Page:Representative American plays.pdf/669

652 -- January 8th. After a month's run in New York, it was produced at the Duke of York's Theatre, London, April 28, 1900, and ran for over two months. During the next season, it was taken on tour throughout the United States. It was eventually put into the form of grand opera by Signor Giacomo Puccini. The play follows the language of the story almost entirely but there are certain changes in the plot. In the book, "Pinkerton" does not return to the house but leaves money with the consul for "Madame Butterfly," which she refuses. The interview between her and "Mrs. Pinkerton" takes place in the consul's office; and "Madame Butterfly" lets her mother love conquer and after attempting suicide decides to live.

Mr. Belasco and Mr. Long next collaborated in the writing of Adrea, a romantic tragedy laid in the fifth century,, produced January 11, 1905, with a company headed by Mrs. Carter. On December 3, 1902, The Darling of the Gods, by Mr. Belasco and Mr. Long, was produced. This is the romantic tragedy of a Japanese princess, played by Blanche Bates, in which the themes of love, loyalty, and patriotism were artistically blended.

The Girl of the Golden West, played first, November 14, 1905, and The Rose of the Rancho, written with Mr. Richard Watson Tully, and played November 27, 1906, reflect Mr. Belasco's knowledge of the West. The supernatural romance was illustrated by The Return of Peter Grimm, played January 2, 1911. His last play, Van Der Decken, was first played at Wilmington, Delaware, December 12, 1915. A complete list of Mr. Belasco 's plays since he came to New York would number twenty-five, including adaptations from the French, such as Valerie, from Sardou's Fernande (1886), Miss Helyett (1891), Zaza (1899), The Lily (1909), The Secret (1913), one from the German, The Younger Son (1893), and, to complete the list, Naughty Anthony (1900), Sweet Kitty Belairs (1903), A Grand Army Man, with Miss Pauline Phelps and Miss Marion Short (1907), and The Son-Daughter, with George Scarborough (1919).

Mr. Belasco's career as a manager can only be alluded to here. He was a pioneer in the movement toward natural methods in the theatre. Since 1905 he has produced his plays at his own theatre, where he has set a standard for perfection of detail, especially for interesting effects of stage lighting. He was the first to do away with footlights, and the "bridge of light" used in Peter Grimm was unheralded and unseen, but the effect was true to nature.

Mr. John Luther Long was born in Pennsylvania in 1861. He read law and was admitted to the bar, engaging in practice in Philadelphia. In addition to the plays noted above, he was one of the authors of The Dragon Fly, produced in Philadelphia in 1905. Mr. Long has published also a number of volumes of short stories.

The only play of Mr. Belasco's now published is May Blossom, by the Samuel French Company. For criticism of Adrea and The Darling of the Gods see