Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-11-21

Miss Marlowe has excelled in poetic trag-
edy and old English comedy. and in her
fmpersonation of Mary in For Bonnie
Prince Charlie" has shown surprising pow
er in emotional acting. Until recently she
has looked with disfavor upon the modern
play for her own uses. Doubtless she still
has a decided preference for the classic
drama; but her success in the great scene
of prince Charlie" should compel her to
experiment with characters of contem-
poraneous life. An actress who can depict
such anguish as that expressed by Miss
Marlowe in the scene of Mary's sacrifice
need have no fear of the most exacting
trials of emotion devised by the writers Of
Marlowe has chosen a play of this char
acter for her early New York engagement.
II will be interesting, to see her in the
modern dress. surrounded by characters OF
the day and called upon to express the
manners of this time. The prospect is all
the more assuring since there seems to be
no probability that she would select any
of the numerous strong but unwholesome
dramas for some time more or less in vogue
in England and on our own stage.
Mr.. C.. B. Dillingham; has been given gen.
eral charge of the Marlowe tour for Mr..
Frohman, and upon his return from Eu-
rope the other day started Immediately for
Kansas City. arriving here yesterday. Mr..
Dillingham; brings with him a translation
ing with the boyhood Of the Roman EN-
peror, which is soon to be produced by
hardt Mr.. Dillingham; was able to secure
an option on the play for Miss Marlowe's
uses. As there was no opportunity to read
ham must be in New York as soon as he
can make the return trip. a special car
was yesterday engaged to take the Mar
lowe company from here to St. Louis to-
day, in order that the play might be read
and discussed. If II should appeal to the
actress 1t is not improbable hat a produc-
ffnn will he Onffap randy fnr fhn Nnr- varl-
engagement. which will open in January.
This is a reminder that the latest dra-
matte success in London is Royce Cartons
The Tree of knowledge" which is a dar-
ing departure from the sallantries that
have kept the erring woman an object of
pity and the erring man a creature of con-
tempt. Mr.. Carton makes his women a
men fall victims TO her wiles. The play i
said TO he so brutality frank as to violate
even the enlarged license that has been
given the stage through the discussion of
social problems: yet the Londoners take II
without q qualm and applaud it to the
echo.
The surprise of the week in entertain
ment circles was the attention given our
Hccsier friend, James Whitcomb Riley,
who pulled us so hard that he had to play
n return engagement" There are two
res sons for Riley's success. and they are
~ NV ~ al ny
OF would-be imitators that has sprung up
in hic wake to dabble in dialect verse and
homely sermons. MIR. Riley is a genius and
geniuses are rare. He gives a vital sig
riicance TO the commonplace, but never
finds IL necessary to depart from the COM
mcnplace TO give this significance express
sion That is why he is everybody's poet.
That is why his formula is SO simple that
a child can understand il: nut that is asa
the reason that IL is so difficult that Vofy.
very few can use IL. II is much easier 10
be artificial than TO be natural. What can
be said of Mr.. Riley as a writer is equally
true of him as a reader. He identifies him.
self thoroughly with each and every char
acter he speaks for. and yet there is less
OF representation than of suggestion in his
readings. Here. too. II is exceedingly diff
cult 10 approach Mr.. Riley, for he knows
the art of mimetics. and his sense of humor
is SO thoroughly innate that 1t possesses in
a marked degree the drollery of uncon-
sciousness.
Tn supplementary numbers given the
second evening by Mr.. Eugene Ware were
pleasing novelties. Mr.. Wares writings
have attracted large and favorable atten-
tion. and his sense of the poetic and his
facility in versiication are all the more
remarkable when 1t is remembered that
he Is not a dreamer. He Is a lawyer OF
much distinction and a thorough man of
Affairs. Yet he has time for philosophy,