The sun., 1903-02-22
SARDOU'S PLAY ABOUT DANTE.
The Drama Written for Sir Henry Irving
May Be His Last Work.

May Be Hts Last Work.
Victorien Sardou continues to take him
self more seriously than any Of his critics
are willing TO do and has been talking very
profoundly of the play Dante which he
has written for Sir Henry Irving.
In all probability the hero OF this new play
will be the same conventional stage type
that Sardou has been turning out for the
past fifteen years. but the veteran writer
discusses this character as II II were to be
some valuable historic study Of the great
Italian. He says that Dante seems to him
a figure admirably adapted to the stage.
In italy, where the popular conception of
Dane is quite different from that which
prevails in other countries, he is incon-
ceivaSle as a stage figure.
Sardou says that he has ignored all the
political phases of Dante's character. IA he
would have been compelled to make him a
Ghibelliae and thus in a measure unpatriotic
II he had shown him In the midst OF the party
struggles that surrounded him. He has
taken the poet merely as a man. He has
sought to show him in tho most noted cpl
sodes of the "Commedia Divina- in rela-
tion to Count Ugolino, Francesca da Rtmini
and Pia del Tolome.
The play is in, "a prologue and four acts.
The scene Of the prologue Is laid al Pisa.
There, on winter evening IN lSUS. tTe poet
meets the beautiful Pid. wife Of Eeho, who
after the disappearance OF B~atr'ce he
comes bis mistress and bears him child.
This is @ NINA. his daughter.
DInie appears in the p logus a. the oppon-
ent OF Archbishop Ru0gie1 and at
tacks him with such warmth that he is ex-
| communicated.
In the first act the poet disguised as
monk, has returned to San Miniato from his
| banshment and seeks the house Of Mdid-
| ,,,t fr;n nyfn md
! Ca ssiia He knows that his daughter
| Gernma is in the house Of AalatestG, while
! his beloved Pa is confined in fortress in
| Narenma.
In this act the Paolo and Francisco
episode is introduced and the dramatic
climax Is the discovery that D1n's is the
| father Of 0emmd.
In the second act Pa dies in the prison
to which her jealous husband had her com
mitted. DAME releases Gsnma from the
cloister in which Nelo confined her after
learning that abe WAS not his daughter.
Mdiotesid. who is in love with 0emmo, hepe
him in the escape. but the two. lovers
eventually fall into the hands Of N.i'o.
in the third act Dante 10 seen al the grave
Of Bsd,rice and later in the journey through
hell In the last act, he il at the palace OF
the Pope at Avignon tryin 20 secure pardon
for his daughter and Mdietssta, who has
been communicated through the infu-
ence of Eeiio.
While in Avignon he hears the struggles
of Philip the Beautiful, forgets his own
sorrows and declares that he will In the
| future devote himself to- avenging the
wrongs Of others, and relentless as Nemesis
seek 10 protect the oppressed and per-
secuted.
The Dante play Ia not to be acted in
Italy although Emete Novelli would be
ideal in the leading role. But Sardou is
afraid to send tho poet to q country in
which he is 30 well known. Then 1t Ia i'm
probable that the Purgatory scene which
requires elaborate scenery, could be done
on the Italian stage in . way to avoid
ridcule
There is to be no attempt to reproduce
the Dora pictures, in spite Of the reports
to that effect. Rous n. the painter has
designed this scene under Sardous direc-
ton and Xavier Leroux has composed q
symphonic accompaniment to the drama
which the author declares is fine enough to
stand alone as q symphony.
But the most interesting feature OF the
sardou drama is the probability that l,
will be his last.