New-York tribune., 1912-01-11
SIMONE AT THE HUDSON
French Actress Appears in The
Retnrn from Jerusalem. y

When 4 play has a history behind 1t anu
besides. has a well known and we" tI'e"
dran1arisr as its creator and an actress
of distinction as its Interpreter, II Is not
.,rnrising II a more than usual amouh' OF
advance interest is taken IN It's hfet per
fornaoce. The audience which asseIno.""
LAST night 10 see Nine Slmone IN ths hts.
American representation Of Maurice Don
-,,.v.s The Return from Jerusalem was
,-,rD- eyidently curious about both play an"
PLAYER. .t-.-o
n may still he vaguely remembered mere
that seven years ago, when TINS play Was
ar.t produced at the Gymnase, fa'is' '
Vas greeted with riots which iasied l"' '
v.ee,. and a half The Dreyfus case Wa
then i'm its reyivai and race feeling Vas
1l5nning high lu the plays theme "''l,I
1ripes into bold relief the essential oI'-
ference in nature between Jew and GehtI'.
t.. .g'aned public fancy saw chance Tor
. geuo.gtr4'ion. and every night IN" per
t,-uanre was broken into by it'uohd.
-ghf- fr the audience between pro dn' anu
T-at.fus.ta,. between Jrw and Christian.
The svrarfence Of having played throuS"
f 8 -sesfez Of riots always gathers an aura
a. interest about the personality oi q
rrs,.s~ and especially TN the case "t
,.o,,,q actress who was able, as Nine.
riroore was to pIay through IT all with a"
unrufed self-uossession that was ihu'H
commented upon at the time
For all these reasons the interest IN al
,.arce of the performance was 10 be eX-
pected.
U--er however. the curtain went up on
tine rr.. itself. IL was not long before the
..,,-.o-st,. Of the audience became concen-
,rs,af and Transformed into absorption and
.bor ipto an intense interest, and even
excitement. that mounted in steady cres-
,.rdo tin the end Of the play. People here
-rk sot expressive when they fCel the most
...,-t, n they were. the hual curtain
.,,a,,,d have brought on q demonstration.
n Dounsy's play starts out with the def
,s,e ,,,,rrgse Of throwing into detailed con
49,, TIN Inherent natures Of Hebrew and
rrrf.tiau. and il never for q moment loses
sfgn, gf This intent II seems fair to say
,rst r, plav 50 far this season has IN any
,.s,. suproached this one for depth Of per
,ertr1 I'm the drawing of character, Tor
mastery I'm the spoken lines and i"r
,.t.ti. e.p-.. Of dramatic values The situa-
tion itself is at once dramatic. \ young
Jewish woman OF unusual culture, educa-
p ton and accomplishments visits friends al
whose home she falls In love with the son
Of the house He IS q writer. philosopher
and student In him size sees man OF
rare intellect Us well as perfect COM
pa.i8u. lie responds 90 her Ia complete
unison
These two. though both married, so or
to.etler united by q love that is Irresistible
and apparently so mutually understanding
that 5, could never be- broken down. That
it can be aud finally is completely broken
down IL IS the business Of the play TO snow
and ,lie vulnerable point in their perfect
Emoii b. the difference 10 race.
ln scene upon scene showing these TWO
. characters Henr.ette oo Chonse ana MI
chel Aubier. both together and In play win
others. the subtle sometimes almost lhue-
lLaDle, difference between these t"o-a "'i-
lercaee that Is beyond their will to con-
rol-ls developed IN masterful fa3hloh'
They cannot lessen this difference they
cannot do away with II. II goes Flsht
down TO the roots Of their natures
FINALLY they part, the woman 10 taAe up
heroic cause. the service or her Iaec' 'HI
man presumably TO go back to MS "ils an"
10 continue his work amidst the surround
iDgs which are in harmony Win hiih'
Their parting Is full OF nobility anu
gFst but, al last. with understandings 20.
fsys Henrietta. while ] feel for you 'he
tenderness that every woman feels Tor the
enid ia The man she loves. Go! Between