The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, 1899-07-22
THE PASSING SHOW
VILLA GATHER

One OF the most interesting and ar.
tistic performances cav at the theatre
last winter was Olga Nethereole's pro-
duction Of THE Second Mrs. Tanque.
ray" In the first place. it is a great
play. the greatest play written in the
English tongue for many long day. I
suppose there is no question that Arthur
w. Pinero is the first living English
playwright. For many years an actor
himself, he knows all the limitations,
requisites and possibilities OF the stage,
and he never writes play that is not an
acting play. He realizes what a dis
tinct form Of literature the drama is,
and he makes no endeavor to distort it
from its original purpose. He is con-
summate artist. and he knows a great
deal about life. He is not deep, he
makes no revelations. but he is subtitle
and he knows the tricks OF bis trade.
He has an unusually light touch for an
Englishman. just spice Of Congreve,
and he has written some Of the most de-
lightful Of farces, OF which 1.-The
Amazons" is probably best known in
this country. But in the presentation
Of Paula Tanqueray he has turned to
more serious things. Of course the play
is "poLlem play" which every play is
at the bottom. is the old question
Camille" and her past treated more
candidly and honestly, il less brilliantly.
than Dumas treated it. Now here is
woman who rad much bad and much
good in her. She bad live bad life and
honestly wanted to quit it. She tries
with all her strength, and she has
good man to help her. How far will
che be able to do it?
The first act transpires in Aubrey
Tanqueray's rooms in London. Aubrey
is big, kind, soft man aud everyone
calls him Aubrey. He is a widower
with grown daughter who is very pious
and has contemplate d entering con.
vent. Aubrey is typical English coun-
try gentleman, intensely domestic, some
what etolid, and withaI good fellow.
For some inexplicable reason, he loves
Paula Tanqueray, a woman Of many en-
tanglements, and has resolved to marry
and domesticate her. l fancy 1t was
Paulss brilliancy quite as much as her
beauty that fascinated him, for Aubrey
must have been good deal Of bore,
even to himself. The first act lie light
and brisk. Aubrey has little dinner
for some men and announces to them
bis prospective marriage. They receive
the news awkardly enough, but Aubrey
lie pretty brave about it. After the men
have gone Paula comes in. He chides
her for coming to him at eleven o'clock
at night, but she tells him that her cook
has left her and she wants some of his
dinner. She pretends to be little
suspicious about who his guests have
been, not that she really cares, but it
fatters him. Miss Nethersole leans
back in her chair, takes up bunch OF
grapes and tearing them off with her
teeth says delightedly. "What beautiful
fruit! love fruit when it's expensive"
Poor Paula; that was her history in a
nutshell. She had got into the way Of
liking only things that, in one way or
another, cost exorbitantly. For a long
time she deiuded herself into the belief
that she could make men pay for them.
only to come at last to the bitter knowl.
edge that we must pay for everything
ourselves, and the longer the settlement
is deferred. the heavier the interest BY
the end of the act one sees Paula's at