New-York tribune., 1900-11-11
THE DRAMA.
zAzA. sAPHo AND co-USL1,r1rEn

CARTER AND NETHERSOIE
The moral mnistrattons OF Mrs c.r.a- -
which with the apostolic sanction of Chares Fros
man. have for several weeks edited blessed .r1
ehnoDled this community, at the Criterion Theatr.
have. for the present. been concluded and that A.
emplary toier In the vineyard of virtue viii -
operate elsewhere, extending the sphere or b..
oenehcence and refreshing other sandy WASTE,
OF sin with those dews OF righteousness and Gas,
sons OF rectitude for which she is so signauv y,
nowned Her labors here have abundantIy rsml,.5
In fruits, and other deHcacies. for repentaues
and the crowded ranks OF her grateful pros.vs.
cannot behold without pang the deep disaster ofhsr
gong on The heart will occasionally break undsr
such narrowing circumstances Of bereavement and
deprivation. and yet. as Lord Byron noticed II VIII
brokenly live A martyred public hovyever nsaa
not sorrow. as those without hope. for Mrs Cartsr
Is soon coming back. and coming not only With
the morally fecund Zaza but with a character
still more tumiferous. from the same iznipotent
Belasco pen; and. meantime.-to soothe all sorrows
and to dry all tears.-as golden Carter lesssua IN
the West, the Orient blazes with refulgent Nsther-
SOLE In the absence OF Zaza there is comfort IN
knowledge that seekers after truth and lovers
OF virtue repair to Wallack's Theatre ana sit
at the number nine English feet OF sapho.
Sweet Harmonist! and beautiful a. swsssi
And young beautiful and soft as younSt
And gay soft! and innocent gay!'
Nethersole. TO be sure. is iuaItator OF Carter,
and not quite the genuine article OF moral suasion
heard from Rejane. who surely ought to know
that Sapho is innocent milk alongside the strong
wine OF Zaza. But the imitation is potential: Il
huttered the Voices OF the District Attorney
last April: II Nethersole as Sapho cannot pre-
cpitate herself upon the contiguous furniture with
quite the reckless abandonment and athletic an
guish OF Carter Zaza- she can plunge at the
carpet with violence that acute agony
she can smash brc-a-brac with remarkably Tree
hand. she can emit no end OF raucous sounds. and
as to the Mysteries OF amatory stationery In that
sweet episode OF the love letters. she readily
excel competition: and. after all. and notwtth-
standing Rejane that singuarly chaste and ulunn-
NATIVE spiral staircase business with the inpas-
stoned Sa apho Is almost as full OF salutary sir
nincance for ingenious minds and almost as stira-
ulative Of the nober propensties OF humanity as
the delicate dressing scene with the loving
Zaza. in which that other artless child OF nature
refreshes her half-naked person with powder and
perfumery. and cooes and purrs around her re-
luctant lover in what is no doubt intended the
true spirit OF the Sunday school Sapho may BE-
the lacteal fluid Of morality compared with
zaza but its milk, If milk 1t be- is least that
of goats: and this is form OF theatrical nour-
ishnent that must be undervalued or dis
parased II Chaucer's apple tree grow and
become a standard test OF morals under the ap-
proving smile and fructifying sunshine OF the
Supreme Court. why Sapho2 mo, sir" said
DR.. Johnson. Prior is a lady's book: no lady Is
ashamed to have II standing in her library
This being understood. and these things being In
order, the mourners for the absent Zaza must bs
consoled by the present Sapho. And what COM
fort 1t Is to consider that Carter and Nethersole
both extant IN the period and both engaged
in the same holy work! Much as the community
has been elevated by contemplation Of these
heroic actors. 1t probably has not yet entirely
comprehended the nature and extent of It's obiga-
tion to them They have broken many letters;
they have Nlumined many dark places; they
have SWEEP away many delusions. In particular.
they have dsspated the fallacious notion that the
theatre ha he hon, 1Ph o-5
art: that the drama should be a repository Of nobs
thought. romantic imagery, and pure and gentle
influence: that acting should show its spectators al
ideal to be emulated.-in character, life and man
Matchmaking them happier than they were before
seeing 1t. and leaving their hearts upIifted and
their minds refreshed. That was an old belief; but
with other old behefs-with foolish ideas about
love- and purity. and self-sacrihce. the hresde OF
| home and the sanctity of the altar OF GOd-tt
must now be cast aside. Old-fashioned. futing
Views about the stage have had their day and II
is time they were discarded The true purpose
and mission OF the Modern Theatre is to place
within the public reach the precious privilege OF OBJ
serving the Establishments and the Tribulations OF
Courtesans and hussies the riffraff of female
vanity. folly. and lust; of studying the means en-
ployed by those beatic persons fascinats fools
| and to obtain music hall engagements; and, Incl
dentally OF inspecting the brothel side of metro
poItan life. OF learning how homes disrupted
! characters are degraded. ruined ana
hearts are broken and of imbibing. at last. set-
"eu uiosuSI ior human nature Sueh as - "eii %
culated 10 turn the kindeSt soul bitter Cynclsn'
to shatter the foundations OF al religious fa;th'
| and to cover everything in the world with pail OF
safety and despair. That is the logical and leslu
mate inference obviously deducible from much IhA'
| has been exhibited the stage within recent
| period,-and not only exhibited the stage oul
| rapturously accepted by a multitude of the puonc'
1t may not be amiss, accordingly, just now. 10 lnui
| cate that the tolls. achievements and renoWn u
| those players, alike in England and America NHo
are engaged in this great business OF thus wdeIlnk
| the popular vision and supervising the popular
moral Ia class well represented by Carter am
| Nethersole. with "Zaza' and 'Sapho plays Tni1l'
are shockingly immoral in their influence. ana & ~
less so because tagged with the sickenng purFiuiNs
/ OF moral lessons" and plays that have BEEN A
| customarily are. shown and acted in a shoeAinsD
| ndelicate and offensive manner). are at least 0
| ginning to be understood. and that they ousns
| WV