The Detroit times., 1908-11-10
THE STAGE
THE DETROIT.

An event OF surprising interest In
this city was the presentation OF Paul
Bourgeois great drama, divorce" in
the Detroit opera house. Monday even
ing. The English version of the play
has been made by Stanislaus STANCE.
Detroit society turned out In full force
to witness this. the most important
dramatic feature OF the season, and
taken as a whole by far the most art
istic piece of acting seen in Detroit
In many a day.
+. &. Whitney, who saw the play
in Paris, has introduced it in the Unit
ed States for the first time. While
It deals with conditions in France, the
dominant issue in Ii Is the protest
against divorce and applies with equal
force to this evil In the United States.
With consummate skill, Bourget has
shown the sorrow arising from rebel
lion against the established social or
der, so-called free union. The expon-
ent of this belief, although beautiful
and talented. suffers as the result OF
her mistaken ideas, but clings tena-
ciously TO them.
The priest standing for the Catho-
lie church. expounds the theory that
divorce leads TO endless strife. espe
cially where there are children of dix.
ferent PARENTS in the household. But
at the supreme moment he tells the
wife who would break up her home to
Al hA ~ teIn of h.aV
early years, that her place is with her
husband. While this is contrary to
the established doctrines OF the Catho-
lie church, something must be sacri-
feed for dramatic effect, and the OBJ
ject Of the play has been subserved.
Every character in the play has
been drawn with a bold hand, and il
the work OF an artist. Ii is not one
star play, but one In which each mem.
Der OF the cast is given an opportu
nifty. The self-sacrificing mother. the
passionate son, the atheist, the Catho-
lie priest, the nurse who advocated
free love, even the child are essen
tial elements In the development OF
this great drama.
Unusual interest attached to the
presentation of Divorce" because OF
the advent of Miss Marion Terry. the
sister of the famous Ellen Terry.
While Miss Terry has been before the
English public for some time, II was
her premiere In the United States
and she must have been gratified by
ker reception Monday evening. She
Is an actress OF great talent. an artist
OF unusual worth. She need not de-
pend upon her sisters laurels for
commentator. She has been forum
ately cast, however. in the Bourget
drama, the character of Gabriel Oar
ras having seemingly been written for
her.
An extraordinarily piece OF acting
was done by Vincent Serrano. as Luz
Glen. son OF Gabriel Darras by her
| first husband, the impetuous lover OF
the Socialistic nurse He Is natural,
intense and surmounts every Difficult
| ~ In the impassioned scenes be-
tween his mother and her husband.
Miss Ida Conquest, as Berthe Plannt,
the nurse, played her part with an
earnestness and skill that makes her
an important feature in the case.
while john Glendinning. as Albert
Darras the atheist husband OF Ca
briel, and Eben /Plympton. as PeDe
Euvrard, abe priest. left nothing more
to be desired Miss Julia Hanch 4.
as Nine. Darras. mother OF Albert Oar
ras, contributed not little to toe
completeness and artistic merit OF the
production.
Divorce" IL a play OF unusual worth
presented By cast Of artists. Il Will