The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1908-11-11
N LOCAL pAIHQlDt5.
THE DErRoIT.

"A
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 St,lnislaus STANCE.
Detroit society turned out In full force
TO witness this, the most important
dramatic feature OF che season. and
taken as whole by far the most art
istic piece OF acting ,seen In Detroit
in many day.
+. G.. Whitney, who saw the play
in Paris, has introducai ii in the Unit
ed States for the frs time. Wnlie
it deals with conditions in France. the
dominant issue in it is the protest
against divorce and applies with equal
force to this evil in the United States.
With consummate sill. Bourget has
shown the sorrow arising from rebel
lion against the established social or
der. so-called free uni on. The expon-
ent OF this belief, alt hough beautiful
and talented. suffers AS the result OF
her mistaken ideas. but clings tena-
ciously to them.
The priest standing for the Cathc-
lie church, expounds the theory that
divorce leads TO endless strife. espe
cially where there arr, children OF dir.
ferent parents in the household. But
at the supreme nom ent he tells the
wife who would breal. up her home to
answer the call of tile religion OF ner
early years, that her place is with her
husband. While This Is contrary 10
the established do crimes of the Catho-
lie church, something must be sacri-
feed for dramatic effect, and the Oh
ject of the play has been subserved
Every character IN the play has
been drawn with a bold hand, and is
the work OF an artist. 1t is not one
star play, but one in which each men,
per 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 int9Nest attached TO the
presentation Of Divorce" because of
the advent Of Miss Marion Terry, the
sister of the famous Ellen Terry.
While Miss ny has been before the
English pubic for some time, 1t was
her premiere in the United States
and she must have been gratifed by
her reception Monday evening She
Is an actress sof great talent. an artist
OF unusual worth. She need not de-
pend upon. her sisters laurels for
commendaticrl. She has been FORUM
ately cast however, in the Bourget
drama, the character OF Gabriel Oar.
ras having seemingly been written for
her
An ext raordinarily piece OF acting
was dono by Vincent Serrano. as Luz
Glen. son of Gabriel Darras by her
first husband, the impetuous lover OF
the SociaIlistic nurse. He is natural,
intense aad surmounts every difficult
ty In the impassioned scenes be-
tween his mother and her husband.
Miss Ida Conquest, as Berthe Planat,
the nj nse, played her part with an
earnes fness and skill that makes her
an In rYsrtant feature in the case,
while John Glendinning, as Albert
Darras, the atheist husband of Ga
briel. aa,d Eben PlymDton, as Pers
EuvraTd. the priest, left nothing more
to be desired. Miss Julia Hanch 4.
as Nine. Darras, mother OF Albert OAR
ras, contributed not little to the
completeness and artistic merit OF lhe
production.
Divorce" Is a play OF unusual worth
presented by a cast of artists II will
be In tho Detroit opera house the re-
maind,sr OF the week, with matiness
Wednesday and Saturday.