The sun., 1919-03-18
"MOLIERE" APPEARS
AS STAGE TRIUMPH
Henry Miller Seen as French
Dramatist in New Play
at Liberty.
HIGH QUALITY IN PIECE
Blanche Bates and Group of
Well Known Actors In
cluded in Cast.
HIGH QUALITY IN PIECE
"NoiIcre"-At the Liberty Theatre.

l In r"ntdine' ..s..... sidney Herpert
| Giovanni Lulli.. Paul Doucet
Henry Miller, whose name IL con-
nected with so much that IL dlgnifled
and elevating In the American theatre,
came forward at the Liberty Theatre
last night as the hero of Philip Moeller's
second three act play. He acted the title
role In "Nollere," which is OF course
concerned with the famous French play
W. nj. The audience which welcomed
Mr.. Miller so cordially also enjoyed the
presence in the cast OF such well known
actors as Blanche Bates. Estelle Win
wood and Holbrook Blinn. But they could
not prevent MIR. AIoellers play from
being by all means the most interesting
element OF the evening.
Mr.. Moeller has again gone to history
for his inspiration. gone to French his
tory indeed. but several centuries further
back than the period in which he found
Nine. Sand. Perhaps n respect for this
ancientry has affected his point OF view
In dealing with the great of the past. At
all events he has abandoned the WASH
ington Square Players angle from which
he viewed the famous authoress Of the
Romantic years There Is none OF the
cutup in Mr.. Moeller's respectful treat
ment OF the men and women about the
great Moliere. So those who were
shocked by the iconocIastic spirit in
which he sketched the great men and
women of the middle nineteenth CEN
fury will have no cause to grieve over
the light in which his new drama pre-
sents history-that Is. stage history
The author Is sufficiently serious always
story of the Dramattst,
Indeed it is the most unhappy period
OF Moliere's life TO which he has de-
voted his three acts. The first shows
the actor at his workshop in the Palais
Royal adjoining the stage, which was
just then blazing in royal favor. The
King indeed visits him there to witness
some scenes from "Tartufe" which are
said TO have offended tho clergy. With
him comes the beautiful Montespan,
then in the height of the Kings APP
prevail Already the enemies OF Mo-
liere have shown jealousy at his pref
erence and what they call his AFRO
Cance. They are gossipping about the
hightiness OF his young wife. The god
cess of the machinery here Is the Kings
mistress. She is in love with AIoliere.
II is to attempt the satisfaction OF her
affections that she summons his wife as
well as the actor to her apartments in
the Louvre. They are there in the next
act.
Climax of the Action.
The Jealous Lulii is also there threa T.
ening the beloved MoIiere AS the favorite
sits at her toilet. Below in her gar.
den is the tickle Armandc already III tae
society of her youthful adorer. 1t is
with difficulty that Montespan relieves
herself OF the society OF the supicious
King. He interrupts her interview with
the poet, who has spurned the love of the
Kings mistress not only because of
his friendship for his monarch but be-
CAUSE of his love for his wife In vain
she has shown him this little wife with
her lover IN the garden beneath MS win.
dow. He is firm. The King Is Jealous
at the sight OF the two 1t is TO save
herself and to punish the actor who
Las scorned her love that Montespan re-
peats lie OF Lull---that Moliere had
written 4 play which held the King and
her uD to the ridicu'e of the peonle. 1t
is then that Louis XIV. In his anger 20
insults Mollere that the breach between
them Is not to he healed. He in dis
grace leaves Montespan in triumph, and
the King deeper in love than ever
The last act ends the life OF the play
wright III and deserted by all but n
few faithful followers, he is acting ."rhe
Imaginary Invalid" to house empty OF
the old public, which has followed the
court to Bourgogne. His wife Is gone,
too, but there Is n chance that she may
como back to him. His strength ex-
pended before the comedy Is finished.
Moliere ends the scenes among the jeers
OF, the little crowd. which he mistakes for
laughing approval. He totters back to
the dressing Ind 10
there. faithful and loving again. Ever
he awaits the return of the King which
is to bring him back the court and the
people who follow II. The royal carriage
is heard and Louis arrives to forgive
his friend and witness the play. 1t Is
too late, for Moliere is dead
Mr. Moeller's play is quite the most
important contribution to the American
theatre that our stage has witnessed this
year; indeed nothing OF such high quail
ity has come here from abroad. There
are secrets of dramatic composition of
which he seems still in ignorance. The
literary style of the drama is distln-
Suished. There is none OF the brilliant
color and the vivacious incident that
marked Nine Sand" But the work is
more seriously felt in every scene.
Graceful and pathetic detail is found.
moreover. in the scene OF Nine de Mon
tespan in her boudoir with her page and
her mus iciAn, the obviously painted
Lnl-asAk in 2liy final scene OF sacrifice
by the poets faithful friends Here, in
deed, Is the pathos true, surprisingly so
in view of the flipparcy OF Mr.. Moeller's
other writing for the stage. The fact
that it IL OF the theatre did not diminish
is Giter. ,veness Few American play
wrights are to be harmed by an infusion
Of theatrical quality in their work
The First Act.
The slow beginning of the play Is not
20 much the fault of the authors treat
ment Of his material as of the difficulty
in imparting vitality TO historical per-
sonages. 1t Is always hard to revivify
the Eden Musee as II took time for NrI
Moeller to plant the sympathy Of the au,
dience In the characters as men and
women. Save for minute following the
entrance of Moliere Into the boudoir
OF Nine. Montespan, the interest
in the second act never wavered.
Miss Bates, who had played the
first act most exasperatingly IN what
might be called her later manner that is
distinguished by constant smirking and
affectation of social mannerisms, seeking
after needless and insignificant details
was superb in the scene of passionate So
licitation of Moliere. Then her scorch-
ing rage after he had scorned her, her
Grilllng denunciation to the King OF his
daring in writing Il comedy against them
these scenes 1t would be difficult IA
equal in contempOraneous histr!onism.
IL was acting of the finest kind and rho