The sun., 1916-12-17
YEARS LAST NIGHTS IN THE THEATR]
T H E
By LAWRENCE REAMER.


~ HE actors Of the so-called The
atre Francais des Etats Unis
1 really put an admirable per-
Normance Of Emile Anglers "L'Aven-
turiere" TO its credit last week.
Gilda Darthy played the heroine ad.
mlrably. She has little command Of
nuance and spoke almost continu-
ally at the top Of her voice, although
she read we'll. and her occasional out
breaks. such as those against the
laughter Of her dupe and her brother,
were full Of spirit. Then she has dis
tinction In her actions. The role of
Fobricc, who sets out to save his father
from the wiles Of the actress, was ex-
cellently played by Henry vaibel. who
y said to come from the Theatre
vrancais. Wherever he may hail from,
b is n skiKul player who ought to be
Of real service in future representa-.
tlons Robert Tourneur was a spir-
tted AnibdI. although II was rather
shocking to n New York audience 10
~ him arise from his seat to acknowl-
edge the applause Of the audience and
then relapse into inebriety when the
curtain again rose. The represe nta-
tjen was Of a high order OF merit and
sAs Theatre Francois deserves oil sup
Dert for any such excellent examples
Of French theatrical art.
There was a tasteful and appropri-
ate background for this old play OF
Ausiers. The decorations were indeed
uncommonly rich and almost too nu-
merous Then the next time the stage
manager hangs a mirror on the stage
be will see that It Is not so placed as to
reflect tho men and women VINO hap
pen to be standing In the wings as
veil as tho characters in the play.
II Is singular that tho famous play
sf Emile Angler should not be i'm
Jrcssive chiefly through its theatrical
effectiveness. It's scenes are SO ad-
mirably contrived that there Is never "a
minute OF boredom, although so far as
the ethics OF the piece are concerned
there is no interest to-day. Augier
fought for the preservation OF the
family in France when its existence
was supposed to be threatened by the
admission Of women who were strug-
Cling to find the protection that name
and position would give. Since
Clorindc. Olympic and the rest OF his
heroines sought to break into sur
roundings which they were not in the
least entitled to know. there has been
change Of feeling. The individual
and not the family is now the unit the
world over. Just the women agains,
whom Augier directed his plays have
been able to make themselves re-
spected after marriages which the
playwright Of the 'lOs would have
forever banned. Such Is the change
q the view of society to-day.
SO after all only the dramatic in
gcnuity Of the old play survives since
IT. ethics have 80 dated with the nd
vance Of time. Even the eagerness Of
the heroine to be restored to some sort
Of responsibility is not comprehensive
to-day. Even women Of her sort do
not sigh for the respect which the
husband or the brother shows to the
girl OF bourgeois life. Women have
been emancipated to Il degree which as
sures them Il certain independence OF
existence whatever their past lives
may have been. They do not have to
envy their bourgeois sisters. They are
much moro likely to be envied by
them. There Is nothing that remains
Of the old play. therefore. but its fine
dramatic framework which is to this
day unusually interesting. Above all,
II does. Just as all good plays do, afford
such opportunities to the actors.
OF course only q play Of uncommon
quality could have supplied so many
other playwrlghts. Tom Robertson
annexed the work bodily for Home"
To this day It's scenes are available.
That venerable wheeze that there Is
one law for men and another for
women had its origin in this play. and
there are other episodes which are as
serviceable to-day. But even in its
prime "L'Aventuriere" had its critics,
They did not hesitate to declare unin-
teresting the struggle between an old
So,. - s,A an sAyapfuraaa while the