The New York herald., 1921-01-09


commonly expert adaptation some ex-
ternal appearance of native feeling
10 the play. Yet it remains In its es-
sentials altogether foreign. 1t would
be absurd to deny that American ar
fists, whether they be sculptors or
painters. do in the difficult years oc-'
casionally look beyond the ample out
lines of the partner of their joys and
sorrows to the slim cutie in the back
ground only waiting to. be beckoned
into the limelight. Such a situation is
not unknown in the artistic as we'll
as the business life of the American
community. But the manner of it's
accomplishment is essentially Gallo
in La Rivale," which was the French
original of THE Woman of Bronze"
Mr.. Kester has not done more than
spread a more or less transparent We
neer of our civilization over the doings
OF the men and women in the play.
The Adaptor's DimcuIty.
Such is one of the difficulties Of the
adapter. II he allows his work to re-
main faithful to the original he may we'll
count on it's unpopularlty with American
audiences. They will search in vain for
any sympathetic point OF contact.
French life as its playwrights send it
out to the world arouses no pleasurable
recognition in the hearts of American
playgoers. 1t takes the famous papa"
of de Flers and Caillavet to illustrate
the difference in feeling between the two
audiences to-day. This comedy is an un-
commonly expert example of all the
lightness and certainty, the deftness and
solidity that the French playwrights
bring to bear on the composition OF
such effervescent and witty plays. 1t has
finally come before us as 'Transplanting
Jean" and Is most excellently acted in
its principal roles.
a Point OF view.
1t sometimes seems unfortunate that
the public cannot be invited to inspect
play as specimen OF foreign existence
Look at the mirror as Il is held up to
nature, tho actors might say, but keep
in mind that this particular nature is
not our own. II is the nature of the
French people. This is a picture. not OF
our own civilization but OF another ma
ton. Try, therefore. to enter into our
emotions and do not insist uDon re-
garding the scene with the eyes OF the
native. If this point of view could be
imposed on American audiences at
French plays the stage of Paris might
atNA be sending its products to this
country.
But such detachment is not possible
TO the theatregoer He must take sides.
He must reason. When he observes the
reformed rake of papa finally taking
his son as the object OF his interests
after years Of comparative forgetfulness
he cannot help realizing that such So
cicty he does not understand. Nor does
he altogether "get" tho heroine, who
after an encounter with a middle aged
man of the world, In whicl1-s saved
her reputation with rather a slight
struggle, gives up the boy she thought
she loved to marry his father.
such men and such women do not
make I'D our acquaintances in everyday
life. They do not speak our language
we cannot take them to our hearts in
the theatre. So "Transplating Jean,' In
spite OF an excellent translation. pre-
sents TO the American audience little or
none of the wit and charm of the orig
inal piece. They could come to their
fullest bloom only in an atmosphere that
resulted from such conditions which the