The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-05-22

The Clever Juvenile Entertainer OF the Holden
Stock Company
Marlowe abandoned it finally some said
because of its morals-or rather lack of
morals: some said because she felt herself
unsuited to impersonate eighteen-year-
old convent gu A combination of causes
brought about its production last Friday
afternoon. Daniel Frohman, who hereto
fore has managed the annual benefit per-
Torrance for the Actors Fund, found that
the usual extraordinary programmes ar
ranged for these occasions gave playgoers
so much for their money that legitimate
business was unreasonably injured. There
fore it was decided to utilize the best of
Charles F'rohmans actors appearing in
town in an specially strong cast for
single play G.. L. was bound 10 the French
author of ''Yvette' to produce the drama
before this seasons end, and D. +. is on the
eagle search for part in which to raise
backing of famous authorship and Partisan
prosperity, brought about the American
hearing of 'Yvette. which proved itself
worthy of that hearing if not of prolonged
public attention.
The programme and official announce
ments declared it to be "by the author of
'Zaza.'" though the accuracy of that claim
became Improbable when Paul Berton was
named as having written the famous play
known to be by Pierre Berton and Charles
Simon. Whichever Berton it was Ghere
are two father and son. collaborateurs in
several plays). ne found more than his view
of life in Maupessant. deriving his story
from that source too. This he spread
thinly over half his play in the mere mat
ter of explaining that Yvette was the
daughter of a luxurious wanton, and had
live amongst her mothers glittering set of
evil women and dishonest men; that the girl
was so innocent as to see none OF the sip
about her; and that a young man, slightly
fl,,, hn CT 6CiNn rod ms r.
rage or whether her guilelessnesS was mere
coquetry, and that a religious solemniza-
ton would not be necessary to their union.
Thus II was that when strong. emotional
drama did take the stage the girl seemed so
imposSibly undlScerning, on the one hand,
the man so caddish, OH the other. and the
whole fabric so absolutely foreign to us,
that we were never moved and often barely
interested.
One might be tempted to take a more Sc
rious tone with the nastiness of this play
"by the author of 'Zaza' " but that it died
before slaughter. Only in recalling the
original can one look upon this translation
by Cosmo Cordon-Lennox C'Mr. Marie
Tempest''), with merely moderate bushes.
The immoral chatter of the original has
been in fumigation. reduced to witlessness
and sometimes dull vulgarity. 1t made ut
terly tireSOme a first act OF talk that,
though dramatically pointless, was. in the
French. frothily laughable. And this in
spite of the fact that even four-line parts
were played by prominent actors. 1t being
for charity, many of our best known play
ers walked on" with the result that
reception" greeted even the man who an
nounced. My lady's carriage is in wait
ing" This first third of the play was in
deed, an act of entrances. When the drama
got in swing only Margaret Ellington, Doro-
thy Dorr and Bruce McRae had things
worth doing, and they did them we'll. In
terest centered. of course. in Miss Ellington.
who is fast proving that her hasty adj
vancement is justified by far more than the
fact that she is the bride of Daniel Froh-
man.
Alice e. Ives was the dramatist who had
looked at life through Bret Harte, as Mr..
Berton had learned mankind from Maui
PEASANT, rather than nature, and ii was
the latter, less spontaneous Bret Harte.
the imitator of himself, whom Mrs. Ives
emuIated in STAIRS Girl May Edouin had
used this play in England, where IL was
probably accepted as a more faithful pic
ture of our West than ii could be here,
and she arranged 10 try il in New York
with the aid of Mr.. Donnelly's stock COM
pany probably in the hope that an Amer
lean manager would send her on a tour in
lit Some one will, / should think Accept
ing basis OF artifciality, Ii is an admir-
able unoriginal entertainment. with
strong appeal to the sentimentality of the