The times., 1898-12-27
AT THE THEATERs.
Lnfayette-..Zn.a.,

second to none that has attended local
premieres waited nearly four hours for
the purpose of hearing the last words of
David Belasco's new offering. and then
went away unwearied. There were cur
tain calls after each act and enthusiasm
that bore every mark of earnestness in
between. Finally there were smiles when
the author intended there should be smiles
and tears when he wished for them So
''Zaza'' is a great success
And a good play into the bargain. Da-
vid Belasco is a master of stagecraft and
a scholar regarding dramatic construction.
He understands in its minutest detail the
art of .intensifying the power he wields.
and of treating with lights and shades,
parallels and contrasts, the subject mat
ter he possesses. Accordingly, while 1t Is
not improbable that the version of ''Zaza'
given yester-eveninS was more changed
by fumigation than through adaptation,
there is in every line and scene and incl
dent a reminder OF the playwright's skill.
The drama is a most audacious one. and
still there is not a bit of vusarity or sug
gestiveness about the story. or any portion
of it. The distinction is in that difference
which lies between the work wherein art
is made to bow to the proprieties and that
in which the proprieties are made to bow
to art. The scenes in ''Zaza' to which a
prude might object have not been built
around coarse or lecherous idea. but the
idea mas been allowed to remain where it
was found. because removal would mean
decrease in atmosphere and power.
There is nothing about this product of
Mr.. Belasco which is not artistic and
strong and wholesome.
As a matter of fact. the play is a sue
cession of sermons. Sometimes these
arguments are not those to which Sun
day school superintendent might sub
scribe and often they are quite con-
trary to the conventionalities, but they
never cease to be indisputable and sin
cere. The teachings of 'ZaZa' are
broad and cOnvincing-above all they are
not thrust upon one. But the spectator
who watches and the auditor who hears
may learn readily that all which is bad
does not deserve condemnation, that the
weaker is not invariably the more blame
worthy, that some love is sacred without
being sanctiied-and all because the au-
thor's heroine has snned without fault.
has suffered without fairness and has
sacrificed without formality. During
| the entire work one never loses
his sympathy for Zaza. He finds
excuses for her shortcomings and ad-
miration for her virtues without stint.
| And when before the final curtain she
| gives up everything she has priced most
highly for the sake of principle. the NOR
| alist finds vindication for his unbidden
| opinions.
The story of the vehicle warrants much
of this. Zaza is "a poor girl who has
been left alone in the world at an early
| age-left to fight her own battles through
| the mire of the streets. From this fate
she is rescued by n concert hall singer
who takes her in and permits her to ac-
| quire his profession. The theatergoer
| is first introduced to the girl at pro-
| vincial theater. She has achieved partial
! successful the more but partial because
| II has not brought her the affection OF a
| man she worships. Before the back
| ground of the life and color shown in
| this scene she meets this man and works
| with him. She tries to appeal TO his
manliness and to his susceptibility and
| finally to his baser and more superficial
! passions She wins and the two go 10
live together. Zaza's love for her idol
never abates. She gives up her work
and resigns herself to complete happi-
ness. Displeased at this, her rescuer-
| her former manager-comes to the little
| place mistress and lover have taken in
| the country. He has discovered that the
man is married and tells her so. The
woman is aroused and longs for re-
| venge. Zaza goes to Paris.
She has determined. upon arriving in
this city. to go to the home of her COM
! panion and expose him before his wife
| Accordingly she visits the place prepared
I for anything. Then she has an interview W
with the betrayer's child-an interview
| in which her emotions contrast markedly
with the stilted lines that have been
| given the youngster This concert hall
singer-this thing of the streets-this toy
| of a gentleman repents and forgives. She
returns without speaking. Then she and
| nufrene, her lover, have a terrible scene
| together. She reproaches, entreats.
! threatens. commands-she sweeps all
| before her with the power and
intensity of her anger Then she leaves
| him and goes back to her old life. He
| visits America and comes home to find
her famous. On the day that he goes To
her again all the ambition of her former
existence has been graitfied He begs
the woman to come with him and she
bids him return to his wife and child He
| obeys Zaza Is left alone in the hour OF
| her triumph-alone with the ashes of a
dead past and the blackness of a memory
! filed future.
That is the play-if play 1t can be called
There Were few people in the house to
whom everything did not seem genuine
| The work contains an atmosphere and a
strength that carries all with it. Nothing
| occurs that does not occur daily and
| nothing is said that would not be said
under the circumstances. The incidents
| are not those that might happen but
those that do. No effort of the modern
school has been less realistic and more
| real than "Zaza."
The strength of the effort is beyond
question. The first act. with its truthful
ness and color, cannot but appeal power
fully both to those who know and to those
who do not know life in the region mys-
teriously known as behind the scenes. .
| There is exaggeration, of course, and
some of the happenings are veritably far
| cical, but the portrait is generally faith
| full and brilliant. In such light, the cpl
sodes of the act are doubly forceful and
the striking climax thrice impressive. Tn;
succeeding scene is quite as good in its
little touches of character and its we'll
| builded incidents. The third act Is, tC
some extent, a failure. Only Mrs. Leslie
Carten carries it. There is little power tc
the bit. and still less that would sugges
power. The art of the player and not
that of the playwright makes the twenty
minutes interesting. Act four redeems
this and presents one of the most stirring
| interviews known to fiction. The las
scene is still more moving-more supreme
more wonderful. And the whole drama
is new 1t reminds of 'Trilby' and OF
"Magda'' and of Camille" but 1t Is
reminiscent of none. 1t is the strongest
of the three.
Despite the number of speaking parts il
the offering, the tale is told with bu
three characters There is Zaza, who's,
ideas of the proprieties are very loose
who cannot pronounce or write correctly