Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-03-25
AMUSEMENTI
SECTION
"THE FEAR MARKET"
AMILIE RIVES' PLAY
is GOOD AND BAD
Early Season Impressions of Yvette
Guilbert, Before Philadelphia
Thought to Hear Her.
By WALTER PRIcHARD EATON


ABfELIE RIVERS play 'rrhe Fear Mar
Aket," based on the Town Topics revela-
tIons a few years ago, is an extremely bad
play, which is extremely good entertain
nAent. II is bad play because the author
doesn't know how to put play together,
especially In the important matter Of maxi
ing all her little details and causes and
effects plausible and consistent Her
logic of events won't stand scrutiny.
II Is good entertainment, however, be-
cause Il is extremely well acted because
the essential theme an attack on the slimy
journalism Of the old Town Topics, is one
to inspire sympathy and interest, and be-
cause the authors sense for amusing or
tart Characterization and pithy oonversa-
tion is pronounced.
The play has much in common in these
last respects, with the comedies Of Clyde
Fitch. But Clyde Fitch would never have
been guilty of the Princess Troubetzkoy's
plotting. For instance, the editor of the
silrny paper will not let his daughter read
his publication, for he loves her and
doesn't want her to find out what his busi-
ness is She, however, consumed with
curiosity Is living at n hotel. where 1t
lies in the news stand But of course.
IL she weren't told by her lover, the daunt'
less lawyer who is exposing her father,
what the business is, the play would have
TO be all rewritten. How many hopeful
dramas have we seen fail of the place
their authors real intelligence entitled
them to, Just because of this fundamental
inability of the author to build logical
truly knit dramatic structure!
Mr.. Fiske has returned to the mana
gerial ranks as producer of this play. and
he has picked an excellent cast, who give |
fine account of themselves THE Fear |
Market" is so nearly first-class In many |
respects that II makes one grieve to with
hold from IL the praise we would like to |
give. It is a very good bad play.
One of the most perfect artists In the |
world reached New York early tbs sea-
son after an absence of several years, |
and gave recital In the Lyceum Theatre |
to half a house. We refer, of course. to
Madame Yvette Guilbert. 1t is pleasanter |
to add that the second concert was bet
ter attended. and the third and fourth
sold out the house. She then departed
on a concert tour of the country. and
II she is not greeted everywhere she goes
with large audiences, 1t will mean that
everywhere she goes theatre patrons will
miss one of the rarest treats the stage
now affords.
No country but France, of course, could
have produced the incompatible Yvette.
Her entertainment consists OF songs-and
she has no voice. 1t consists OF songs
turned into dramas-and for all we know
she would fail as an actress. But what
does that matter to her. a French artistic?
She has something better man voice, she
has personality plus. She puts on dress |
so subtly designed that it alone almost
reereates a period, and then she begins
to sing a song of that period. 10, In a
those rather large hands of hers
become beautiful in their infinite eX-
pressiveness. That face without n regular
feature in 1t becomes lovely to look upon.
That voice. SO unlike Melba's, gets
cadences which caress. And verse by
verse little drama builds up, pathetic,
comic, tragic, ironic, naughty, as the case
may be, which actually peoples the stage
with characters, sets 1t with scenery, and
Is touched, Furthermore. by the crown
ing grace OF beauty, for there Is some-
thing about this wonderful woman and
her delicate, cameo art, which gives the
touch of beauty to everything she does.
She sings songs of all kinds and all
periods-court satires of the time of
Louis XIV. songs OF the people. songs OF
the Kings soldiers, songs that thrill you
OF the French Resolution, songs of the
laborers, songs of the boulevards. She
also sings songs In English. When she
sings ''The Keys OF Heaven" a ballad
affected by many an American artist, you
realize most keenly why she Is so great.
When, in the last verse. the lover offers
tho maid the keys Of his heart and pro-
poses marriage. and then the maid, hap
py that at last he has realized her worth
and hearing the words she longed TO
hear. cries, "oh. yes, 1 will walk" the
singer gives a lift to the little drama
out OF the realms OF mere comic balladry
into the realms OF touching feminine
1t is a masterstroke. But
her art cannot be described. Go to hear
her. She has no rival in the world to-
day.