LIST OF THE PLAYS
The Power of Darkness; or, If a Claw is Caught the Bird is Lost—A drama in five acts.
The First Distiller—A comedy in six acts.
Fruits of Culture—A comedy in four acts.
INCLUDING ALSO
The Imp and the Crust—This is a Russian folk-tale, of which
"The First Distiller" is the dramatized version.
Their High Literary and Dramatic Value
To their literary merit Tolstoy's plays add the quality of being excellent acting dramas, as their success both in Russia and elsewhere has abundantly shown. Mr. Laurence Irving lately wrote: "I suppose England is the only country in Europe where 'The Power of Darkness' has not been acted. It ought to be done. It is a stupendous tragedy; the effect on the stage is unparalleled."
Their Wide Range of Sentiment
"Between Tolstoy's two great plays," says the translator, "'The Power of Darkness' and 'The Fruits of Culture,' the contrast is very striking. The first is intensely moral, terrible in its earnestness and force.... Very different is 'Fruits of Culture,' a play brimful of laughter and merriment."