The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1906-01-12

feel good all over when the curtain comes
down. You wonder how even such an ex-
pert fF4- dramatic manufacture as AAillianl
Gillette can find any material left over
from that consummate FIRST act out of
which 10 continue for three more acts.
But--Act H. scene /. something happens,
A hideoEs proposition is hypodermically
injected and IL is pretty clear that every
thing that was so well done and finished
In act l. is to be knocked sky-high
Act H. scene 2. about the prettiest bit of
love-making comedy that he been wrought
for the stage in many a season at the ell
macteric, touched and shrivelled by the
hideous proposition.
Act Ill. It's all off--the pretty comedy.
for the hideous proposition has now fairly
got In its work
Act IN-almost tragedy, but restored.
thank goodness. TO the original and un-
surpassed sweetness OF the beginning, for
10 be sure, but that's enough TO send you
out OF the theatre feeling rather better
than you thought you would about IL.
'Clarice' has pathological plot. The
pathological idea is not frequent on the
stage, but IL Is not new--to 80 no farther
back than Camille" who lived and loved
there was Jim the penman" whose
stage life and public services were en-
tangled with heart disease. OF very
modern Instances, OF course. was Mr..
Mary" The plot OF 'Clarice" similarly in
PRODUCES the latest notions OF science with
respect 10 the disease dealt with II
science had taken the view OF today, when
Dumas wrote Camille, he might have
concluded that drama with the death of
Armand and everybody else who had been
In the zone OF infection and made a
tragedy OF IL.
Mr.. Gillette is past master OF plot
Invention and dramatic construction. And
for all the shiver that the hideous
nm pft wa xnaf . axF
from the thrall OF "Clarice" The very
force OF the shock OF scene one OF act
two. after the thoroughly and com
pleasantly delightful three quarters OF an
hour of act one. makes YOU sit up In
startled wonder at the possibilities n Is
as though all your flights of fancy had
suddenly been winged and are coming
down on the run. With the hero and
heroine. the audience wakes up TO find
that II has been dwelling In n fools para
disc and something dreadful is now bound
no means -uHeH4 aela7- 4fA- tAe44-rt4,i
most forget IL again under the spell OF the
delicious love making scene that inter
venes before the hideous propOsition he
gins 10 get down TO business. "Clarice"
Is unconventional, 20 put II conserva-
lively. aud Mr.. Gillette Is a bold stage ar
tlst 10 dare such a thing.
II II is hideous, Il isn't unreal Here
are two men In love with the same
woman. Each is so deeply i'm love as to
be prepared 10 go To any extreme to do
ture turns him 20 self-sacrifice the other
20 sacrifice the universe. IL ne could
everything and everybody rather than
that he should do without her Each
equally is ready 10 go 20 the limit for
his passion. I'm his own way. according
10 his own nature And tho woman. being
n woman, is wiser than either She
simply refuses 10 allow the man she loves
60 sacrifice himself and her I'm the bar
gain.
Miss Marie Doro r. "Clarice." II IS not
necessary 70 more than mention Mr. GIL
iette 10 praise him-the talented dis
tInctive artist. who is his own custom
maker OF his roles-more improssivelv Of
fective than ever with his sharply
chiselled face. his inscrutable smile his
limp and easy figure moving cat-like.
about the stage But Miss Doro Is a
novelty OF talent and distinction The
charm Of her Is unlike the charm of any
other young actress than can be readily
recalled. She Is dainty witchy and
womanly I'm the part that Mr Gillette has
written for the sweetheart of Dr Caring
ton. but she is considerably more than
that. In that II doesn't appear TO be act
ing at all that she does--it Is difficult to
convince yourself that she really is act
ing--she s as finely a nerfected piece of
realism as MIR Gillette himself
And the balance of the company N their
respective parts are incomDarahly nne
TOO. especially the artist who takes the
character mart ~ an old southern
"aunty" It's n polished production ~
hugely interesting specimen OF the
modern drama.