Omaha daily bee., 1905-08-06


Maeterlincl has in this play propounded
a question that will very likely never be
answered. Briefly Pisa is hopeessly be-
sieged, starvation and pestilence are al
readyslaying more than the war; the fall
of the town impends, and the sack Is GER
tain to bring death and dishonor to many
more for the soldiers OF that delightful
period had the comforting habit of helping
themselves to whatsoever they fancied
when turned loose to pillage conquered
community. The commander of the be-
sleging army Is a renegade, with apparently
original ideas. He sends words TO the
commander OF the beleaguered city that IL
he will send his wife, clad in a single gar
ment, to the tent of his victorious rival to
spend a single night, the town will be re-
lieved. A train of wagons, bearing pro-
visions and supplies needed for the succor
OF the Pisans is drawn up in full sight
Of the famished garrison and citizens,
awaiting the word to move. The council
of statesmen and soldiers urge on the gen.
eral to accept the offer, pleading with him
in the name of the suffering thousands;
his father begs him to consent, and his
wife, Wanna adds her plea to that of the
others, imploring her husband to allow her
TO sacrifice herself that the many may
be spared. He refuses. Wanna determines
to act without his consent, and goes as
required to the tent of the renegade. There
she is recognized by him as the woman
on whom he has fixed his ideal. the love
of his life. This scene is treated with ex-
Quislte delicacy by the author, and a strong
contrast is set up between the selfish love
of the husband and the purer, tenderer
passion OF the man who had worshiped
her more as a name than as an actual
Tpa Of ha ma
with the basest Of passions, Wanna finds a
man of reason, imbued with some fine no
lions of honor and with high ideas Of per-
sonal conduct She returns to the city
the next day as the honored guest of the
Conqueror, and is met with sold reproaches
~ her husband. When the city has been
r"lisvtd and the victorious army is with
drawn the husband throws hts rival into
= 3 Spngeon and declares his doom. Here
Nan is Wanna called on to contrast
y. tE}9 loves Of the two men, and, bribing
30 guard, she seeks to liberate the prls,
oher. That is all. Maeterlinck hasn't an.
swered the question nor is the conclusion
~ obvious as 10 evade a dispute. What
"a joyful time will be had when Miss
Kalisch and her company set this dish be.
fore the critics of New York
Barrie is 20 be served up later in tn,
season in a double dish, having provided q
short drama OF the Little Mary" type ant
one-act comedy Of the Barrie kind TIT
Barrymore family IL TO have the serving o.
Barrie, Ethel and John appearing in "Alic,
Sit by the Fire" and Lionel in the curtaiI
raiser, which is TO be called "Pantaloon.'
= The title chosen for the main piece is on,
that is likely to raise multitude of expec
tant notions in the minds of the audience
but the effect of the play is to be de
termined yet Barrie as pIaywriter differ
somewhat from Barrie the novelist, bu
only in degree, and one OF the creates
difficulties in connection with Barrie ha
been to know when he is spoofng an,
when he means It. Americans, who ca
pie for breakfast and rarebits for midnigh
luncheons, couldn't see the Joke in "Littl
Mary" and declined to take 1t seriously
II may be that this new play, which nigh
suggest Cinderella TO some and the Small
weeds to others, will leave US as much 4
doubt as did his four act disquisition o.
dyspepsia and rational gastrouomy. Never
theless, It will be grist for the writer
mill. Clyde Fitch Augustus Thomas, Mrs
Humphrey Ward and Bernard Shaw ar
also to contribute to the material to whic
reams Of paper and yards Of typewrite
ribbon will be devoted during the comm
winter 1t may not be a lively winter 10
the patrons OF the drama. but It look
promising for the critics from this dlstanc,
II would be very nice here TO set fort
that the critics are sharpening pencils an
trimming pens In readiness for the OF