New-York tribune., 1902-12-04
THE DRAMA.
MISS BATES AT THE BELAsCo.
THE DARLING OF THE GODS

The Belasco Theatre. last night. the scene or
g -espendent spectacle and of a remarkable drs-
-,atic achievenent-the former being the
Tonanese play. called The Darling OF the Gods
20 the latter being the embodiment of its heroine
rs play is fabric of the fancy: wildly romantic.
,nrsual in character and incident: overlaid with
,-ofuse opulence of illustrative picture: pcpulous
,ita auxiliaries; redundant with language; occa-
onslly mystical with implication OF Japanese Gus
.s-s and religious beliefs: bizarre with Oriental
,-sndor like that Of 'Vathek': languid with sweet
,sss like that Of 'Lallah Rookh'': but busy with
o.ion effective with situation. and freightef with
!. Ioye story of singular interest and melancholy
beauty The impersonation Of its heroine. by Miss
-p5anche Bates-who was cheered with enthusi-
.+ic yxelcome.-presenIs lovely image Of ardent
,-o-oenhccd, aIlures with the enchantment of
,i,uant simplicity. fires the imagination with
rse Of passionate vitality. and.-with its sugses-
+ion Of the spiritual triumph Of faithful loveVery
ssenlv touches the heart. Clad in the habiirnents
= japanese woman and circumscribed with
7ooanese complexities. actress must. indeed. be
earnest and potential, whose true feeling and deli
ate and conlpulsive art ear dissipate all atmos-
be-e Of singularity and produce the effect 81
nature and truth
Tbe dramatic experience of this heroine,-disser-
res from embellishments of picture. prolixity OF
Isnguage and incidents and objects of national Pc
,Ifa-itv-is simple and clear She is princess. in
7snan betrothed TO a japanese eourtier whom she
soss not wish TO wed She has stipulated, as pre-
,,r,irarv condition their marriage, that this
o,-1ier must show his valor by capturing certain
formidable outlaw. Prince Kara who. on belhg
ca-r11red will be put TO death She Is rescued from
,s+a dishonor through the expeditions courage and
a-cn-irude Of this outlaw and on seeing each
cher they become lovers She coneeals him IN her
z-reiErg, when. wounded and almost dying ne mas
made his way her. through coroon OF enc
-,iss and for many days she tends upon hlIn' 50
,be+ his wounds are healed. and then, for time
these lovers are happy in their secret love She is
sovever dishonored by this indtscretion ana "Ien'
rrssertly her father Prince Saigon dlsooFeIs Liei
fssr she is declared 10 be an outcast' ana leE
liver is doomed TO torture and death ohe 'heA
ENDS that she can obtain his release by oefraFlhs
his outlaw followers and in desperate agony OF
s-ead and horror she betrays them; but she gains
nothing by this action, save an access OF misery
for her lover again overpowered, commits SUICIDE
tn the honorable j panese manner ana she Il re-
alone with only his forgiveness as comfort aho
with the hope that,-after thousand years oi
,oneiness and grief, in the underworld of shaoo"'
she viii be again united with him. IN the
eternal happiness of heaven. The play SHOWS Ae1
an innocent confding. pathetic hsure' arl'o 'IIe
stormy vtcisstudes and affecting trials thus lnui
Gated ana leaves her at the last, redeemed anc
-rsnshgured on the verge Of Paradise, where Kara
stretches forth his arms TO embrace her al"
there Is neither trouble nor parting hoI SOil0"
snv more In word. this experience Of Japanese
girl IS only the old ordeal again, OF woman
..,rsacA and anguish when giving all Tor loNe-
so-nethfng Of Shakespeare's Juliet is IN this nero
me something OF Goethes Margaret, something u
many OF the passionate, wayward mournfuiiy oeau-
iiful ideals Of passion and sacrlhce Olla' 0ie IN
mortal in story and in song Fantastc lnVesutuIe
o1o+rine the whole theatrical fabric, makes tnls
familiar image, perhaps G little strange, but al
the same it is prescnt,-the image of owing anc
sorroViue woman, true, tender, falthIui ioreNei'
ana celestial alike in her love and in her grlef.
The acting Of Miss Blanche Bates has. all eiohs'
shown a sweet wildness OF impulse. freedom oi
abandonment g delightful impetuosity OF leenis-
In this performance she is If possible, more ulA
rouvential than ever. The appearance OF Ao-sah
IS beautiful the action spontaneous, graceful afer
with v1gor and free from all restraint OF sell
consciousness CT fnical prudery. The clear keen
healthful north wind is suggested by IL the fech
less dash of a ulid-ocean wave, the hapPy SEQ
birds fight There is no ostentation about II nc
pompous parade. no simuiation OF the peui%e.''a
crank no pulpiteer aspect Of stuy didacucisr, out
every fibre of 1t thrills with sincerity sueh an
actress-sn this weary time Of problems ana ser
mons moral eurgftations. and the stun ana non
sense Of scissorized novels and dirty faree.-is
.-ssE ens blessed refreshuent. Miss Bates Is
capable Of rauch higher and better things thah
Tc-san and Japanese drama: out, for what this
re-<orrnance affords. and still more for waat II IN
d;cates the lovers acting will cheerfuly conteIn
plate the flyers OF carp fHho probably are crit
icsl the Corean giant. the mysteries Of the he
roic seppuRu' and ''tfe Fox Sisters who oevour
mems souls" ana will listen with Joy 10 both the
Rlwa and the Koto There was hne acting also
besides
IS Zaksur: Minister Of War. supplied the needful
,-,nulse OF "ev;l genius" TO the drama, showing
irnagiaation and a fine potentahty or dangerous
force: Nj Robert T. Haires made Kara duly pic1-
s5rescue ferveat. and interesting; and Mr. ano Mrs
walcot furnished an abundance, the one OF i'm
-z-ssr authority ana the other OF characteristic
hunor The part Of the War Minister caNous
-en1orseiess cold villain. of the order of the Duke
of fA1va-has been elaborately drawn. and Mr.. Arlss
invested him with frightfully sinister manner OF
TtS--1t fG <Cfr
lev hun1or; and he had exceptional success even
for an actor who always acts well. is usual in
spectacles the continuity Of the dramatic story Is
broken by an expansion of collateral, minor in
cdents converting them into protracted episooes-
such as that of the ndelcate. needless, courtesan
colloouy IN the first act and the visit OF the sus-
picious and loquacious Aunt, in the third But
there are fine touches of imagination in the play
and as spectace, il surpasses all its predecessors
IN wealth Of color and beauty OF detail IN the
scene OF the Night Watch at the gates: IN that Of
the stealthy nocturnal search for Kara, outside
the lodge OF the Princess; and in that OF the Yo-
supplicat.on fer lovers life, there is the
very poetry Of terrcT. The expedients employed
have been used IN earlier melodramas. such as
Patrie' and -'Tosca.' but they freshly handled
now. or at least are made newly terrible with
atnosphere Of on1inous dread Mr.. Belasco has
offered 70 his public a work os novelty. variety,
and scenic splendor. rot emitting the element Of
htsrionic art: and. Notwithstanding excess of
limbs and outward fouriShes." his offering is
symmetrical and raaeniicent. prompting a memory
Of the old days Of ''Pizarro.'' The Ganges" and
The Bronze Horse" but proving that this day also
Is golden and that Aladdin's Lamp has not been
irret-isrably lost. ". W
CAST OF THE DARLING OF THE GODS"
ssson Prince Of Charles Waleot
Eoass-Tanjl Albert Eraning
-ass S-S5. ufl4-' Tsfa-3