The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1906-05-12
MORNING JOURNAL COURIER

Saturday evenings, May IS and 10, with
matinee Saturday, in his own dramiti-
cation of Victor Hugo's masterpiece,
Les Miserables," which Mr.. Lackaye
is presenting under the title of THE
Law and the Man" Mr. Lackaye,
aside from dramatizing this novel
which overturned the penal system of
France, has practically staged the
thing himself. w. A. Brady, who still
manages the star, has mounted the
piece in his usual lavish manner and
nothing has been done in point of
scenic equipment, cast nor careful at
tention to dramatic consistency and de-
tail to make THE Law and the Man
one of the greatest dramas ever pre-
scented on the stage.
The whole story of THE Law and the
Man is found in the preface of LES
Miserables," $50 long as the three
problems of the age-the degradation of
man by poverty, the ruin Of women by
starvation and the dwaring of child
hood by physical and spiritual right are
mt solved, plays like this cannot be use
less"
Hugo took five novels, Famine"
"Cosette," "Maius," Saint Denis and
Jean Vatican" to tell the story of the
former galley slave which overturned
the penal system Of France, and really
was the cause of the present republic
Mr.. Lackaye has taken the most salient
incidents, grouped them in four acts
and a prologue and made play of
marvellous strength, fascination and in
tense human interest.
Without departing from the story as
written by Vict6r Hugo, the actor-dra-
matist, has logically and naturally fol-
lowed the fortunes of Vatican, the un-
happy Famine and of her child, the
beautiful Cosette, and her lover, Ma
RUS. With rare power has he drawn
the character Of the chief of police,
Javert, who tracks him and returns
! him to the galleys.
The repulsive Thenardier and his
wife, the inn keepers, who prey on Fan
tines love for her child, cause her to
sell her hair, then knock out her teeth,
that the baby may live, still live in eve
~ large city, but are growing less as
humanity grows broader.
The fourth act of the play shows a
barrieade in q street III Paris ana the
recent May trouble in the gay capital
of France Is too recent to need COM
ment. This is the bis" act of the piece
in the point of sensation and when
Jean Vatican carries the wounded Ma
RUS on his back through the great sew
er to a place Of safety, realism has
reached its height.
The character of Jean Vatican gives
Mr., Lackaye full sway for his undspu-
ted talents, which are close to genius.
The part calls for the gamut of human
: emotions Imagine a man serving
nineteen years as a galley slave at Tou-
lon for stealing loaf Of bread His
discharge, the ROBBERY Of bishop Of
his silver plate, his capture, then for
I, giveness by the man of God.
In eight years the ex-tonvict Is may
or of Nome, and rich. He learns that
All old man is accused Of his crime and
is to be sent to the galleys for life.
Vatican attends the trial at Arras and
frees the innocent by declaring his own
guilt. Again the galeys, ana an es-
cape Then comes the revelation, and
when his children, Cosette and Marius
are wed he dies.
AS svengali in "Trilby," Mr. Lackaye
had d death scene which made the
countrsy shudder. As Jean Vatican
dies in a manner which brings tears to
the eyes Of the audience and lead to its
heart
Seat sale Wednesday at 8 a, m.