New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-09-19
LONDON DRAMA
The NerU Season Great 4ctirg-
Lord CrOmer's Double. a
London. September II.

a stage-made French melOdrama. with long
drawn condolences and without a shred OF
FEASIBILITY. IN order to witness the stagecraft.
the game IS worth the candle. Madame x.
by NJ. Alexandra Bison. is written around a
highly theatrical and peculiarly poignant situa-
tiOn-a young barristers successful plea for a
murderess. who without his knowledge, IS his
own mother. Il moved French audiences to-
tears when Nine. Jane Hading played the pars
In Paris. and English spectators deeply af-l
fected when Miss Lena Ashwen is the wretched
Outcast In the dock. The prologue and prepare.
tory acts. with the wifes expulsion from homs
by an unfOrgiving husband. her descent to tho
lowest stages Of degradation. the attempt OF
Dlackmaiers 20 extOrt her secret from her as
to smUdge the reputation Of powerful tudssl
and her self-deliverance from additional base
ness by the frenzied assassination OF her In
famous tempter. cannot be described agree
able drama when the story Is so revolving anfi
the woman babbling in her cups OF a time whersl
she was decent wife and mother Is so besottsdl
and miserable. Yet even II the preliminary
scenes drag, the capital situation OF the playj
comes with cumulative force. When the mur-I
deress can only say that she killed her victim
In order 70 keep him from spelling the life ot
one whom she had loved. and the barristsr blum
ders upon the truth In charging upon thai
/ theme Of redeemins love for a dear one. posi-
sbly son. II Is hardly possible for a spectators
with any degree OF sensibility 70 remain un-i
moved So intense is his emotion that the pro-
tracted and narrowing death scene after tho
prisoners acquittal is almost uncomfortable.
MISS Ashwen has never been so free from
mannerisms and theatrical qualities as she Is IN
this fine performances. She acts without vio--
lence Of gesture frenzy OF passion She IS
simple and unaffected IN the supreme mouaenE
OF startling situation. great actress oughE
/ 10 be, yet she is never out OF touch with the
character which she portrays with amazing
NiVloness and power. JacqUeline FIeuriOt as
one thinks OF her the morning after the play ia
/ an Impossible creature without any connection
with life on this any other planet: but at tho
theatre she Is transformed by the actresses art
into a degraded woman. tainted superstitious
helpless and hopeless. yet with a loving heart
and spark Of the divine to light up the ruined
temple or clay. Fashionable audiences NAV nor
IKE the play. but lovers Of the good old art OF
acting will witness with satisfaction a really
great representation The support which Miss
Ashwell receives from her associates on the
stage is effective and adequate. Mr.. svsnevr
valentine enacts the part Of the heartIess and
remorseful father with earnsstness and dizcre-
ton. and Mr.. Arthur WOntner In the trial
scene, without a forced gesture or a false tome
moves the audience TO tears with an outburst OF
/ natural homely eIoqUence. The players ara
frankly English. and make attempt to Justify
by pose. information or gesture their French.
There has been nisapprehension respecting
the suppression OF '"The White Prophet at His
Majesty's Theatre. It has been stated withoub
contradiction that the examiner OF plavs H.
ciined to license IL because he considered II sedi
uous and irreverent and also because Lord
Cromer was attacked IN IT. The recent Parlia-
mentary revel OF self-advertising in which uIav
wrights. actor-managers. critics and officials
nave been masquerading as champions OF tho
Drama literature and public morals, has not
confirmed these suspicious. Mr.. BEDFORD "a a
matter Of fact. had licensed the PLAY for eOpv-
right purposes and had not expressed objections
10 It on political grounds. Mr.. Tree who had
not been rewarded with knighthood for his SER
vices as an actor but was expecting the decora-
ton In the course OF the year. went 70 Egypt in
January with Mr. Louis N Parker 20 get local
color for the production OF the drama this au-
. tumn. AS as they arrived az Cairo thew
were warned by British officials that Mr. Gaines
novel and play contained serious attack on
British administration in Egypt. and especially
/ on Lord Cromer. The manager OF a popular
| West End Theatre could not be expected 70
take the risk OF being described as a sower OF
sedition and a defamer OF England. He yielded
TO pressure after several months OF reflection
and delay and decided to abandon the production
Of the drama It was not the censOr's interven-
ton but the actor-manager's fear OF giving Of
fence that determined the fate Of the play Mr.
/ Tree may have remembered that Lord Crorer
was Lord Esher's friend and was strongly sup
ported at court or he may not have been infu-
I enced by the hope of being knishted; but GER
tainly manager OF London theatre would
have deliberately invited an organized assault
such as the critics have made upon The White
Prophet
Mr.. Game cannot comprehend the chief con-
tention Of his critics. which Is that his literary
style has deteriOrated and that in the effort to
/ adapt himself to a large public he has degraded
| his art and tainted with commences brilliant
! qualities which were conspicuous In his earlier
| works with their Hebraic themes. He IS Indig-
nant that a book dealing with great subjects
/ should be condemned as "a trivial and unworthy
piece OF sensatiOnalism." and that he should be
contemDtuOusly told that he Is a traitor 70 his
country and has been guilty OF a kind OF pro-
fanity-"an outrage on the sanctities OF the ra-
/ ligious SOUL" His emphatic reply Is that Essyp-
tian politics does not form the central theme OF
his story. and that Lord Cromer has not been
singled out for unpatriOtic attack HIS subject
is the effect OF what is called In the Western
/ countries civilization on religion morality and
truth. In order to illustrate that theme he
writes TO me. Il have done a very daring but.
trust entirely justifabIs thing. / have created
the most Christlike man I could conceive and
then confronted him with the civilization We call
/ Christian. with all its machinery OF stagecraft
It's ornaments. its method OF rule. Its wealth ana
its social coTruptiOns. In a word. have brought
the spirit Of Christ face TO face with the TWEEN
tieth century and the society that calls itself by
Christs name and thinks IL accords with His
religion" The more ambitious the theme the
greater will be the regret OF Mr.. Gaines candid
Ia Fkotk a has