The Washington herald., 1909-02-14
The Goddess Of Reason.

treaz al the Belasco Theater all during
the past week in the fine presentation
BY Miss Julia Marlowe OF Mary John
lstOn's poetic drama OF the French Revo-
luton, The Goddess Of Reason"
Particularly should the American pub
lie be grateful to Miss Marlowe for pro-
ducing this play. for the poetic drama in
America has not been looked upon kindly
with managerial eyes, and such notable
instances as the American stage has seen
N recent years have been the work of
foreign playwrights Nor. perhaps. are
American managers much to blame for
their lack OF interest N the poetic drama.
The present training Of our players is
not Of the sort that assures US Of their
ability to deliver blank verse intelligent
iy, and the attitude OF a great majority
Of theatergoers who demand to be
amused" and who frankly confess, by
their predictions for musical comedy
and farce that their mental equipment
precludes them from being intellectually
amused, have neither the patience nor
the passion for poetry.
But Miss Marlowe, with fine courage
and with that devotion 10 high ideals
which has marked her career since she
became a force on the American stage.
welcomed this play and has taken 50
much pains in the selection Of a support
ing company. so much care IN the pro-
duction, that she has furnished US with
an American Play-though dealing with
foreign theme-worthy TO rank with
Boxers Francesca da Riminf' or the
"Cyrano de Bergerac" Of Rostand-
] would not take the stand that The
Goddess Of Reason" is so perfect and
aawless a work OF art that no fault NAV
be found with il There are obvious
faults that are capable Of remedy. The
ending Of the play-while some such end
was inevitable-is hardly convincing: the
thing 70 be portrayed is too grim and
horrible TO lend itself 10 reproduction on
the stage-you can lead an audience I'D
10 wondrous height OF pathos only TO
find that pathOs is on the other side.
Mr. White Whittlesey IS a splendid ae-
tor and trained in a good school. vet
even he. AZ times allows the poetic
beauty OF his lines to overwhelm him:
the rhythm makes him drowsy and he
suTrenders 10 the spell Of the Muse. IN
faithful for the time being 20 Thespia.
IN the fourth act The author has given
him some splendid lines. and he reads
them. as poetry splendidIy. But IN the
rhythm he loses much Of the force II was
beautiful idea to compare his standing
there, the Due de Morbec. as on 2 duaI-
ing-sround with his antagonist before
him:
This ooere-
! Pray you eonoeiF3 It is sums sTeeusasrl tin
/ Ny caTte sent. received the duel fousbt
: And thou the victor. sInce 50 Eaes the aorid.
I Hearts blood of mins upon the rapier ds-kl
/ And / the Tanquished IN the sight q neu.
DrcTsins 70 death upon the bloody sod.
II is fine figure that It is good to fol-
low to It's close. and yet it should seem
that il the heart OF De Vardes should
burn some more tumultuous passion and
hatred and scorn for the man. I.alsin
who-weI, one cannot forget the pitifui
figure Of Yvette as she has kneeled be-
fore De vardes and confessed:
on s~ift ;bs madness pased and cane rrmar,s
And dN hate myself. and stroTs 10 save.
And. striving, had given herself 10 this
idol Of the Jacobin. The thought must
have been horrible TO De Vsrdes. and vet
the music Of Miss JohnstOn's verse has
lulled him away from the horror OF It
and drowned his anger in its beauty. II
is one-and the most strlking-example of
the difficulties that beset the managers
who have courage enough 70 make such
essays.
But undoubtedly this wonderful play
marks the highest point that Miss Mar
lowe has reached in an artistic career
that has been fun Of high deeds Il
gives her the chance for the display OF
emotions and spiritual force that no pre-
vious part has ever given her. She. TOO.
has fallen somewhat under the witehery
Of the music Of the lines Of this plav. but
on occasion she can rise above them and
as. for instance, in that wonderful cii-
max OF the third act the poetry Is lost
sight Of in the tremendous tragic force:
Gold ash. goid ash.
How are the fsh o; Quiberohg
She half chants. leaning over the form
tain in the second act The poetry is in
the brain and the heart OF this peasant
girl Of Morbec: she is one Of those apart
from the world. mystic. fairy-like. e.
I'm figure. IN whom the possibilities Of
high heroism or bitter sacrifice lie deep.
How wonderfully Miss Mariowe lends
value 10 those lines in response 10 the
question as 70 the age Of Yvette. Il is
record Of misery; her young life:
Ho~ oldg An. let ne 80,
The year the hailSsooss fel and killed the Wheat.
The year the fax failed and We made 70 sonvs-
The year I beSSed fcr bread: the bitter year
We buried Losison WIN died of cold.
And Jaques vas hanged who shot the seiEueuer,s
dee-.
Tie 1zTLioB Of saint Anne had a EuEn
Came Angeiique from Paris. told Us how
he wicked Queen smiling. smiling there:
Justine pinsd sWav. they shot Michel II.
Down feIl the BaSils. Learned Ca ira
And so on to the END:
And IS vas huugy I ate III hack bread,
I think. mozseigne1r. that an nineteen.
Il was a bitter time. that tine Of the
worlds history that Is pictured here, but
it has q lesson for US all and while. per
haps. it is not well that any one OF us
should dwell too much in the past, It is
good at times for Us TO have our thoughts
turned back 10 those others; to the tu-
mutt Of q revolution IN which liberty was
born. Il is a fine and noble thing that
the stage should be put to such uses:
il should be gratifying 10 every Ameri-
can that sueh play as this is the work
Of a daughter Of our country. and that a
woman who has won to the front rank
Of the American drama should imbue
the poetry with the breath Of very real
life