The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-09
IBy the Political Reporter.l

fbX the ROllIlCal ReDOTleT.l
I didn't want to go to this show in
the first place. Having been dragged
in by the heels. / feel at liberty to
say what l think about it. Mighty
few people who paid their money to
see the show will do that. They are
afraid to.
Fact is, am somewhat afraid to
myself. Everybody has a streak of
yellow in EN- when it comes to tell
ing the truth about alleged high brow
ed amusements. Nobody pretends to
tell the truth about grand opera, and
it is very much the same way about
Bernhard.
stil, I have no disposition to unduly
abuse this Bernhard performance,
much less to be severe with the
madame herself. She has good graft,
and anybody with any sense would
work it just the same way she does.
I contend that there would be just
as much sense in going down to the
book store and buying a three dollar
volume of literature in the cunifOrm
alphabet as there is in spending three
dollars in going TO q, show you can't
understand. Ninety-nine out of every
hundred people who went to the Bern
hardt show went there for exactly the
same reason that they would go to the
museum to see the biggest fat woman
in the world. They simply wanted to
see if Bernhard looks as old as she
really is; to see if they could find out
what she has done to get such repu-
tatiOn. They didn't care two cents for
the rest of the company; they would
have gone Just the same to hear Bern
hardt speak pieces. And some of the
women went to see Bernhardt'S clothes.
And such a pandering TO cheap SEN
timent and the properties Of the occa-
sion as there Wasi When the time
came, according to the 35-cent transla-
ton to weep, half of the women in the
audience got out their handkerchiefs
and wept, just as though they knew
what it was all about
Now to be absolutely fair with this
performance. it must be admitted that
it was given under difficulties Bern
hardt is bucking the theatrical trust
much cerdit to her on that account
and consequently. she is frequently I'M
able to get decent stage for her per-
Torrance. That was the situation at
the Auditorium. The Auditorium is
not an opera house, and 1t can't be
made one for a one night performance.
The first and second scenes were in
| Marguerite's drawing room. In the
/ third scene they brought in writing
desk and called the stage a Paris coun-
try house In the fourth scene, the
table cloth was changed. and it was
| Olyrnpe's palace of sin. The fifth scene
was set by bringing in decrepit sofa
and some pillows
Armand Duval, the leading man part
was played by a man who looked like
/ q Tecumseh farm hand, dressed UP in
/ tailornade clothes. DeVarville the
/ chief villain of the play bore a most
! striking resemblance to State Treasurer
T. T. Kelly; talked like him, and acted
ike him This is not said with any
intention of discrediting Kelly, for De-
Varvflle seemed. on the whole. to be
rather above the average of the COM
/ panv he kept He also seemed to be
/ able to hang to a good thing when he
/ cot hold of it, which IS also like Kelly
1 Some of the men wore very natty
| clothes: they all had their stage trous-
/ ers well creased. Music seemed t
run in the family. All of the meT
could "strum' on the piano.
The Divine Sarah had two terribly
black ewes in the first act, which grad
usalIy wore off toward the close Of thl
play. Her looks continually improved
The laugh was the only thing tina
gave her away. It cracked it has
sound ike the first musical efforts o