The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-18
NOTES OF THE THEATRE.
ANOTHER ACTRESS FLATS III
HEROINE IN GIMME. SdNS GENE.D
Anna BraEa's Familiar Talents shown-Th"
Qualities or Henry Arthur Sonrs's New
Piay-latsst News OF tho European stage
"A Famous French Actress 70 Retire.

qualities W henrN arthur N'V
Play-lntsst News OF tho European stage
"A Famous French Actress TO Retire.
The veritnblc Catherine Hucbschcr OF history
has never been embodied in any OF the actresses
who played Sardou's Mme. Sans Gene In this
country Rejanc was too modern and refined
for the role and Kathryn kiddcr indicated
nothing OF tho coarse, masculine woman that
Furnished NJ. Morcau with scarcely anything
moro than tho name and ono or two incidents
of his play. Once In Paris at tho Theatre dc Ia
Republique, n popular actress OF that third-rato
establishment took tho piece after Rejane has
used II up for the bDulcvards and q Nine. Sans
Gene very much more like the militant original
became uncommonly we'll liked by the public
that supported the theatre. Anna Braga, who
is to act the part every night this week at the
Irving Place Theatre, is PROBABLY as much UNI
like the real Catherine Huebschor as most Of
her predecessors. But her performance has
many excellent moments and one or two scenes
she plays with n finish that some OF her previous
acting ever gave any reason to expect only
in that respect Is she novel.
Possibly she was best in tho scene with
Napoleon, and the episode OF the laundry bill
was treated with an authority and case that
seemed almost audacious in the gentle leading
woman OF the Irving Place, who has in the past
incarnated 30 many distressed and %virtuous
heroines as well as u few mildly wicked ones.
Fraulein Braga did not make Catherine Hueb-
echer especially different from these earlier
portraiturcs, and her undoubted success in the
play came chiefly from its greater opportuni.
ties. There is nearly every stage emotion OF
tho mildcr kind in the leading figure of the
comedy, and frequent visitors to the theatre
know that Anna Braga is a very expert and
tempts. Indeed. 1t is difficult to recall a char.
acter which she has failed to express In just
sons Who have seen her rarely will be Disposed
to look upon her Nine. sans Gene as anything
out of the limo OF her usual excellence. Charm
inEly tender and womanly it is when those
emotions are necessary, and there are .piquancy
and sparkle in ITS lighter passages. But Anna
Braga has exhibited these often in the past.
She showed them in Countess Gucki, and in
a dozen other roles. But she never before had
the opportunity 10 reveal them all in ono even
ing Tine sardou comedy gave her that chance
and she has never appeared to better advantage.
Camilla Marbach would make n Nine. Sans
Gene Of a very diiforont character, and do It
of Anna Braga's work. bernhard Vorwerk's
LeJerrs was encouraging and may be tolerable
IN more sentimental roles. There were very
die Goidno Eva" Tho satire OF the Bona.
pnrte sisters seemed dreadfully, over-accentu-
historical mystery. Nothing ever written on
the subject could explain him. But the play
always depends on The actress Who plays Nine;
are equal to that test. They are delightfully."-
revealed.
The logical end of Henry Arthur Jones's
play. THE Physician" which was at Wal
lacks. would be the restoration OF the young
drunkard whom the famous doctor in the play
undertakes to cure. Tho strength OF that eli.
max can easily DO understood. Every situa-
ton earlier in the play points to that conclu.
sion. The author has selected n disagrceahle
subject. Under ordinary circumstances there
could be little popular success for n drama
that made inebriety its motive. To this is
added systemniic hy unrrisy rdr only tn tha
persons who look upon him as n hero, but as
well to the girl who loves him. He has be-
trayed a young country girl and made her o
barlot. Possibly his death was the only re-
suit that would mitigate this element Of his
character. But the seduction episode Is to-
tally unnecessary. The young man standing
before the world as a ~fanntical advocate Of
temperance. but In secret a hopeless drunkard,
10 bad enough for all artistic purposes. Tho
conventional scene Of paternal grief over his
bastard child'is not enough to justify the add
cd offence Of his sin as q ~betrayer.
When the disillusioned London doctor. who
Is moved to acute dissatisfaction by the refusal
of q very worldly woman to leave her husband
for him, goes into the country to try q new
phase Of life. his only purpose is 10 save the life
Of q young girls lover. He soon falls in lovo
with her himself. He Is undertaking a task
that will be different enough TO the motive OF
his own life to restore his interest in the world.
He does not try to do that by sacrificing him.
eelf to the love Of the young girl for her un,
girl himself Maybe that had something to do
Certainly there is nothing TO show that =. did
not. He Is SO much absorbed, now in 7 phew
affection that whitman astonishingly she. thine
he loses all affection for the woman wytse re-
fusal to elope with him had .embittersd his
life TO q point which made him sacrifice his
CAFaRr inPrnrlhly Knit hn has no mora firpa
for that love so soon as the green leaves OF the
country and the white muslin dress OF the
Clergyman s.dAugbter begin 10 I'LL his mind SO
/ Thus tie spectators see a middlc-aged man
who had undertaken q task which might have
ennobled his work OF rescue, undressing as
the nature OF the problem Is for the purpose
girl-who was at best IA very Intellectual young
person without character or pose-vallantly
continued the cure OF the young reforlner and
then gone back to his London world with the
halo of self-sacrifce about him that would
have preserved the proportion OF the play. kept
blase gray hair and sinpering white muslin
with which the play closes. To have restored
and certain to continue 90 would have made
the doctor IA hero and The Physician" a vastly
But Nr. Jones did not do that. He wrote the
sstor Than +. s WHilllard. Siir. Wyn NJ ban o. sac.
the heroine. TO have followed that play with
another in which he was shelyed in the same
way WOuIu nave looked a5 though he had
passed the time in which he could stand In the
hnal tabIeau with his Grns:about the youthful
heroine's neck in an embrace that was not
meant to be patcrnal, Naturally anxious that
bis marrying days should not appear to be
over, MI. Wyndham wanted to marry his hero.
tne, and Nr. Jones arranged it so that no
should: \ play was spoiled in the change, but
served.
But this change could not affect the other
beauties OF Mr.. Jones's play. The scenes with
lady, Iaierts are charming intcrludcs. witty.
ncynical and, worldly, high-bred, and The talk
OF q lady. The talk between Dr. Curcy and
brooker in The opening scene, which Is full OF
intensity and force; the return of Amphici, and
Inc scene at the well are admirable episodes in
q play which Is from beginning to emf either
~hohy pleasing or terribly eGasperating.
Paris has lately seen for the first time Bull
wer's "Riche!!cu." which tho Odeon Theatre
presented to an unontAuslastic gathering. The
critics refuse TO accept tho broadly drawn Dor.
trait VI the famous ccclesiastic on the ground
mat IL Is too'untrnthfui even for the stage. But
Nl0 ErenCh Irungl1tnr had .ran,so..sl - ~