New-York tribune., 1910-10-30
NEW FRENCH PLAYS
Inspired by Balzac, Cupid and
ST. Paul the Apostle.
Paris. October H.

Palzac. His successful plays LA Vie Pub
Ho,,ev and 'VsEtres D0res," vibrate with
the tunuIt Of the Bourse. and bristie with
stock exchange plots and financial catas-
troDhes. We all know what terrific situa-
tious we're developed from money problems
I'm the Human Comedy" Like Balzae, Il
Emile Fabre has an overwhelming passion
for depicting diabOIicaI bankers. hendish
nOtaries and vampire usurers- some years
apo NJ Emile Fabre dranatized one os
Fsalzac's most powerful novels. u n Mendgs
de Gqrcon.,' which, under the title OF La
pabo,siLetlse1 - was produced with brilliant
s,,ccess AZ the Od6on. NJ Emile Fabre has
now dranatized Ba1zaC's cesar Btrot-
teOu.y under peculiar circumstances Re
Gently VI Emile Fsbre wrote a play dealing
with an honest. Industrious, Partisan shop
keeper amidst the thrOes OF hfe and
death struggle with unscrupulOus fnanciers
conspiring 70 ruin him. When his drama
was finished he happened 70 read Cesar
Birottedu." and was amazed TO find IN Bal
zac's tale striking parallels with his own
work he forthwith tore up his play, ami
set about TO dramatize Cesar BiTOtteGu,"
which IS brought out this week as i've
act play. in which Gemier plays the leading
rart. Now. "Ccsar Bir0ttcGx' is By no
means one Of Balzac's best works. It bears
traces Of haste. and the master novelist
wrote it in less than a fortnight
Cesar Birotteau is an honest, hard work
ing perful0er who. during the reign OF
Louis XVIiI did prosperous business in
the F'aubOurg St HOnOTe. A notary runs
away with his capital group Of shady
hnanciers. after enticins him to embark in
ryaf L. i'm
credit and bring about his ruin. It IS
bankruptcy. In those days bankruptcy was
q crime. His creditors get so per cent. But
the unfortunate perfuner, stripped Of all
his belongings down 70 his watch and we'd
ding ring and even the Jewels and wearing
apparel of his wife and daughter. has moth
ing left lie takes peasants stick from
its place ia his study and eXciaims i en-
tered his house having only Cne gold piece
in nv DCcket / leave it poorer stlM I
have been dreaming for twenty years, and
awake with my stick in my hand The
situation is a powerful one. But the per-
funer. his wife his daughter. and the deli
cate young cripple who is betrothed 70 his
daughter, work like galley slaves After
long privations they manage 20 pay the
creditors in full. BirOtteaU once more Goes
prosperous business in his perfumery shop.
and the cross Of the Legion OF Honor, OF
which he was deprived owing 70 his bank
rtIptcy is restored to him But the emo
ton is too great and kills him All this
makes a wonderful picture OF Paris LIE
during the Bourbon restoration The play
is beautifully mounted. and splendidly act
ed by Genier in the part-Of Cesar Birot-
teau-
The Athenke has brought out light and
Hbertine comedy. lie Petit DieW,' by u
Louis Artus, author Of "COsI.r De HOiHsdu'
that had a successful run. lie Petit Dieu
is Cupid. The comedy, which teens with
frisIy but OverelabOrated, intrigue, may be
best described as the error OF talented
dramatist. There are too many fireworks.
and situations piled on top of each other IN
reckless confusion. recall. by turn. those
originated by Beaunarcbais, by MarivatN,
by PailIeTon and by ". Maurice Donnay.
Put this patchwork production IS neither
farce. comedy. drama nor tragedy II is
little of each. The central figure Is
frisky but repentant widow. who in order
to give a touch Of sincerity to her re-
pentance. conceals her blond hair beneath
a white wig. The dialogue is enlivened by
random dashes Of wit. but as play "Ls
Petit D,elr' is a failure-an error OF a tai
ented dramatist.
La CORqucte G'ItHcHeS" a biblical
drama in four acts. by NJ Albert du Bois.
produced at the Theatre Sarah Bernhardt.
with NJ. de Max in the principal part. IS
the story of Saint PauTs visit TO Athens 70
convert the frreverent. skeptic Greeks 70
Christianity. The play is in verse. and -
beautifully mounted 1t IS a picturesque
realization. before the footIghts, Of the
thirty-second. thirty-third and thirty-fourth
verses Of the seventeenth chapter OF the
Acts OF the Apostles. which furnishes the
text for this dramatic poem (Th1rty-sec-
Ond verse; 'And when they heard OF the
resurrection OF the dead. some Knocked ana
ether said. we will hear thee again OF this
matter. (Thirty-third verse.) So Paui
departed from among them Thirty
fourth verse; Howbeit certain men clave
unto him and believed; among them which
was Dionysius the AerOpagite. and woman
named DamariS. and others with them
w. de Max. who plays the part OF SAINT
Paul. made an admirable delivery Of the
sermon preached at the AreOpagUS amidst
the jeers and Interruptions of certain phil
osopherS Of the Epicureans and OF the
StOics." NJ du Bois follows the version OF
Ernest RCnan. according 20 which SAINT
Paul only succeeded in convincing the select
few, the elite, OF smart Athenlan SocletN-
Saint PauTs most distinguished convert was
the beautiful and intellectual D1maris, who
fell rnadIy in love with the Apostle, anu
after his departure devoted herself 70 propa-
gating the doctrines OF the man she wor-
shipped. \ strange and daring feature or
the plav is the second act. where the Epi-
cureans arrange 70 bring Saint Paul %
thoroughly Athenian and Perversely mere
triciOus entertainment in the house Of Nike
an ilIustrious courtesan- The theme OF the
ballet which is danced in this act is taken
from frescoes OF COrinthian architecture
and vases. the salient features OF which are
ehaste nudity. tempered BY long flowing
scarfs and effects OF light. somewhat after
Loie Fuller methods The part OF Damsrls
IS gracefully played by Nine. Marie DervsL
c. 9