New-York tribune., 1917-12-25

Many were the scofers VINO went 10
the Empire last evening TO see what
would happen to the audacious Ethel
Barrymore. Filled with memories Of
Bernhard, Modje jeska. Fanny Davenport
and even Clara Morris, they settled
down. smiling. with the customary
"Show US" expression that experience
always vouchsafes to the daring tyro.
As the rewriting of the play and all other
innovations had been kept secret from
the public and critics, there was great
surprise at the introduction OF pro
logue. In this Armand returns TO Mar
guerite's house after her effects have
been sold at auction and passes the
night in her chamber.
From then until the clos ng OF the
play with an epilogue, tradition was
torn up and deposited in the waste
basket Of whomever reconstructed the
play. The name of this person is not
to be divulged, curiously, but he did
his work well and thoroughly. The
scenes of Camille" might now take
place in Washington Square or even
in the wicked" Forties.
Bit by bit the aStonished audience
accepted the spirit of the renovated
play. BY the end Of the second act it
was applaudinc with unwonted enthusi-
asm the play, acting, scenery and the
direction Of lden Payne. producer Of
the piece.
Until last night tn, traditions of
Camille" had for years been as un-
changing as the air in the subway. II
an actress of invention CHANGED TO seat
CASTOR before Gustave at the banquet
or to drop the mirror in the death
scene instead Of placing it face up with
care on the table, no less than col
umn of criticism was bestowed upon
her by the reviewers.
Last evening at the Emipre Theatre
Ethel Barrymore and the management
gave upholders of the old regime in
the theatre so many shocks that ideas
left undisturbed for twenty years will
now probably stir about, stretch and
wonder what the time Of day may be.
The once familiar Camille" was no
longer recognizable except for the char
acters and general procedure of the
plot.
Columns of type would be required
to tell in detail what has happened 70
Camille" since the last time IT was
played in its entirety in New York
about eight years ago, at the Globe
Theatre, by Sarah Bernhard. And
how far the times have marched since
the text of the piece was deleted Tor
American consumption! The new gen
Grafton, accustomed to discussing
"soiled doves" as a sociological prob
lem in the classroom, are spared moth
ing Of frank speech in the new YER
sion. COcottes not only act like CO.
cottcs, but they speak and are spoken
to according to the present ideas OF
realism in the theatre.
As for Miss Barrymore's conception
Of Marguerite Gautier, there is little
reason 10 compare it with or judge II
by interpretations that have gone be-
fore, since the play itself is no longer
the same. Beside the wild emotion
and fire of Bernhardt's performance,
Miss Barrymore's is insignificant. Yet
the younger actress gives to the ar
tifcial role certain credibility that
Bernhard neither has nor desires, since
her school and scope are so greatly at
variance.
In Miss Barrymore's hands Mar
guerite is inherently more frail and
softer Of character and speech. Senti-
ment dominates passion. In TACT, looK-
ing upon Miss Barrymore's slight fig
ure-as slender this year as a sixteen
year-old girl's--one was tempted TO
feel that somehow she had been pushed
into the life she was leading, and if the
truth were only known, it wasn't her
fault at all Miss Barrymore's corn
colored wig assisted materially this
illusion.
OF the supporting cast Conway
Tearle as Armand and Rose Coghlan
as Nine. Prudence had individual sue
cesses. Armand, usually as stiff as a
marionette, was human and within
comprehension. Prudence, ever the
most human of all the characters, lost
none of this attribute through Miss
Coghlan's brilliant Interpretation.
Still il was a sad circumstance, from
one standpoint, that we had seen Bern
hardt briefly in the same role that
very afternoon, ). ).