The sun., 1903-12-13

Kitty"-was frat heard at the Theatre des
Capucines, Paris. 1t Is frothy, amusing
comedy Of manners In which an angular
American girl and her country come In for
some sly, sarcastic raps. The author must
have had some international marriages IN
his mind when he wrote the play. The
: Je ne suis quoi lacking in the make up
of an American heiress seems to be princi-
pally an absence OF the depravity so dear
to the heart Of certain perverted Parisian
authors. However If the morale OF M de
Croisset is not worn on his sleeve. 1t must
be admitted that his comedy Is diverting
enough; especially as given by Charlotte
Wiehe at the Vaudeville. Her company
is good especially the acting OF M. Charlier.
No less an authority than Acton Davies
has assured us that in It's first garb
.Mamselle Napoleon" now on view at the
Knickerbocker Theatre, was dainty play
Of merit and singular attractivenees' IL
suffered change Of heart before 1t came
, to New York. At present 1t Is comic opera,
with few serious episodes and gorgeously
! mounted; for Manager Ziegfeld knows hit
business and is always prodigal in decora-
ton. As am not a music critic cannot
pass Judgment on the music OF Gustav
Luders. When Richepin sent over the
bald scenario, Joseph Herbert undertook
the thankess task Of transforming 1t into
comedy. His first dranght was the more
art istic; the newer version is probably
more popular. Anna Held has seldom
given ua as much Of her true measure as
in this play. Her recitation of lie Lion la
Souris" proved charming. But there is
too much slang throughout. It detracts
from an otherwise enjoyable production
In the veins of David Belasco runs
Oriental blood. and as his forebears were
Portuguese like to think that perhaps
there was an original mixture Of Moorish.
His imagination is pictorial; he views his
stage as huge canvas upon which he
may embroider arabesques, fascinating
in hue and line. After the exotic rhap-
sodiee in color of "The Darling Of the Gods
Sweet Kitty Bellairs" will seem trite In
theme to some of his admirers. But, as
pointed out in the review Of the first night,
it Is Beasco's ingenious treatment Of
subject that has been worn to the bones
by legions Of romance purveyors and dra-
matte hucksters that renders 80 attractive
has been so vilified that only liberal study
of Fielding, of Hogarth, Of Rowlandson's
coarse prints will purge away all the false
sentiment, the cant and the artificial frou-
frou Of impossible costumes. As mat
ter Of sheer fact. the epoch was a great.
coarse, free one. Men and women wrote
and jested on things that would Jail them
in our SNUG, hyprocritical age. Even
such a master as Thsckeray presented an
essentially false portrait OF the century
in his great 4Esmond,' false because ro-
mantle. Whatever else it was. the
eighteenth century, the age Of reason
was miles removed from romance, even il
that master of pulling sentiment. withal
a master Of feminist psychology. Richard
son, did write "Cla rissa Harlowe." George
Meredith. in his Chloe, followed in Thack-
eray's footsteps, though after his own
brilliant style.
The Egerton Castles preferred to make
the appeal popular. They knew that the
first chapter of Diana OF the Crossways.'
as was we'll said by an American critic,
will always prove as big barrier as thick
set hedge to the average reader. So they
desiocated Didna; they left out her soul
and her brain. retaining her witty tongue,
her beauty and her compelling magnetism.
KITTY BelIdirs Is only a silhouette Of Didnai
but she Is fascinating creature all tho
same, and in the person Of Henrietta Cros-
man she forestalls criticism. The Belasco
Theatre will be crowded for many months
before public curiosity is satiated with
Sveet Kitty. She Is an adorable girl; her
brogue Is like paprikd--it lends a biting
piquancy to her words. And she has a
heart as capacious as the moon. Miss
Crosman has never had modern part that
better displayed her versatility Of mood,
volatility Of gesture. or one In which she
could 80 easily shift from tears to smiles
was very strong she skated over the thin
Ace Of scintillating repartee, while under
meath her whole nature was on the point
Of being dissolved into the deep waters of
woe. She made a pretty use of alternate
grief and gayety in the inn scene; and the
final tableau was touching-a veritable
Milais, with its falling rain, it's forlorn
woman, in whose breast hope had been
renewed, the whole an astonishingly beau
tiful picture.
Mr. Belasco has outpointed all stage
managers in the realism of this rainy day;
1t is real rain that falls, and 1t is much better
managed than the terrific deluge saw in
Paris last summer at a representation of
Berliozs 1Damnation Of Faust" The
other scenes I have expatiated upon at
length. The ball is marvellously managed.
1t gives to the eyes all the sensations Of
ball. at which there is dancing. feverish and
decorous. The general performance now
moves at a swifter pace, There are some
excellent impersonations necessarily over
looked in the rush of first nights record.
Frank Westerton as a tattling officer with
an undercurrent Of malignancy in his
nature, and J. Malcolm Dunn as a fine
tempered. open hearted Irish Captain are
both noteworthy interpretations. Edith
Crane. imposing and handsome, deserves
praise for her work as a jealous belle, and
Louise Noodle is a dowager to perfection.
The best thing in Edwin Stevens's acting
was not alone his jovial drunken scene,
but the manner with which he took leave
OF his nephew at the close of Act II. The
mixture of boozy dignity, outraged pro-
priety and shocked military honor we're
all admirably expressed in the curl of his
eloquent upper lip.