The Washington herald., 1908-08-21
The Devil.

Il VIII not be long now before the
local theatrical season IS running fun
blast again. The season has already
started in New York. which has become.
in way. the headquarters Of theatricsIs
in this country. and it must be regarded
as significant that New York's season.
with its blare OF advertising. has for its
New York managers. Mr.. Henry ". saw
sge and Mr.. Harrison Grey Fiske. have
produced two Engllsh-acting versions OF
a play written by Franz Molnar. OF Buda-
pest. a play successfully produced IN
various European capitals and booked for
appearance soon fl London This play
is called The Devil and M Fisle pro
duced It on Tuesday night at the BeIascO
Theate-. while Mr.. Savage. not 10 be out
done by his rival produced it the same
night at the Garden Theater.
The play is based. so far as one can
judge by reading the criticisms. on
Goethe's poetic drama. Faust only the
devil, who IS the hero Of this latest
drama is a modern gentleman. very fond
Of the world and the flesh II IS his
function TO tempt an unloving wife 10
sin. and. this accomplished. and having
sent the two principal characters in the
play on the road 20 ruin. he considers
his work done. and The play is over
II is interesting 10 take from a New
York paper which reviewed the TWO pro-
ducroas OF this play side by side, a
note which shows The Devils tendency.
Mr.. F. z. Mckay. in the New York Mail.
reviews Mr.. savage's The Devil and
he tells Us :hat-
-As au ob5ec, lesson II the ease with -aioa
honeye5 words nay lead from tie azuJT y the
broad rata-fro-n The spiritual 10 the nats-ial-
The Devil" IS faG Of Invitations 20 oone eariy
and avoid IRE u-sh.'
The critic Of the Fiske production Of
the play says:
.-yyhetLs- New YORK audience VIII stand fo- a
rlay thar 1-l1es the eTL ore -a-a1-s % be
seen TIE Devil IS a z2cst zgreeatls ard
sas-i-a-lnz gentleman who never baIlles anybo5y.
but sE-ezs with al they vsat % do-9-i-s sa--s-5d
that II The end the- VII Do Ulat he Wzu-s them
e.
a1ar-his-i- sz-f.T
II Is plain thai save for the startling
title. The Devil does not strike a new
note. but only goes q bit further. per
1 Ihaps. along the lines OF artistic immoral
ity laid down IN '' Camille 'SaphO.
Thou Shalt Not" and dramas OF q
similar genre Coming in the middle OF a
busy theatrical season. and under normal
conditions. il is likely that The Devil
would not have attracted undue aJten-
ton. but IL IS unfortunate that this play
should give the note 10 the coming the
atricaI season.
As theater affairs are managed now
.aGays IN this country. We know-sor
those IN control have ite-ated and re-
iterarzd THAT plays are produced solely
for their noney-making capacities, and
this being so. and theatrical managers
being usually pretty shrewd gsugers Of
popular opinion. il follows that they have
come 10 believe that the American pub
lie has had its taste warped. so that It
has 70 be fed on strong meat
The prediction IN New York is that
The Devil" viii run for a long tine
there. but. fortunately, New York's cri-
terion Of taste is not widely followed else
where If The Devil" does make the
success which ali the preliminary bother
would make Il appear its managers ex-
pect. We shan be sorry We have faith
in the right thinking and the clean minds
Of the American public II the American
stage Is prostitUted out OF its highest
estate 10 pander 10 the evil that IS in
man. it is only because the managers
find such pandering profitable. This II
would never be # plays Of immoral tend
ency were frowned upon by thu patrons
Of the theater.