinner, and she urges them to stay on the
ground that she cooked the meal herself. The
rich women Of New York do not cook meals for
Srisn nrssenna Inu1 IN ,bs nS Sonsehoid In n tba
second act this woman is made to refer to a
weli-known New York name, showing the
SsmiIy has gSinsd some recopnitinn But
still the wife cooked the dinner. The
acute attack OF 9nElomanis; which. IKE
measles. broke out all over the nrst part OF the
play. 10 another feature WHICH the author must
sliow her aGdenSe S 70 De dSei1Ts S % about Ihs
10 the same that, ten years ago. figured in the
comic papers. put hsd BECOME unknown In New
YORK years peiore that Such klno OF anglo
mania as that which ahicta the family In ." A
fooi of Fortune" would have 70 b. moved % As
Tar west as Tacoma TO seem plausible To-Day.
And the woman reporter In the last act working
On on dtp specnr 6r1ssrs ,, once: ana making
Wall street swindle. This one OF all the New
norke.s ID tne piece 10 tne nnoss piG.uIesauS S