The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-10
DIED
ADJUSTMENTS.



All the praise that preceded Mrs. F'iske
to this city in no way marred the good
impression of her appearance at the Grand
last night in the first performance here of
'"ress Of the D'Urdervilles." One of the
most unusual audiences was out to witness
the play. Men who are seldom drawn from
their library fires at night and women who
seek diversion in literary clubs rather than
at the playhouse made an exception in the
general routine of life and practically filed
the theater. They had all read Hardy
story and the intense interest awakened by
its perusual led them, almost as the per-
Torrance of a religious duty, to go where
they might have the story read to them,
as 1t were, by living characters. Every
character in the play was familiar to the
spectators and most of those present had
already conceived what sort of people the
characters were. Those mystical pictures
of people and places which come up in ones
mind while reading a story gave every one
a preconceived notion of what Tess should
resemble, what sort of a man Alec DUrber-
Vile was how Angel Clare would appear
and a faint notion of the sort of people
Tess's family would be. Many of these
pictures doubt were found to be drawn
entirely different, but that could not lessen
the interest 1t was two acts, perhaps, be-
fore the critical ones fell into full sym
pathy with the dramatic production. When
that time came there was no breaking away
from the spell. That is the best word for it.
The novel readers gazed at the moving
scenes with an attention so deep and so
self-oblivious they seemed to have forgotten
at times that it was all only play, not
scenes of real life That such acme of real
10, for he h on
praise that has been paid to Mrs. Fiske
since the first production of the play in
New York.
Hers is an art that teaches the degree of
perfection that may be obtained on the
stage. For the most part she has avoided
the theatric What are known as applause
compelling situations are almost entirely
tabooed Her entire company is drilled by
herself with the one idea that sensational
ism must not be reSorted to. In appealing
to the audience she relies almost solely on
giving a Iife-like Interpretation. Her eff
fectiveness was attested, not so much in
the appreciative calls before the curtain
after several of the acts, as in the magne-
tized attention she received. The intense
nature of the story was cleverly handled
from the first act. The picture of country
life in Wessex with the hanging JaWed
yokels surrounding her is shown in the
first scenes. The web or tate Is
thrown about her. and the influence of Alec
D'Urberville is forecasted. Angel Clare is
shown as one of Gods noblemen, to have
the honor taken from him later on. The
trick of the letter that never came is one
of those old reliable and necessary bits of
business that enter into ell fiction and all
plays. The marriage and the subsequent
events are more devoted to exploiting the
characters of Tesss dairymaid friends and
of her own family 1t is not until nearly
the close of the second act, where Tess
der false pretenses, that thrilling interest
sets in. Angel Glare deserts her and the
curtain falls with the agony of her cry,
Don't leave me- leaving an impression on
the audience not to be effaced. The third
act is taken up with the poverty home life
Of Tess. Alec returns She believes Angel
Clare is dead and permits herself to be
dragged away. In this. act is the
realistic picture of Tess's drunken girl
friend Marian who has assisted in the lie
that Angel Clare is dead. The great, over
towering scene in the play, that of the
return of Angel Clare to md Tess installed
the girl into tigress of fury and revenge,
falls in the fourth act. Up to this point the
play is not greatly different from other
meiodramas and the only thing that car
ries it so high above the class of gallery
productions is Mrs. Fiske,s Interpretation
of the tragedy. Standing before her is Angel
Clare In the next room lies Alec in a
drunken stupor There is almost minute
when not word is uttered. Tess is revolv
ing in her brain the awful situation that
confronts her With a scream she shouts
for Marian. Her voice almost chils the
blood. Marian who had helped deceive
upbraid the girl. Tess glances at her
and turns away. She tells Angel Clare the
facts. The words almost split her throat.
He PUSHES out. There is another pause.
Tess catches sight of the knife on the table,
She grasps it with cry that causes an in
voluntary groan from the audience. There
is murder in her act. The deed is certain,
She rushes to the next room. When she
returns all is over. Her collapse and the re-
turn of Angel Clare to lead her away hardly
relieves the intensity of the strain That
one act is the greatest and most compelling
scene put on the stage in years, and it is
that which places Mrs. Fiske at the head
of her profession. The last act is u mystical
scene among the old pruidical ruins, where
Angel Glare and Tess wander until ar
rested. The audience remained TO applaud
with such fairness that Mrs. Fiske has won
lasting fame.