Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-03-16

~ ARTS. Feb as.-Paris has within
- it's gates at present the personal
representatives Of at least six
leading British and American
theatrical managers. to say nothing of
dozen or more of us whose NORMAL
ha bitat lis London, and whose bu siness
Is merely to write OF matters connect
ed with the playhouse, Nor is the rea-
son for this unwonted ''ipva sion'' from
across the channel far to seek, for with
in the past week quite extraordinary
successes have been scored by two new
French plays, Each of them, oddly
enough, deals with the question OF d.
vOrce. and one OF The Two, at any rate.
is practically certain TO be given In
both the United States aud Britain
before much time has passed.
This piece is called THE House uf
Clay" and 1t deals with the tragedy.
as the other play, 1.-THE -Jacobins." deals
with the comedy of divorce, It's au-
thor, Emile Fabre. goes 10 the very
kernel OF the problenl-the child or
children, and though opinions are con-
iiicting as to the conc usiveness of the
marriage of divorced mother. there
is no one to deny that he has sue
ceeded IN writing very powerful and
moving play. The French critics, In
fact, describe The House of Clay as
perhaps the strongest emotional drama
of recent years and providing that it's
original atmosphere is preserved, and
no attempt made 10 give 1t either an
English or an American setting, II is
likely to prove quite as Interesting
and effecting to English spea king asi-
diences as 1t Is found by those here.
IL was given at the Coincide Fran
caise, on Tuesday last. and at the
close OF the tempestuous second act, the
ordinarily -siase audience at the ma
tional theater' insisted on having the
curtain, raised no less than eight times.
Discussion ragged. .Srhe mother Is
right" one person WAS asserting. 1.-THE
children are right declared another.
Rarely has such animation. such pas
slonate interest been evoked by q
French play. The author. by the way,
Is sort OF French Kipling, inasmuch
as he rarely deals with love. He
prefers 10 depict other passions; hat
red. jealousy, greed. Money was the
root of all evil In his 'Venttas Dores'
produced last year al the Odeon and
money lis dominant, TOO, in 'The House
OF Clay"
It's moral is that no house built OF
the clay of divorce can offer an effec-
tive resistance TO the storms of life.
In II we are shown mother who In
ready TO sacrifice the interests of the
children OF her first marriage TO those
of her second lord and their child This
is Madame Armeres, whom. at the
opening OF the play, We see as the wife
Of seemingly rich manufacturer, by
whom she has had n dansh ter-Mar-
, sueTite- Her first husband, from whom
she has been divorced for more than
! twenty years, was one Rouchon and OF
| this marriage there were two children,
| son, Jean, and a daughter, Valen-
| tine 1t was Madame who obtained
| the divorce, because as she says, she
desired TO ''liye a fuller life. to expand
| her own nature. 70 knit her soul with
that OF a man she really loved" So
| children, the daughter. Valentine, fol-
lowed her mother, The son, Jean, re-
manning with Ronchon PEREZ
Now, Marguerite. the daughter OF the
second marriage, Is engaged TO he
married. and OF course, must bring
her husband dot suddenly II de-
velops that her father NJ. ArmIeres.
Is on the verge Of ruin. and the only
means by which he can be saved and
| Margperlte's marriage portion prosid-
cd is that his wife shall sell her private
estate, In which moi only Jean and Va.
4 lentInei the chllurel OF tine nrSt mar.
Tiage have an interest. but NJ Rouchon
himself. This part OF the piece. by
the bye Is extremely complicated, bui
the ISSUE is clear II Is n question
OF the interests OF the first house" or
those OF The second, and Madame does
not hesitate long -Armieres must be
saved from ruin. hlaTguerlte's mar
rTage shall moi be broken on because
| she has no dOwry,
Among other properties factory
which belongs 10 Madame Armieres Ia
H. be sold. and To cOmplieats things
stlll more Jean Roneh|n presents him
self as a possible purchaser His
mother has not seen him since hls
childhood He appears as an awk-
ward, i'll dressed young man. who has
nothing To- say except on tho business
" hIch has brought him there. "OI
what shall we speak, II not of busl-
mesa" he says. At Rll evants. his
heart Is set IN the purchase, which
opens a carer 10 aim but he cam vi
BAY casb--and cash IL Vital 10 his
mother on account OF the financial
predleament OF the Armierea. one
ihtnr leading 90 another. Jean sees
clearly that her Instinct 10 10 pay M
heed to his Interests or Valentine
il only her present husbands lIabill-