New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-01-30
TIE DRAMA.
THE SOTHERN-MARLOWE SEASON.
Jeanne Dare. +"

! TO celestial obsesson. Last week Mr.. sothern oh
| truded a morose, ascetic enthusiast. This week
Miss Marlowe discloses ecstatc. beatifed vision
/ airy John was monotonous and tiresome- Jeanne
! Is monotonous and at times impressive: she would
be more impressive If she did not talk much and
last so long. John. admirably made up. in the
| literal point Of view. tattered tramp Jeanne
! has the decisive advantage OF being handsome
| woman; but even a handsome woman can become
tedious, through and through being invested.
! as she IS in Mr.. Percy Mackayes play. with cir
cumstances, not of imaginative glamor, but Of
Prosaic, preposterous improbabiity. The story of
Jeanne DArc, though practicable in an epic poem.
as proved by sOuthey for his epic Is eloquent and
! readabe), is not practicable for interesting dra-
matte exposition; first. because its historic details
are ponderous, and next. because the mystical as
pect of IL cannot be convincingy communicated
! Experience as to this subject comedies with the
conclusions of critical analysis. The Maid of Or
/ leans has seldom been brought on the stage, and
whenever brought on. she has proved more or less
! burdensome. She is a dreary person In Shake
speare; still more dreary in the old play rounded
! on Schiller In French plays about her. of which
/ there are several, she is gloomy and heavy, Vol
tare treated her with levity.-that bard having APP
parently followed du Haitian. the hstoriographer'
whose account of Jeanne's proceedings is not cal
culated to edify her enthusiasts. The only drama
! performed in time that made her even tenn
! porarily interesting WIS John Brougham's Lilly OF
France" and that was a failure: II has not been
seen or heard Of for more than thirty years
Mr.. Percy AlaCkaye'S play, written III TiHap-
sodioal abOrious blank verse. of the kind that has
been produced In reams by initators of the style
of Tennyson follows. substantially. In the custom
airy track Of the Ceebrants OF the Maid, whether IN
drama or poem. At the beginning Jeanne hears
voices and spooks; going TO Court she rec
ognzes and designates King Charles VII, though ne
is concealed among his courtiers; on the battlefield
she rallies the soldiers and brings victory out OF
defeat imprisoned she is at first piteous ana then
courageous: and, doomed TO death by fire, she
her ayVful fats wit
Mackaye has cOntrived several picturesque tab
leaus mostly formed after Shakespeares Histories
Dean Mlmans "FaZios and Tennysons ldyls'
and has provided his heroine with an oppor-
tunity OF indicating struggle, in her mind De-
tween love human and love celestial. and likewise
between spiritual conviction and ruinous doubt; but
OF dramatic invention there is no denotement The
fabric Is moro a fairy-tale than drama A jaunty
| introduction and familiar OF phantom angels.
without spiritual atmosphere or ghostiy effect
savors Of frivoity and theatrical trick The actor
who sees a spirit should make the audience see IL.
or al lea st make the audience feel that he 1t;
in this play the celestial spooks skip about like
kittens and become the easy depsens OF every day.
The best part OF the piece Is the close which is
slightly reminiscent Of the prison scene in Faust
where Margaret is crazed with grief and her lover
/ tries IN vain 20 bring her away
/ Synopsis OF the drama Will discover its contents
and indicate their worth. The piece is divided into
five acts and is displayed in six scenes. enlistins
the services Of fortyseyen characters. besides many
auxiliaries AT the rise Of the first curtain spa
cious rural landscape is revealed. supposed TO be
/ near Domremy Lorraine. A huge tree is In the
I centre. Villagers dancing and singing.
! French soldier named Gerard is propped against
! a log beneath the tree His hand and left arm
! are swathed I'm bandages slgnifying that he has
been wounded A lout named COlin,-type OF VIII
lam In AS You Like It."-suggests a foot race
/ and by that expedlent the scene is cleared only
Gerard Colin and two little girls remaining Jeanne
D'Arc Miss Narrower enters. with manner or SELF
fnffg simniiCttV.
in rough brown clothes: the skirt short; no hat:
dark hair. disordered: sombre hue OF Tslmeht TO-
ueyed BY touch OF color about the throat Is sup
posed 10 be about seventeen: Miss MaTlowes APP
nearance IS youthful and sweet from the frst and
throughout the performance. the actress maintains
an aspect OF rRpt abstraction, as Of one dedicated
10 a spiritual cause. and. likewise throughout she
intones the words with cadence that is almost a
drawl The little girls ask Colin about fairies and
he refers them to Jeanne who says that there are
j no more fairies in Domremy. since good priest
read the Gospel OF 81. John under the great Tree
/ Colin and the children depart.
! Jeanne and Gerard talk OF the wars. Gerard IL
distressed because the Duke OF Burgundy instead
/ OF fighting for France. has been supporting 'ne
/ English. Gerardin. n Burgundian NIllager enters
/ looking for his sweetheart Gerard, annoyed by
tho Burgundlan attitude in general hurls his sword
! AT GerardIn but without doing any damage. Ger
ardn pays no heed 10 that kindly attention except
| TO remark he departs. that he Is no corpse
| killer" Jeanne picks up Gerards sword and kisses
he OF
! Gerard is much affected by this behavior and APP
prizes Jeanne that ne has come home TO die. be-
cause he feels sure that France VIII soon be under
I tho rule OF England. Jeanne replies thar wlthlh
| year a maid will have freed France and crowned
/ the Dauphin. That passage Is very sweetIy ana
! sirnplv given by Miss Marlowe. Jeanne further
more declares that she has. several occasions.
been visited by st. Michael who has Informed her
| that she is the Maid OF God" and is divinely
ordained 10 save the kingdom OF France and has
harf IN \
| self AZ all times ready to take the field. Also she
tells Gerard that celestial mpartments, 10 the same
| effect have been made 10 her by St Margaret and
St Catherine. whom Jeanne describes as my
voices" Gerard. greatly impressed tells Jeanne
! that she must inform the Dauphin of this heavenly
| ordination which she promises 10 do Gerards
/ friends arrive 10 take him to a blessed watering
/ place, where he is to be healed.
| Jeanne Is left alone Evening has The
Maid delivers a long speech. apostrOphizing the VII
| lage of Domremy. Miss Marlowe intones this pas
/ sage dolefully sgnifying that Domremy is pretty
! place with bright little windows, and that Jeanne
! is sorrowful at the idea of leaving II. Fairies
! pear in the underbrush and in the trunk of the
/ tree Jacques DArc and Colin enter. Colin is ter
rifed because Jeanne is communlng with invisible
| beings The fairies disappear Old Dare Jeanne's
| father tells her that sooner than see her follow
! ing the army, he would have her drowned by her
J brothers. He then asks her 10 plight troth with
Colin. Jeanne refuses Colin plants his stan up
| right in a stump. and D'Arc asks Jeanne TO touch
Il In sign of betrothal ST. Michael appears. among
the boughs of the tree: the staff turns 20 sword
| of fire: D'Arc and Colin do not appear any
thing but the staff and they OF the
presence of the Saint. The angel signifies that the
| time of conservation has arrived and commands
! Jeanne to touch the sword 'in Gods name" This
! she does, her father and Colin appearing to accept
the action pledge of betrothal Jeanne is APP
| praised that she must take the field. Curtain
/ rba 10 ed IN hall ofa