10
THE COURIER
I
A WICKED PLAY.
"Rebellious Susan," Now Being Played in New York Has
to be Defended.
It was Heino who observed "that a blaspheming Frenchman is a
more pleasing sight for the Divinity than a praying Englishman."'
To the Lyceum theatre divinities there is no sight so pleasing, how
over, as a praying Englishman. Even when ho is inclined to make
merry after the fashion of his Gallic neighbors, they will tell you the
man is praying, not esting.
"We make Susan innocent of absolute guilt." This was the burden
of an official communication issued by the Lyceum theatre divinities
in the course of the week, according to the Now York Herald.
As if the question had not been settled long ago, and by no less a
person than the author himself!
In a delightfully written preface to his comedy of "Rebellious
Susan" why does not the LyceHin theatre management insert it in
the programme? Henry Arthur Jones says:
"I am aware that I have no warrant in the actual facts of the
world around ino for placing on the English stage an instance of
Bullish conjugal infidelity. There is, I believe, madam, a great deal
of this kind of immorality in France, but I am quite sure you will
lejoice to hear that a very careful and searching inquiry has not
resulted in establishing anj- well authenticated case in English life.
Ami, even had the inquiry revealed a quite opposite state of things,
I am sure you will agree with me that it would be much better to
make up our minds once for all that the facts are wrong, and stick
to that, rather than allow the possibility of anything hurtful to our
continued self esteem and self righteousness. 1 am too sensible,
madam, of the honor of h longing to the same nation as your own
revered self to do anything to impair its holy self respect and
worship of its own conviction that it is the most moral, most reli
gious, most heaven-favored nation under the sun."
The prefaco is addressed to Mrs. Grundy of England. Unfor
tunately, that lady is not unknown in our country. And it is parti
cularly at th Lyceum theatre that this "august and austere effigy
of the national taste and respectability" loves to assert herself.
One need not read between the lines of this preface to see
that Henry Arthur Jones meant to convey that in Cairo Lady Susan
had carried out her threats, and that she had not frittered away
her timo discussing Plato with young Edensor. For later on in
this prefatory letter he says to Mrs. Grundy: "If you must have a
moral in my comedy suppose it to be this that if women cannot
retaliate openly they will tetaliate secretly and lie." Which is
precisely what Lady Susan did when she found that Sir Uarabin
deceived her. But Mrs. Grundy of the Lyceum will not have it 60.
"Wo" how delicious that "we" is "we" mako Susan innocent
of absolute guilt only a flirtation. She came very close to actual
guilt."
Really, somebody ought to look up Lucicn Edensor in New Zeal
and find out just how close. It would settle a most vexatious ques
tion, for Henry Arthur Jone3 testimony is not at all to be relied on.
But let all that be as it may. Let the British matron and the
Lyceum theatre matron blush and boil with indignation at "The
Case of Rebellious Susan" as much as they like; it is a most delight
ful play for all that. It is not only the best thing that has vr
come from the pen of Henry Arthur Jones, but one of the i t
satirical comedies that has been written in years. And whether the
heroine sinned or merely flirted is, after all, a question which does
not add to the interest of the play the least bit.
In no other work is the author so sincere as in "The Case of
Rebellious Susan." He seems to have written the play to please
himself, not the public, whereas in the case of "The Masqueraders"
he seems to have made the play only to please the public. BesideB
which the craftmanship is superlatively fine. The author plunges
into medias res the moment the curtain rises; no "preparations," no
oxjrosition of characters, no telling of old tales. And only those
who constantly attend the theatre can appreciate the feeling of ease
and relief which the absence of all these conventional features
affords.
Lady Sue, having discovered that her husband has baen unfaith
ful to her, declares that she will be avenged. An eye for an eye, a
tooth for a tooth.
"Read those letters." she says to her friend, Mrs. Quesnel. "I
found them in his secretaire. They explain it all. And then tell
me if you wouldn't do as I am going to no. I'm going to follow
Jim's example. I'm going to pay him back in his own coin."
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Miss Black Lod ! Misto Slasha. what yo' cuttin ebrybody fow ! What
is de mattar wif yo"?
Mr. Slasher Din'n yo" tell us to cut fow de game?
Dr. William (of Harlem) What
have you been feeding that kid on
madame?
Mrs. Rockedweller Nothin but
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Dr. W. I thought 60. He has can
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