The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-02-17
A PERvERs,oN OF HISTORY.
The Republic Of Boston Scores Bern.
hardt and Sardou.

inc Republic OF 6oseon scores Bern.
hardt and Sardou.
S;rah Eernhardt has just been in
Boston. The Republic pays it's re-
. speeds tn the French actress in IL long
article from which we quote the fol-
lowing
THE sensation of the moment in
Boston is Sarah Bernhardt-the Sarah
of the golden voice. the athletic con-
! torti"ns and the vulgar exploitation
of tie mere noxious forms of the
drana. She is without principle-tne
mere slave of the conditions Of the
time. and the dreary drip. drip of the
Sick!y sentiment which is smeared over
her plays render them unfit for the
Catholic thcater-goer.
1t would seem that the Serpentine
Sarah might have selected play
which would reveal her abilities with
out shocking the sensbilities of Cath
olics.
The latter she has done in the most
offensive manner. in la Sociere,"
which was produced on last Monday
night at the Boston Theater and
which. we believe. is to be repeated.
It's author. Sardou. is one of the
clevcrcst and most brilliant play
wrigats of the day. He is the Paris
ian wizard-thc meteor Of Marny--wtlO
has created more effective plays than
amy other author before the public.
ffe is aus much of Il mocker rs Vol
taire Was. with no bitterness. but the
desire to create theatrical effect that
is Il consuming passion. He has the
! supreme tcclnitician's love of form.
and symmetry, and all that lavish
;lud;.city and recklessness which makes
the usual brilliant Observation-Disclosures
from Catholic restraints-the most
dangerous Of rebels against religion
| is infamous. satanic. In Dante" he
placed his Shiny hand upon the spot
less lover of Beatrice. In La So
cier." he teaches a view Of history
that would be amusing were it not
traSirH IN it's consequences. He has
beauty at his command. but it is the
beauty "f Scrpents and of panthers,
"f sinister. cruc! passions that wriths
and crouch in the dark recesses OF
human nature-that is. human nature
as s@rlI in the green nbsinthe OF the
'houlcNardier.'' He is shocking and
shameless. Tle is the avant courier
"r the prostitute and the arch gloritier
of Insliul love. Purity with him,
would seem to be ~ jocul;lr expression.
he has invented for the .bcstial Bern
hurl!t
Strdnu has invented his own his
tory for dramatic purposes. His pic
lures of the period are false, his read
ing "i Cardinal Xnenes' character
totally untrue to history. his char;,c-
tcrs untHpicul and his incidents nom
representative. One is rather lenient
tn the interpretations of religion given
Ivy authors who are nurtured OH the
traditions of anti-Catholic hostility in
France. The atmosphere they breathe
is bad. 1t is morally malarial. Yet
S;lrdou. VINO. when he" does not find
i,istory to his liking, deliberately fall
: Sites it To suit his purpose goes be-
scene We see Il governors palace. Tor
'aya ttunts her lover, cajoles him. over
comes him and sweeps him into flight.
, We view th3 subterranean chamber
i where sac faces the inuuisititors and
lac cruel. relentless purposes of the
I Cardinal dominating the scene. She
explains, endures, lies. retracts. and
lies again to save her lover. Then
| In the public square. Near the waiting
! stake. before the snarling mob. takes
poison from Il secret vial and escapes
/ from tho flames. The llrid figure of
the Cardinal is supremc-and such a
figure. He Is as close a Vortraiture
as Il grisly caricatnre of Roosevelt is
/ unto TIL" president. The intellectual
= i''NSt, l''SSlOlI, VI VIC I'LL.
pcrinl imagination which marks the
character of Cardinal Nimenes on the
broad canvas of history is not limited
at. He ia the Grand Inqutsitor who,
In the name OF the Pope himself. pro-
iccts the tragic and cruel catastrophe.
Tho portrait Of Ximcnes as rendered
by tic Max is nothing less than per-
verso. and prostitution of history.