Life — January 26, 1899 — page 13: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

the divine spark, she owes {t to her art and her- self to strive further and make her clatm secure. “Zaza” 1s not food for babes, sucklings, nor matinge girls. The phases of human nature with which It deals are those whose depletion on the Public stage {3 only redeemed by methods of treatment which make us forget our everyday standards. The “sex” question In Itself aud by itself has lately been ¥0 often used as a the- atrical catch-penny to hire the prurtent-minded that as a dramatic motive tt has been condemned by the best defenders of the stage. But here comes a play which treats broadly and Uoldly of the most elemental of Hilctt relations, and through the art of writer and actor we are carried so far out of ourselves that our minds fall to dwell on, the nature of the topic. Even the necessary coarseness needed to show the early influences from whose natural outworkings Zaza ts re- deemed by her better self and by her love for her lover, are relleved by their humorous treat- ment. Not even art can relieve the play from the evil which to the evil mind will be Its strong- est characteristic; bat if art can provide any excuse for touching on subjects which, hazird- ous as they may be, are part of our human make- up, It does it In the case of + Zaza.” Lire belteves that, technically, the play would have beet sounder and stronger if the last act had been omitted, It 1s not exactly antl-cilmax, but the end of the fourth act reaches such a height of emotional strength that anything after seems weak and trivial, It tsa pity that a man of Mr. Belasco’s artistic intelligence should have mistakenly thought himself compelled to throw this sop to couventionallty. The piece ts most cleverly staged, and the cast fs an excellent one, Miss Marle Bates, well- remembered as the Mrs, Murphy of * Chimmle Fadden,” gains a well-deserved success as the Dibulousannt of the heroine, and Mr. Mark Smith ts an excellent foll as Crscart, Zaza‘ profes- sional partner. Mr. Charles A. Stevenson, of “Two Orphans” fame, steps out of the past to give a good performance of Dufrine, Zaza’ lover. Not the least pleasing feature of Mrs. success ts that she is an Amertcan, and gives the Ne to the foreign critics who claim that our national materialism makes the artistic tempera- ‘arter's ment an impossibility in America, — Metcalfe. 73 A Barometer in Blue. L Fair weather, ABEL'S eyes Aro softly blue, August skies, Gentians, too, Like Mabel’s eyes, Aro softly blue, WM. Threatening. Mabel’s eyes Are darkly bluo. Asad surpriso! Storm clouds, too; Mabel’s ey And I—are blue. Overheard at the Snickerbocker. “T don't bet. “Well, I'll bet you it won't rain to-morrow.” “Tsay I don't bet.” “Tl bet you you do bet.” Well—I won't bet.” “Till bet you you will bet.” “Hang you—I'll take you. How much ?” “Five.” “Done.” “Well, give me the money. I've won.” “ How's that ?” “You did bet.” “WELL, WHY DON'T You Move?” - comichooks.