The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-20
BUSINESS Is BUSINESS. !"
HERE rs ". III. CRANE IN A NEW
PLAY FROM FRANCE.

oc,,,e Mirbcau's Les Araires sont Les
AraIres" Done Into English and
produced at the Criterion-The
Play ExceiIentIy Acted Throughout.
The capitalist whose entire soul Is
yrapped in the financial affairs Of his world
has found a place among the gallery Of
theatrical portraits. Octave Mirbeau wrote
q play called LES Affaires sont les Affaires, "
ard it was originally performed at the
Conedie Frnrcaise.
Robert Kitchens trar ated ii into Eng
lish calling II Business Is Business" and
twas brought forth las nigh ut the Cri-
terion Theatre. The nam. y, the money
soaked capitalist is Isiiore Lechot, and he
ia impersonated In this American edition
Of Con 6iic FRANCHISE study by William
X. Crane, who has played many kinds Of
fathers, rogues, spectators and other
middle aged persons OF uncertain morals.
There is not much of the speculator
about Lechdt He is one Of the great Ma
poleors Of finance, master OF the gigantic
combination. farseeing, cold, calculat-
ing, relentless, meroiless. hater Of men
ard still more OF women, a walking trial
balance of all things human, with none
tarv mark opposite each mans name.
He despises his daughter because she
has tastes for the humanities. and he loves
his son because the youth sluanders hun
dIcds OF thousands and thus advertises
his fathers enormous wealth Meanwhile
the daughter falls in love with Lcchufs
private che mist, and arranges to elope
with him she would rather be poor than
live in an at no5yhe-e Of swinding and
wholesale robbery.
The son gees ont and gets killed in his
motor car and when the father to carry
out a ret Sc ere. tries n marry his daugh-
ter 70 Tie son OF a marquis, he finds that
she is n rebel beyond reconciliation. Even
over the sons dead body he drives blood
squeezing contract and with the paper
mills hand goes out 70 weep over the corpse
That is practically all Of the play. IT is
rot Il play at all in the strict sans. OF that
word. 5'it rather dramatic sketch in thrt G
acts showing different aspects OF the per-
sonslitJ' " one monster OF fnnEce. Yet
here are two o. ihT..s oppoIt unities for
the ,iso!osu-e OF character in the other
parts.
Tho daughter is human and has in fu-
erta emotions Iar revelation Of her
secret horror Ct Ter home to her lover ia
good dramatic natter. The wife Of the
u
ard though her catlY sce- es show only her
arrogance by .,' exacting husband, her
last scero b:i'igs o. I ore touch Of motherly
teei.g.
NJ Crane ia ovc-,laaty suited with the
roe Of Lrchu Z enables him to depict
with much SUCCESS The relenrleas and domi
neering fnancier finally broken down by
the rebellion Of his daughter and the los
Of his son, Mr.. Crane made much of the
innate vuearity The cultivated cruelty
and the undiscipiined temper of the fellow
and his last act was en- unco:nmonlv good
piece nj acting.
Harriet Otis Dellenraueh was fully elual
to the demands Of The mother. and Katherine
GREY made stirling picture of the m orose,
yet passionate. daughter. Joseph Wheelock
had q very light stretch to contribute as
3oricr, the son, hut he filed the outline
with light and shade. The other parts
we're in competent hands; in feet, the play
as a whole was we'll acted. The audience
was hearty in its expressions Of satisfac-
finn