The herald., 1897-04-11
Edited by G.. A. Dobinson

mated last night, is likely to leave benin
it legacy of controversy on accour
of the daring, although not altogethe
unprecedented manner in which TIL
play of "Gismonda" treats and illus
trates the sacred ceremonial of TIL
Roman Catholic church. In La Tos
ca" Sardou was criticised in a merci
less way, from the same point of view
for directing his heroine to place TIL
lighted candles at the head, and tn
cross upon the breast of the man sh
had just murdered.
In "Gismonda" the offence of th'
dramatist is a heinous one, iii be grant
ed that the reproduction of religious
ceremonies upon the stage is an offence
The Sardou-D Davenport production does
not deal in suggestion of religious OBJ
servances. 1t gives a completely built
church interior with altar, lights, in
cense bearers, priests, chanting, genu-
fiexions, and in fact the scene is COM
plete fragment of the usual elaborate
and ornamental ceremonial observed in
CdthOllC CnurcneS.
This effect is distinctly obnoxious to
many people, besides those who are
good Catholics. Religious controversy
and those acts which will give rise to it
should be Stunned on the stage. No
good purpose can be answered by thus
Haunting a flag in the faces Of people
whose religious views are entitled to
respect, nor should occasion be taken
to disgust people who go to the theater
with desire to leave sectarian feeling
outside. for time, at any rate.
Bishop Montgomery, who holds an
honored position in the community, and
whose opinions are entitled to weight,
is reported in an evening paper to have
said. in speaking of "Gismonda":
II consider it an outrage that such a
play should be presented to the general
public under the guise of dramatic en-
tertainment ! have heard of Miss
Dayenport's abilities as an actress, and
had credited her with ,etter morals and
more respect for sacred things than
her acting in this play seems to indicate
she possesses.
1.-THE most sacred religious ceremony
that the Catholic Christian knows is
that of the Palm Sunday mass. To in
troduce even a portion of this into play
like 'Gismonda,' which, as | understand
it, reeks with the lasciviousness of an al
legged Catholic princess is blasphemy
in my opinion. Little better than that
sort of thing can be expected of Sardou,
though He seems TO delight in weav-
ing a tale which will broadly suggest
uncean things with the Catholic church
as a background for the scenes of his
plays.
81 believe the drama had it's rise in the
production of plays that dwelt upon
sacred themes The descent TO pieces
like this 'Gismonda' is a fearful one.
tremble for the fate of any land where
such. plays can find favor and make
their owners rich in producing them"
Such strong language in reference to
Fanny Davenport and her money max
ing plays has not been used before, and
the chances are that if it had been pub
llished earlier in the engagement the
house could not have contained the peo-
ple who would have flocked to verify the
truth and justice of the reverend bishop S
structures.
q The popular taste is easily tickled with
mixture of blasphemy and salacious-
ness, and the easiest way for comedian
to raise laugh is to say damn
In writing of the first production here
of "Gismonda" attention was simply
called in these columns to the foulness of
the plot, the lavish magnificence of the
stage mountings, costumes and acces-
sories and the deficiencies of the acting
then became matter of secondary i'm
portance; while as for the religious dis
cussion involved it was not touched upon
for obvious reasons.
The ubiquitous press agent and a num-
her of cheap writers reiterate the state
aent that Fanny Davenport is lone OF
the greatest actresses Of the day" JUS
where her abilities are so forcibly dem
onstrated il is hard to discover. Hei
style is hard and inflexible, her voice
thick and unmusical, and her manner en-
tirely wanting in magnetism. With
unbounded self-possession and perfec
belief in herself. her abilities and hei
pecuniary resources, she is the best
,examplar to be found of what is purely
tbeatric in dramatic art She can. ant
does. strut like a peacock in her wall
when she passes across the stage in the
last act of "Gismonda" and the ride
u,ous inappropriateness of the actor
aiyes an idea of the chasm that sepa-
rates her merely eXtrinsic and theatri
cal Interpretation from the work of al
artist whose personation is worked ou
on lines of sympathetic feeling and in
nate perception of character. Contras
the soullees adiposity of Davenpor
with the magnetism that pervades
Modjeska, not to speak of younger rivals
and the wonder grows that even witt
the Fictitious advantage of wealth back
ing UP clever advertising, the plays o
the French dramatst should attrac
as they undoubtedly do. Miss Daven
mort has announced that this is her las
season in such pieces and that she viii
next start out in some work by an Amer
lean dramatist. There will thus be
moral certainty of an offering that vii
be of q cleaner kind than the fare pre-
scented last week.
Otis Skinner's play, "a Soldier of For
tune" in which he opened his secont
week at the Baldwin. received
l. IL