The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-03-06

license OF obtaining stage effect
L Is this complex character that MI
Fife essays 20 portray. and the tine N
which he lived that the play attempts %
deiiusate. A time when part OF EcFne
had pinned its faith 10 Christianity. and
when the traditions % ali the gods had
been turned over 20 the Holy Trinity;
when the personality OF the Holy Gaos-
had oeen established as an independent
entity. ard q separation Of the functions
OF the Christian tFiumvira.e had oeen
fixed in the half idolstrous mind OF the
public. Flies deline4tloa Of the cnarac-
ter of Rienzi vas superb effort. not
without crudeness and lack OF nnIsn,
nut a masterful painting that awaits only
the few finishing touches that VIII ouia
IL UP and hang an atmosphere across us
lights and shades out OF the midst or
which genius reaches for commentator
II there were any suggestion that Fire
mind was a. any moment absent from us
ideal of the character OF the tribune. it
lay in the fact that upon his shoulders
hung the entire responsibility OF the pro-
duction. He thought for al OF his sup
porting company; waited anxiousiy Tor
the cues; watched the settings Of the
stage and assisted in the details between
the acts and then went on and played
Rienzi The fullest measure OF credit fans
TO Mr.. Flies share and his efforts were
features lent themselves 10 the changing
moods Of the tribune and his splendid
voice found channel for It's best express
sion in both the stilted. artificial oratory OF
the plebeian and the dignihed ana human
utteTances of the tribune and father. IL
Mr.. Fife had not been compelled 10 think
for SO many others his work would have
possessed an ease that his surroundings
last night did not admit.
i endowed
usual gifts. AS an actor he invites criti-
cism and lays his work open 10 compari-
son with that OF other actors imperson-
ating a similar line of characters. Trag-
edy. the side of life depicted by the evil
genius whose robes are the shadows OF
the night and whose eyes swim in an
Opaque sea of crimson lights. is divided
into two kinds, each requiring the neces-
sary mental construction for its proper
Interpretation. To the one side belong
those familiar pictures OF the stage
Hamlet. Iago, Bertuccio and the school 10
which Louis NJ. belongs; a mental cast
in which suppression is as necessary as
expression. and which must make itself
felt by sympathetic methods. and not by
deeiamatory eloquence. on the other
side are the equally familiar characters
of Othello. Richard, Lear and the host of
Romans with which the stage has be-
come endowed. The latter are of heroic
mold. and ii is 10 this class that Mr. Fife
belongs. lie VIII never be good Rich
ellen. any more than Mccullough. Warde
and others who have been mentally
equipped for the more ponderous
tragic characters IL Is not nee
essary that the quality should
be different but the kinds are as
far removed from the capacity of both as
is daylight from darkness Mr. Fife has
in his equipment the elements of great
ness. If he never becomes a great actor
II Will be lack of opportunity and not lack
OF natural gifts. lie is allowing age to
creep upon him and rob him of the best
years that should be given TO ripening and
rounding his talents: this is through no
fault OF Mr.. Flies. who by force of cir
cumstances is compelled 10 await his op-
portunity. An artistic temperament re-
quires surroundings In which Il will thrive
and grow. and these are denied Mr.. Fife
while a capable mind and heroic physique
are allowed to run 10 seed for lack of prun-
ing and training.
In his support Mrs. Alvah Glover Salmon
as Claudia. Mrs c. Harry Wright as Lady
Colonna and Harry r. Wilson as Angelo
Colouna were effective. The remainder of
the cast and the supernumerary CORPS
were capable In all OF the requirements
OF the piece. The dressing and settings
were consistent and the smaller details
were the result OF careful study
The audience was small but enthusia g
tic. and had Mr.. Fife felt disposed to re-
spond TO curtain calls there was ample ex-
cuse for several