The times., 1898-01-09
ON THE STAGE IN
GOTHAM TOWN

| New York City, Jan. S.-Probably the
| most looked for and commented on,
| certainly the most sensational. event
| of the dramatic year was the first per-
formance of Paul Potters Conquer
ors' on Tuesday night at the Empire.
First 'The Girl From Paris then
'Charmion, finally The Conquerors."
That Is the general opinion. In speak
ing OF the piece l must decline 10 as
sumo any responsibilities whatever. If
anyone reads the story and feels
that his moral purity has departed
forever into the land from whence
there is no returning let him think how
much worse it would have been had he
seen the play unprepared, and be con-
soied. Alan Dale says it is not the kind
of a performance you would like to
take your Aunt Sarah to witness. He
is right.
The plot has the merit of originality
that is, it seems TO have. With modesty
that must have been away on a leave
of absence when the play was written,
Paul Potter assures us that the whole
business was suggested to him by
short story by Guy de Maupassant and
picture in the Paris gallery. No one
seems to have ever heard of either one.
To the ordinary observer the piece is
thoroughly novel. And as a fine bit OF
construction Ii is q masterwork. The
different stones are carelessly and bold
ly thrown in, without apparent regard
to place. here is one OF brilliant red
and next to it one of green, and yet
the mosaic is so perfectly even that one
cannot detect the Jennings or criticise
the shading. While hardly a problem
play or one to argue great question,
the piece is Wonderful-so powerful
that it is appalling, weirdly, awfuIly ef-
fective. One watches each scene with
strained eyes. and when the relieving
touches come leans back in his seat as
breathiess as if he himself had been
through the ordeal. Potter has the cul-
tivated knack of holding the suspense
so long that species OF hysteria takes
hold of the listeners and throws them
into feverish feeling. He faces the
truth OF life uncomprOmisingly and
tells Ii again with brutal candor worthy
of the most advanced of the French
dramatists and nevelists. Ek 81
Had The Conquerors'' been present
ed at the Star TheaterL irzSerIiinaFy
style it would have been rabid meIo-
drama. AT the Empire fb1is almost, if
not quite, a great plax. 1t viii live
and be more than ordinarily Bought
after for year, and then it viii never
be heard of again. The plot has its
blemishes occasional weaknesses and
great Inconsistencies. some of the char
aeters are as vulgar, and yet the piece
viii live year.
The story concerns the time when the
Prussians had just finished defeating
and humiliating the French. Eric Won
Rodeck brings a portion of the victorl-
Gus troops into a conquered castle in
Brittany. There q sort of SILLY Din
ner' effect is brought IN. Brutal.
lecherOus, without a sense of refine
ment of character, he has secured tie
country for a number of low women,
politely described on the program as
dancing girls. These are assigned. like
so much merchandise, one to every
man, and before the daughters of the
house the riotous feastlng begins. The
eldest of the two girls. Yvonne. finally
protests and is grossly insuited by Won
Rodeck. She picks UP glass of wine
and throws it in his face, thus ending
the act
The sequence between this scene and
the next is admirably preserved. The
German officer, mad with rage at the
girls defense, sW ears that her honor
shall pay for it. and this leads up to
ten minutes of frightful realism You
will remember that when 'FUncie Toms
Cabin had been so often improved on
that there was no chance left for bet
terment, some thoughtful manager
brought out double play with two
little Evas, two Marks and two of
everything else. The only possible way
to account for 'The Conquerors'' is
that THE Sporting Duchess had a
lewd scene, Under the Polar Star an
Improvement on il and Paul Potter. not
to be outdone, introduced twin lewd
scenes
Rodeck finds Yvonne alone one night
in a deserted mill. He locks the door
and after a powerful scene but one
that appeals to every risability, the sit
uation becomes critical, when the con-
ventional word about his sister
brings him to a halt, he is softened |
and, relenting, leaves. He has scarcely |
gone when the miller enters and the |
situation is repeated. But fortunately |
for the girl who has sWOOned the mo- |
ment she felt the grip from behind. |
Rodeck returns in time, kills the in |
tended ravisher and goes So far so |
goodi When Yvonne is brought to her |
self she sees how things are, but is un- |
der the impression that Rodeck had
repented, and returned. and that the |
miller. or inn-keeper. had come to save /
her and been killed trying to do So |
Yvonne swears revenge. She waits for |
her chance and stabs Rodeck in the |
having approached dangerously near |
the brink before. In love with her |
supposed despoileri OF course in
play that is all the medicine needed for
man in the most desperate straits |
and Rodeck survives. That is 'sThe |
ConquerOrs." OF the players it need |
only be said that William Faversham |
was the Prussian officer. and never has
he been seen to better advantage. His
part needs a slight toning-mellowing |
that time will bring. Viola Allen is so |
dainty and charming as Yvonne that /
she quite wins ones heart. She is the
character. Blanche WaIch is good, and |
Jap Wheelock, our old stock favor
lte, was Just as much Above require
lnents as eyerA The staging was excep-
tional.
And now for some news in brief. Tn |
the first place, ''The Salt of the |
Earth, which had it's first production |
in Washington, is a lamentabIe failure |
tS-