The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-11-11
DRAMA is DRAWN FROM
TOLSTOYS WORD ON LOVE
"The Living Corpse" Exploits
Egotism of Lies Ruling
Passion.


Ing all Russia, Is. Tor different rea-
sons, the current excitement sof the
French capital.
Produced At two theaters in Mos
cow and the Imperial theater In 81.
Petersburg simultaneously, II was re-
ceived wfrh such furore that VI
emma promptly followed suit. Thus
(. far, however the French theatrical
world has refused TO handle the grim
study OF love and marriage which, In
the words OF one director, offers so
little of the atmosphere fi/liliar in
French life In spite OF such typi-
cally Partisan hesitation the demand
for the piece has been so great that
the French translation of NJ. Mnsky
q Russian writer of renown has been
put on the market and is selling by
the thousand.
Side by side with The Kreutzer
Sonata" this later work of the great
Russian indicates a modification OF
his views on sex pathology, while II
shows an increased contempt for the
insincerities OF convention. The en-
tire sympathy OF his gruesome trag-
edy is thrown with the derelict, at
once the cause and the victim of the
catastrophe. II is as II the cry OF
the human has been heard above the
sterner ideals of the rugged reform
err As is usual Tolstoy supplies no
relief 10 the darkness OF his picture
and the study of love as intensified
egotlsm that he presents Is athrill
with horror.
Pretended Suicide.
lie Cadavre Vivant" is Fedor Pro-
tasof. known as Fedia, who, in order
IN a uifa an nna rrv
the man she has unconsciously loved
while maintaining her conjugal faith
TO her unfaithful husband. affects 10
commit suicide. Months afterward,
penniless and besotted, Fedia con-
fldes TO a companion in low resort
' tho story OF his supposed death and
his wife's remarriage. Having first
contemplated the reality, he lacked
the courage at the crucial moment
and had simply died TO his old world.
Fedia Is overheard by an outcast.
who urges him as the living corpse
10 levy blackmail on those whose In
terest II is TO keep him dead Reve-
lation might mean Siberia II collu-
sion were suspected. Fedia refuses
and the ruffian summons the police.
The poor drunkard is thrown into jail,
his secret dragged from him, and In
the judges chambers he meets his
wife. Lisa, and karenine, the man
she has married
The interrogatory had apparently
condemned both until the wretched
Fedias avowal clears Karenine In the
eyes of the law. When he learns
that the minimum sentence OF the
court must be the dissolution OF
Lisa's second marriage. Fedia con
trives to secure a pistol through one
of his old associates and kills him
self at the feet of the woman he has
injured.
The outlines OF the story. which
points to a marvellous however mis-
guided sacrifice, are merely the sur
face suggestions OF the unhappy
drama. The Fedia whom Tolstoy
paints loves Lisa when he marries
her, but feeling in her the subtle GER
tainty of her love for Karenne, which
she has never confessed TO herself,
4. he Is first repealed, then gradually in
different Instead OF seeking 10 win
her anew he gives himself 10 ex-
cesses, pursues both women and wine
and ends by leaving his home. He
becomes enamored OF young dane
ing girl and consorts with the troupe
OF gypsies TO which she belongs.
Lisa, regarding Karenine only as
her oldest, and dearest friend, sends
him to bring back Fedia at whatever
cost. Karenine, man of scrupulous
honor. uses every effort. but falls in
his mission Thereupon Lisa con-
sents to divorce and they beg Fedia
10 begin proceedings. II is here that
Feda revolts. He has been content
to obliterate himself, but he cannot
face the lies and the mud OF di-
vorce court He tries death. but his
hand Is nerveless, and IL is at this
moment that Macha, the dancing girl,
finds him. She renounces all others
for him and bids him feign the sui
eide which shall effect the happiness
of Lisa while he departs with her to
take up a new life.
Love For a Wanton.
II IL in his relations with Macha
that Fedia reveals the depth of the
egotism which he calls his love. As
Lisa in her conventional virtue has
been false, so Macha. giving her all
and asking nothing IN return, must
in his eys be kept pure He there
fore maintains the dancing girl az
, his ideal, loving not her. but her love
for him.
The browning touch OF interest in
"Le Cadavre Vivant" is the fact that
Il is taken from real life. The orig
nal a minor official named Gunner,
lived in Moscow Is years ago with his
young wife. Given over to debauch-
ery he pretended suicide and liber-
ated his wife. who married the man
she loved Gunner through his ex-
cesses sank so low that II was the
dead man" himself who eXtorted
money from the couple he had
brought together. lie ended by de-
nouncing them 10 the police. Gunner
and mis- wife we're condemned TO
prison.
The Judge OF the court told sthe
story TO Tolstoy Later, according TO
Minsky, Gunner visited Tolstoy and
confessed the entire truth