New-York tribune., 1910-12-18
TIE LONDON STAGE
The Censored Opera - New
PLAYS and Actresses.
london, December 10

s.SsipTlle has Deen proueSOo az
,7on 81 long after Strauss music has
,,e,sYl heard in European and American
entails that the critics find little that Is
,,.,z-el TO say about il. The censor mas
raIne5 70 advertise it by his persistent
.orr,ea1 10 license it. and now that MI
1,.oo,,s,,, has succeeded in staging II at
,-o,-a7t Garden he will I'll the house as
,f,an as he produces ii. II poh,lcs mas
i,,terfeTed with the financial results OF
lfs season he is likely TO recover lost
,--,,,r,; f.sri,,~ the remainder Of his term,
or there is intense and widespread cari-
osity respecting an opera and hpret'o
,,-l;,f, have caused so much huobun- IN
,.a5 = * conceivable that the opera, II
,,rosenred in the original form ana WIN
,ba Dance of the Seven Wells performed
;,y- = professional dancer. WOULD hot nave
attracted many audiences Inc censor
and Mrs. Grundy between them nave
,-:,-.n Il 3 run in London. Official cir
,,,,,,sr,ection and pruriency have not
-,.-osy,f7tosd its chances as commercial
Undertaking
T,.e changes required 10y the Examiner
fc;al. II Is one OF his main principles
that the great religions OF the world
rnust be treated with becoming rever-
ence Consequently he has insisted that
the Biblical story Of John the Baptist
shall not be travestled on the London
stage, The wild creature from the des-
erts exhibited at Covent Garden is
not known as John the Baptist, nor even
IS "Jochanaan." but with strictly anony-
nous honors as the Prophet His cos
tlrle. II is true, suggests the great Fore
runner OF the Gospels, but he neither
breaches repentance nor the coming Mes
Siah. and z CORY mead Is not brought in
81 z salver, but in place Of it there is a
charger with reddish fluid. The names
4 Herod and Herodias are not dis
e7fised, but the argumentative Jews are
known as the Wise Men When tie
transformations wrought by the revisers
IRE completed the Scriptural origin of
he nlot is unmistakable. The censor
with his 1ong-e in his cheek and with
lJrs. Grundy behind him winkipg with
both ewes has maintained the consistency
5e his record. Oscar Wilde has been
fawdlerized: the Baptist has been con-
ve-ted into & primitive socialist, and
with the appearance of the head from
ft, charger To death let me follow
nee. Oh Prophet has been substituted
Tor the ba-baric cry Of Salonle: 'I want
80 kiss thy lips, JochanaanI'
Whether these puerile sacrifices On the
altar o. CDctuous Rectitude were neces-
ear,- or superfluoUs, the censor has been
laced in z most ludicrous light as g.
roolisb cobbler meddiing with a musical
I-srna and net deceiving any one by his
arbitrary prohibitions and transparent
aiterations. L seems a pity that music
lovers were not allowed TO Judge Of the
beauty OF the score with its maze Of mo-
slves, Oriental coloring and mastery OF
4l.e subtieties Of expression without all
his official fooling. The origin Of the
story. which has been Illuminated with
strauEs's illustrative gifts, is as plain
zs the Greek source Of the plot OF
sEIektra" Nothing has been gained by
-he devices authorized by the censor, and
something has been lost by the changes
anforCed In Saiome's dance. The Won
se-fui music rendered with such whirl-
ing passion by Mr Beechanl's band OF q
hundred musicians is deprived OF not a
little OF its Oriental glamour by the re-
ztrictions imposed upon the dancer. Mime.
Ajno Ackte.
The House Divided" By Essex and
Arthur Lewis. OF which q fair trial has
been made at the Queens Theatre for
special ratinees. is an sctors' play. with
he authors IN the cast. There is Mol
lusc II Il, with q Sardou setting Of in
trigue in four acts. Lady Claudia Ash
land. the rich wife OF a Cabinet minis
Ter and president Of the Board OF Trade.
* & sluggish. indolert woman, who falls
asleep while he is talking 70 her, does
rot read her letters. cannot go out uE-
less TWO maids have carefully dressed
her. is worn out by the effort Of pouring
a cup Of tea and has placed her invest
ments in the hands Of Crayley Keston,
gambler and scouadrel. Her husband,
whose patience has been exhausted by
Ms wirc's lazy and shiftless habits. has
fallen ia love with his efficient secretary,
lestou wife, who has communicated
ro her husband the secret information
Jhat 3 large contract is TO be awarded
to the Northern Construction Company.
Lady Claudia is induced to purchase i've
thousand shares Of the company and to
agree 10 pay Kesfon q heavy commits
SION. which VIII tiGe him over crisis ia
is affairs When the play is half fin
ished she has learned that she has ia
tally COMPROMISED her husbands honor
After the dismissal of the secretary,
gho has betrayed her employers conf
dence. Lady Claudia, galvanized into
state of feverish activity, endeavors TO
regain her husbands affections and TO
retrieve her blunders- 4 drawer OF her
husbands bureau has been forced open
nd important documents have been
s,o.en ana since half burned cigarette
q brand smoked by heston is found
here he IS suspected OF the robbery, and
Lot his wife. Lady Claudia induces her
10 write . letter, which draws heston
il2ck 10 the house, and herself confronts
lin wheu he attempts to blackmail her-
n Tie protracted and exciting duel be
eTeen them she IS victorious, and when
ne finally runs away, leaving incrlInl-
Astlns documents behind him, she Is III
position 10 vindicate her husbands
At3or ard 70 bring about a rcconcilia-