The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-21

! each others faces and SO on do not use
good English. French. or German with a
peppering Of wit in every third sentence.
Uueiean plays are like morphia,
and affect the mind gradually. A
single dose hurts but triningiy:
succession of. doses lowers. After
alt, the theatre can have no direct
influence on any grown and educated man
or woman. 1t is absurd to believe that,
because the married folk in Clyde Fitch's
work have red noses and bad manners.
ambitious people who see the piece at once
will take TO themselves mistresses anu
lovers. ProveTbiaily, ignorance is not in
nOcence. Were the effect Of such offerings
infinitely greater than il is. there could
De no really bad result from discussing the
topics of life in the temple Of Thespis. as
they are discussed in other temples OF
learning. With each Of these products the
end is sufficiently unhappy to impress a
lesson-Zaza and Bernard Dufreue go into
the world longing tor each other: Camille
dying, leaves Armand Duval to hate him
self: when Fanny Lagrand embraces an
existence OF liberation Jean Gaussin be-
comes q miserable castaway. The teach
ing always is the wages OF sin is death"
Moreover. II is difficult to see in what
fashion dramatic strength can be got from
ordinary beings. Some day there may de-
velop genius who can make a light with
out striking fire-there is none now The
really good wife and the really honest hus-
band seek and win no greater reward for
their fidelity than Is complete placidity
The tale OF a girl who married. reared q
family. and died might be most elevating
but it hardly could be very interesting 1t
is tribute to our civilization to say that
such careers are commonplace. Nothing !
that is earnestly and carefully written can
have a pernicious effect Nothing artistic /
can be bad. Only the farces that touch /
lightly and make sport of vuiEarity OBJ
jectionable For them. the wise critic will
not reserve faith. hope. or charity. What
Robert Ingersoll remarked of blasphemy is
true also of obscenity-''he who Is serious
blaspheme;" he who is serious
cannot be obscene
or course, "Sappho" will be a success
In New York-as huge a success as was
the adaptation by Alphonse Daudet and
Adolphe Belot in Paris. The one will do
as much toward immortalizing Olga Meth
nrsole as the other did toward immortaliz-
ing Madame Rejaue or Jane Hading. And
still the reviewers may continue hooking
forward to the time at which clyde Fitch
will produce a great play.
After all. the motto of the garter will
explain the evil reputation OF most con-
temporary offerings. Those things which
ire exploited by actors with a name for
presentations are called vile.
while pieces morally worse but done under
better auspices. go unnoticed. In The
sign OF the Cross. which appeals espe-
Tally to religious folk. there is a scene
hat almost corresponds with the much
condemned second act OF "The Conquer
RS" Marcus Suporbus locks in the room
sith him the terrified and helpless Chris
ian girl. Mercia, declaring that he will
wait no longer for her. He grasps her
'ody with an intent that Is evident. She |
truggles. The whole bit is precisely like |
hat gone through by William Faversham
nd jessie Millward. Mercia is no purer |
nd no more unwilling than Yvonue. the
french woman; Marcus is no less eager
han Eric. the Prussian soldier. But The
onquerors was recommended on account | (
I Its brnadness and The Sign OF the d
ross was prescribed for the narrow. Re- I
ul'antly. Paul Potter was judged lit /
rary vandai. while Wilson Barrett is n S
amatie elevator. #
Ii Is indeed remarkable how far the talk y
( other people sinks into the mind of the n
verage theatregoer and bears fruit. ! q
The Sign of the Cross" is quoted as an $
and is not contrasted with Sap Il
no." But II the situation mentioned had o
cen part OF Clyde Fitehs product. the q
orror OF certain iSeal newspapers and OF
ertain local playseers would have been Il
idescribable. There are one or two s
peeches in Wilson's Barrett's presenta- Il
on that William A. Brady would term b
audacious." Put on at the Casino, the II