Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-05-02


ONDON.April 22.--No doubt many
plays might be saved from fall
uro II the playwright could OBJ
tain the verdict of an impartial
audience on his work before It is pre-
scented to the general public. Provided
alwaNs that the dmmhust u Wise
enough to accept that judgment as SUI
perior TO his own and to revise his play
81 necessary. In accordance win ~,
That IL what NJ. Eugene 3rieuN ulu
with the result that "Simone, the let-
est play from his pen. which IN lts
original form would undoubtedly haVe
proved Il failure. now bids fair TO score
a hit.
In Paris the repetition goneralc' or
dress rehearsal Of a play when pre-
cedes It's first public performance Is
usually given before a fairly large num-
her of people whose judgment is py no
means warped by the fact that they are
all dead heads. 1t was such an audience
that attended the repetition generate
of "Simone" at the Comedie frtlncalse
on Saturday afternoon. The nfst Two
acts were heartily applauded, but the
third and last act. because 1t seemed
cruel and contrary to human NATURE
didn't $50 down" at ALL So NJ, Brieux
made n radical change in 1t and when
the play was given before the paying
public the third act was received with
enthusiasm.
AGAINST CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.
The play. though not what is called
a play with a purpose. Tits at the ieSal
sanction of murder. The penal code IN
France counsels Indulgence for the
..rt,. L hi In a n l.
mate jealousy. This has been held by
juries to exonerate the Staying of the
unfaithful spouse and so this species
of murder is excused and has come 10
be regarded by a large section OF the
public as a positively righteous and
meritorious act There is no obvious
preaching in the play, but the moral Of
IL is certainly against the sacrifice OF
life In any circumstances of the sort.
At the moment the play opens, NJ
Tdouard de Sergeac surprises his
wife in the arms of his best f"iend-
Mad with rage he shoots his uutaith-
fui spouse. and then turns the wea-
pom against himself The lover the
cause of all the trouble commits sri
eide. But the husband RECEIVERS from MS
wound. His future existence Is con-
sacrated to his daughter Simone, who
is six wears old when the terrible trag-
cay happens, anu WIN 10 iNN W ~
that her mother has been The victim
of an accident in the hunting field.
Simone grows UP happy by the SIDE
of her father, who adores her ana
for ler sake keeps her in ignorance
Of the character of her mother. In
this he succeeds until the day comes
when a young neighbor, Michel Mig
nier, asks her hand in marriage. Then
the truth is out. Mignier ''pere' in
stitutes inquiries, learns OF the sus-
piciong Weighing on De SerSeac. ana
breaks off the marriage 1t is a love
match and SiInone Is inconsolable.
She In turn makes inquiries rs TO the
honor of ner family She questions
her father and in a poignant scene De
Sergeac confesseS that 10 years be-
fore he had been guilty of serious
wrnnjr, but he refuses TO give her any
details Through the incautiousness
OF an old servant, however, she learns
the facts
Ir the first version of the play 81
none was represented as trembling
before her father, screaming when
he approached her, and refusing ut
terly to forgive him. 1t was this that
wouldn't "go down" with the first
audience. 1t seemed unnatural that
even such terrible discovery as she
had made should cause young girl
TO forget In few moments the dave
tion of lifetime.
REWROTE THIRD ACT
every we'll" said NJ. Brieux to him