Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-16
ANU SEMENTS.

NEW NATIONAL MISUNDERSTANDING
the exhalations OF the swamp grow fan
tastic flowefs, things of beauty to be adj
mired, but only from afar; to be studied
but not TO be transplanted. The haunts
% the scarlet woman are every now and
then explored by the novelist and some
strange specimen of human nature is
Haunted forth, q thing often of weird
fascination, but to the normal tempera-
ment always an exotic interesting because
1t belongs to an unfamiliar atmosphere.
In pure air and sunshine it must perish
and contaminate. Such a specimen is
Daudet's "Sspho." In book, she represents
a type for which language contains no
name too low She is to be pitied in
deed. but only as a moral nonstrosity. The
story of her relationship with a young man
who goes to study diplomacy in Paris, is
told with poetic precision. The novel has
fiXity of form which makes any effort to
IT model it according 10 current theatrical
fashion very perilous 1t is much like build
ing IL bay window on the Parthenon. The
ordinary novel may be subjected to much
distortion in order 10 fit it for the stage,
so long as the climaxcs are sufficiently
stirring and the interest sustained. But in
'Sapho" the author assumed a higher re-
spcnsibiity than that of mere diversion.
He is quoted as declaring that he wrote
the book fer his son to read when he should
reach the age of twentS-one years. The
character of "Sapho" the novelist por-
trays her is essentially and consistently
feline. She loves warmth. caresses and her
place of abode-Paris. She is strong In er-
otic impulse, but she knows nothing of love
in its more spiritual sense.
The Sapho whom Olga NetherSole brought
to the stage of the New National
Theater last night did not carry out this
conception of the character The play is
chiefly admirable for the opportunities 1t
n NafhGrspl.'. 1arI,
al of emotional scenes.
II is too little to call Olga Nethersole
great actress. She has the subtle, yet COM
manding, sympathetic force which makes
the audience suffer with her anguish and
refuse to believe that she is not for the mo-
ment the character she portrays She be-
comes more than the mechanical mouth
piece of the author and transforms common
place phrases into great heart-cries of feel
ing. There is more than art in Nethersole's
performance. To see her interpret those
phases of the character which are faithful
TO the original is an experience which ought
TO compensate for any disappointment the
spectator may feel at finding the purpose
of the story subor1inated to trte theatrical
methods. If Mr.. Daudet's 21-year-old son
could have seen the play he would have
| had far different idea of the woman from
that conveyed by the story. The first act
showing the fancy bal, is almost overbur-
dened with spiendor. 1t gives Mr.. Clyde
Fitch an opportunity to indulge his pen
chant for dramatiZing costumes and par
lor games. Superficial as the scene is. IT
affords a good contrast for the somberness
of succeeding acts. II Is in the treacherous
last act. that bane Of dramatiSts, that the
chief difficulty occurs. 1t is sought to make
of Sapho heroine who forsakes her life
with the student for high and womanly
motives. She realizes that her love was a
menace to its object and she clings to her
child and to its father more than to her
later tdOl-becauSe they can all get on
| more comfortably that way. This conflict
of three loves is invested with much prob
ability when Miss NetherSole portrayS IT.
| but under cold scrutiny 1t becomes little
grotesque. The effort to give the separa-
uon noble and sentimental aspect was out
| OF Key with human probability. The APP
| pearance of her boys father, the forger
| on the scene just after she has been VOW
| ing that she could not endure life without
Jean changes her purpose at once The cpl
sode becomes transaction almost mer-
cenary IN Its GOODNESS, and any attempt to
| adorn the participants with the higher
qualities of soul is false and discordant
The effort to ideaiZe the character is
! made more objectionable by the manner Of
| supplying the comedy. The woman who is
tliving in defiance of society is beautff;ed
| every delicacy of feeling. The people who
| have complied with social tradition and
been legally married are distinguished by
red faces. bad table manners and vulgar
| hypocrisy in their domestic relations II
| can hardly be contended that the differences
! to be drawn from these contrasts are ele-
l waiting. The play Is superbly presented
with Mr.. Hamilton Revelle playing the
/ part of Jean Gaussin in a way which ia as
| manly and probable as the plot of the play
permits. II the production does no more
| than call attention to the beauties of the
1 novel, II Will perform q very Desirable
| work. The nicely of detail In the first act
gives the performance rank as spectacu-