New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-09
"TUE BAD SHEPHERDS"
HORRIBLE SCENES IN SARAH BERN
HARDTS NEW PLAY.
FIRE MURDER. RIOT AND SUDDEN DEATH
DIVIDED OPINIONS or PARIS CRITICS

~Ifs MGuVdiS EergcrS, INC SOihDlc 'oCiaiS'
dram wi:h which Octave Mirabeau made MS
debut as a dramatist. and which al the Kenais-
sance Theatre on Wednesday night afforded
Sarah Rernhardl an opportunity to personify
factory girl Of seventeen, whose death agony
presents a development of stage realism evok-
Ing violent protestation well as passionate
reclamation is eagerly discussed in political CIR
tlcs and seems to have sven new Impulse 10
French Socialism.
Ev The BAD Shepherds" the author. to Dor
row his own words designates those Ranlca'
ard Socialist Deputies who mount upon tables
sir.i7g la Carmagnoe.' who excite the angry
passions OF the masses. who preach strikes re-
volt and anarchy without offering any soiu''on'
and who In the hour Of peril vanish from
sight proving themselves to be either fools
or assassns" With such text IT can
readily be imagined that the Renaissance
Theatre has Some stormy evenings BEFORE
It, The play. simple in construction Is
lugubrious from beginning to end The cur
tain opens upon death and closes upon death
The first act represents the cottage home or a
family Of poverty -sircken working people, con-
sisting OF Madeleine (Sarah BernhardO, ner
parents and their two infant children MADE
leine, clad in a blue Bingham gown covered with
patches Is mending clothes. tending the chill
drcn cooking the family soup and nursing her
dying mother. Robert Hargand mystical So
cialist dreamer and son of the owner OF the
factory. together with his sister Genevieve,
frivolous daintily attired girl Of twenty. call at
the cottage visit OF charity. Jean Houie
(Guitry). an Anarchist workman makes love to
Madeleine and his offer Of marriage is inter-
rupted by the death OF Madelene's mother.
Factory hands enter and place flowers upon the
corpse Jean Roulc. the "practicar' Anarchist,
and Robert Hargand. the "theOrctical' Anar-
CHS meet and after a violent discussion as
sent to each Others views and shake hands in
friendship The second and third acts, III which
Sarah Bernhardt docs not appear, carry us to
the chateau OF the wealthy owner of tn" fac
tory where five thousand workn,n are EN-
ploved There Is a striking scene when Gene
We've who has taken Vi painting as pastme'
conaratulaies herself before the widow If a
factory hand who, loaded down with misery Is
posing for her upon having found model
whose visage dellncates all the signs II grief
and misfortune which cannot fail to make
truly artistic picture. Look sill more heart
broken: imagine that you are really suffering;
try even to shed tears" cxclams the thought
less young girl while the features Of the work
Ing woman as the pose continues during these
cruel words assume a severity and hatred that
bring the sitting to abrupt end. This scene
Is admirably rendered by Nine. Marie Grandet
whose facial expression while posing TO Gene
We've is most remarkable
THE TWO SIDES FACE TO FACE.
The remainder OF the second and third acts
are filed up with long speeches on Socialism.
pronounced in turn by three capitalists. who
air their theories while slipping NJ. IIargand's
er-breakfast coffee speeches which are In
terrupted by the approach Of five thousand
workngmen singing the revolutionary Car
magnole." who. under the lead Of Jean Roule.
have organized a gigantic strike In a few
moments stones and brckbats crashing
through the windows Of the chateau. A most
effective scene ensues between Hargand (DovaD
and Jean ROWe. whose demands for working
day of eight hours and a library for the factory
are scornfully rejected IIargand drives away
the delegation Of workngmen. and with them
Robert his son, whose Socialist theories have
become intolerabe to him. In this the
author has had the audacity to confront with |
each other personhcatlons Of capital and labor |
In their most aggressive and nhammatory |
phases He has sown the wind and it remains |
to be seen whether or not the Renaissance will |
reap the WhirNind. Infantry buglcs in the dis |
tance signal the advance Of the troops, and |
III five thousand strikers PR pare for the coming
struggle The effect upon the audience is such |
that shouts Of give FAnarche." give lc Com
muno," rcsoundng from The galleries were |
answered from the orchestra stalls by "Vive |
pArmt,," I'm the fourth act the strikers re-
duced hy hunger and want, hold night meet
Ink in Il forest The most violent discussions
eIsue. and the wOrkmen finally regard Jean |
Roule rs the author Of their misery and are
about to Kill him Suddenly the tide is turned |
BY Madeleine by one OF those mpassioncd |
t. lrfr ais ~ eli "