The Washington herald., 1908-03-03
AT LOCAL PLAYHOUSES.


The NatfOnaI-"The Awakening"
The powerful. tense. and extremely dra-
matte play. The Awakening, translated
from the French Of Paul Hervieu. and
presented By Olga Nethersole and al eX-
eellent supporting company, served TO at
tract a large audience TO the National
Theater last night. and that the play ex-
cited interest was sufficiently evidenced
by the hearty applause as well as by tie
fact that the end Of each act was greeted
with curtain-calls and that the star had
repeatedly to bow her acknowledgements.
The Awakening" is an emotional play,
dealing with q big theme. II is a theme
OF universal interest, though as 1t is pre-
scented il. of course. takes on some of the
atmosphere Of French life and manners.
But the vital thing about the play has
nothing to do with nationali;y-the
proposition that guilty love can ev,a be a
thing tC be desired above things worthy;
that a lofty ideal is worth striving for.
living for. dying for. ard that mere love
must be oyerrideu by great oause-this
proposition may III any age and any
cline.
In the play Of NJ Hervieu the lover is
an exiled prince. and his duty is TO his
people and to his throne. and by so much.
Of course. the theme of the play falls Of
its appeal 10 a nation that has done
with monarchy. But so far as the mo-
tives behind the play are concerned, the
lover might just as well have been any
man with a great work TO do IN the
world; turned aside from the contem~
plation Of his task by the Tight that
lies In wOman's eyes" and brought. at
last, logically and inexorably to an
awakening to the fact that love-love with
the faint OF guilt and shame upon it
IS not an eternal force and must be
crushed under heel, ike the old serpent
himself. 50 that a man may 20 to his
work clean Of heart and clear OF con-
science
The Awakening" is not an amusing
play; there is no comedy in Il, mighty
little relief. as matter OF fact. from
intense strain on the feelings; a mighty
play on the emotions. Il Is worth
while TO have driven home the lesson
that life does not mean self-indulgence-
however skInfully disguised under the
glamour Of sentiment-but that II means
work and worthy ambition, and the put
ting Of self aside for the attainment OF
great ends. then such plays as this are
eminently desirable
The theme OF the play is not new: il
is an old story. but treated iE novel
way. so that the old lesson strikes home
with renewed force. The story. indeed.
/ is as old as the parable OF the Prodigal
Son. The play really centers about two
characters-PTince Jean. who fails pas
sionately in love with Therese de Mcgee.
the neglected wife Of Raoul de Mcgee.
The wife, needing comfort and consola-
ton. allows herself 10 drift. until she is
caught Up in a stream OF passionate and
all-consuming love for Prince Jean. and
I this emotion so dominates them both and
warps their sense Of what Is right and
fitting that Il seems quite natural FOR
them to say, "All for love. and the world
well lost"-they decided on giving Up all for
self-indulgence; the fierce flame OF love
that burns so quickly into ashes for the
goal which IS dishonor and cruelty and
suffering. Through the Intervention OF
shrewd old Prince Gregoire, the father Of
Prince Jean. they are Brought back to
/ the realm OF common sense and duty.
| They come 10 see that llfe. II II is 10 be
endurable. must be a clean thing: that It's
highest pleasure. its great possibilities
for happiness, lie IN striving nobly 10 full
| iii life's highest duties And so the play
gets its name. The Awakening" II is
the awakening OF both these lovers. but
more particularly Of the soul OF Therese.
which brings her 70 a realization OF the
holiness OF her love for her little daugh-
/ ter; 10 the knowledge that happiness can
not come to her through sin. but is posi-
/ bic only through the loyal performance OF
the duty that is in front Of ner-her duty
TO her home.
Tn whole action or the play Is COM
! pressed into twenty-four hours. The first
act is at the home of Raoul de Mcgee. In
/ Paris, and here IL IS that Jean avows his
love, defies his father. and gets Therese
to agree 70 meet him in a villa Of his
! fathers at Passy. The second act is in
/ The villa. The old Prince Gregoire has
/ arrived there first and learns of the
/ coming meeting between his son ana
! Therese. He lays trap; Prince Jean is
dragged into another room. there is a
sound Of scufIle. during which Therese
! distracted, in vain tries 20 and out what
| horror is going on. and then a man comes
out and announces that Prince Jean IS
dead. Half dead with fright and grief
Therese stagsers away and is taken to
her home.
The third act is back at the home OF
/ Therese. For the sake OF her daughter
/ happiness. she has TO conquer her grief
and appear in society. which has already
begun 10 talk She dresses herself IN
radiant garments. and it is thus that
Prince Jean. released from captivity. and
imagining her sorrowing for his death,
/ finds her
But the awakening has come. Love is
dead between them. To Therese has come
the realization OF her duty toward hel
daughter and her husband: to Prince
Jean comes the call Of duty by the side
Of the exiled king. his father
! The play is beautifully acted Miss
! Nethersole is perfectly at home in sucf
a role as that OF Therese. II gives her
fun opportunity for the display Of those
! emotional qualities which have ever mark
ed her playing. In the first act, in her
portrayal Of the woman tempted by over.
wheiming physical love, she was strikingly
good and convincing. but the act was
pitched In a low key--it WAS the love OF
a grand dame, not that of a Sapho OF
1 OK Carmen. In the second act. the
scene Of her terror at the loss of her
lover, her distraction OF grief at belief in
his death and the utter hopelessness OF
/ despair that came over her, another and
/ stronger opportunity was given 70 Miss
/ Nethersole. and she rose to il With great
l fnrnn ND In, l.-t -