New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-10-26
THE DRAM
A NEW PLAY BY THE AUTHOR or
THE THIEF"
Henri Bernstein s Israel Produced
at the Criterion.

20 OAAs- - sweeps everything DeIOFG II ike
the bursting of a food. There are plays.
none too numerous at the best of times.
acts scenes which almost act themselves.
the dramatist pours into them so much of
life, fires them with the profoundest human
passion. One of these plays is Israel"
or one of its acts is such a play For in
that act there is more power TO move an
audience to the depths Of its myriad souls
than there is in all the acts of a dozen
plays lately produced. The second act OF
'Israef' is a volume OF life. It is over
whelmius in It's storm of grief: it thrills.
1t is a work Of such genius that the spec
tators think that great actors are playing
II. Last night the audience lost control of
itself: IL applauded and shouted until the
curtain had risen so many times that the
count was lost; until the actors were
wearied with bowling; until the wonder
arose-had this throng ever seen powerful
acting in powerful play before? But the
acting, remarkable as it was, giving as 1t
did, all the magic OF Illusion, had all this
power to stir because the dramatist had
made it impossible for the act to fail This
triumph of Bernstein must be acknowI-
edged before the actors are praised. let
them deserve praise, as two or three do.
heaped high and overlooking.
The story of Israel IS easily outlined.
Thibault. the young Prince of Clar, politi-
clan, man Of fashion, star of the turf leader
of the anti-Semitic party in Paris insults
Justin Gutlieb, a Hebrew banker. his object
being to force the Jews resignation from
the club of which both are members, and,
in the event Of Gutlieb's refusal to resign,
to compel duel. in which the prince, as
one of the most expert swordsmen Of his
dsy- 10 ~, to Kin fe or
Prince Thibaults mother Agnes Duchess
of Croucy. intercedes. begging Gutlieb not
to fight her son. and after Gutliebs depart
ure. begging her son not to fight the Jew.
It is to this double intercessiou that the
second act is given, and in its course tho
prince discovers that his mother had given
way TO loves passion in her youth. and to
the horror Of this revelation is added
other-Gutlieb the Jew is the father Of the
Jew batting prince.
AS the mother makes her confession, and
the son compels II. there comes the strong
est scene that audiences have beheId in this
city in many years; Miss Constance Col
Ter. as the Duchess; Mr. Graham Browne,
as Prince Thibault, achieving a great sue
cess. in which Mr.. Edwin Arden, as. Gut
lie5. shares.
Now none Of these persons is a great
2 ,tor. And yet Miss Constance Collier rises
to heights for which her work of previous
years had left the public unprepared. But
greater than this surprise was that in
which Mr.. Graham Browne astounded a
first night audience Here is a young actor
10 whom nature has not been overland,
either with voice or features. features
strangely inmobile, and q figure which at
times seems to shrink into insignifcance.
yra4
tense naturalness which is the fruit of ex-
ceptionaI skill. A very curious victory. but
victory II was, nevertheless In too many
moments-one such moment is one too
much-Mr. Graham Brownies utterance
was indistinct; sometimes the actor was
iucoherent. But no one could fail TO recog-
nize, even to feel acutely, the genuine spirit
OF his acting. Nature has been lavish with
her gifts to Miss Collier. ANY experienced
actress of sufficient maturity and pleasing
presence would favorably impress an audi
ence as Agnes, Duchess of CroUcy, would
even make a considerable success. But
Miss Collier adds to stage experience
majestic beauty Of person. a liquid lowell
ness OF voice, that help her wonderfully.
Mr. Graham Browne. who looks 20 the life
the ordinary smart young man of So
ciety, has no aid Of stage presence no
charm of diction; indeed. there are few
actors so difficult to understand as he And
Yet he must he given credit for rare and
convincing performance. Let him learn the
management of his voice and clearuess OF
expression, and there will he little that his
ambition cannot successfully grappIe with
This man is an actor But let II not he
forgotten that behind him. behind Miss
Collier, behind this play is a dramatist to
whom only affectation can now deny the
title of greatness, az any rate as greatness
is measured nowadays. Henri Bernstein
makes actors act. He gives them every
thing to work with And they bring his
plays in triumph before the world This
generalization must be modified with re-
spect to the last act of Israel" This act
was let down" last night because the
Young lady who played Henriette had been
given a part which needs quite another
personality But it is the second act which
the theatregoing public of America will
rush to see Here is a play more moving
than The Thief" a scene and acting
worth travelling far to behold And. now
that the nervousness of the first night has
passed, the acting will be frmer.
The performance began half an hour
after the advertised time UnpunctuaIity
has become a habit IN TOO many New
York theatres The managers should in
sist on keeping time. for this means keep
Ing faith with the public. There is no rea-
son in these days why first performances
should begin a minute late. or have five
minutes roughness
Israel" calls for a more detailed critf-
cism than can now be given it, 1t is not a
perfect play, nor is the Criterion produc-
ton good at all points as il should he
For some reason the name of the trans
lstor or adapteT, is not given. But Israel
must be seen by the multitude No be-
holder can escape the powerful grip Of
Bernstein and his chief interpreters Nine.
Rejane played, in Paris, the part that Miss
Collier plays here. and though Miss COL
ler's art is far from being equal 10 that of
the renowned French actress. lacking as It
does some subtlety and lneness, still The
Criterion actress won, and won handsome
ly, last night a real histrionlc triumph
A. W.
CAST OF ISRAEL"
Henriette Giscourt de Jouvins.. Christine Norman
Thibault Observation-Disclosures. Graham p{rovyna
Justin Gutleb .................. Edwin a rda,
tather Silyain -.--.........----. Mario Ma jerJm
count OF Gregenoy .............-. Frederick Eric
.. r