Evening star., 1898-09-27
AMUSEMENTS,

NEW NATIONAL THEATER.-The pa
| tience of the public has become proverbial.
But occasionally, after long waiting, it has
its rewards. THE Christian" as a play
has had the benefit of much advertisement
by The Christian as a novel, and by Mr..
Hall Caine as an individual, well as by
the prestige which Miss Viola Aliens previ-
Gus performances have accumulated for
her. The fame of the book, the author and
the star We're sufficient to crowd the Ma
uonal Theater last night. And those who
attended were fortunate, for, unless signs
fail. The Christian" will come very near
marking an epoch in modern playwriting.
Mr.. Caine is a man of intense intellectual
sincerity. He believes in himself thorough
ly. and events have testified that his con-
hdence is not misplaced. He has impressed
himself upon the reading world with
Nlgor almost rugged in it's force, but his
writings, while successfully dramatized be-
fore, have not seemed conspicuously quail
led Tor stage presentation. Perhaps, had
Ihe Christian been dramatized by any
person other than Mr.. Caine himself, it
would have dropped to the level of the or
dinary. But he has succeeded in bringing
before the public his own characters as he
himself saw them. and the result is
strengthening instead of a weakening of
the original theme. The characters are
flesh, blood and bone, and what they do and
say Is consistent and powerful. They were
IecoSAlZeu throughout the auditorium
fellow beings, and while from the orches-
ira chairs came clapping of hands and mods
OF approval, the gallery was whistling it's
enthusiasm and vowing that The Chris
tan is the real thing"
Mr. Caine is an indefatigable worker. In
aod1tion to being a novelist and a play
wright. he has a very graceful and insin-
uatng method as press agent. He has
manifested much concern lest his play be
suspected of having a sermon concealed
about 1t.
Any great play or story or picture has its
sermon II you choose to look for it. just as
the history of every human creature has
us lessons and its admonitions. Glory
Quayle, who sacrifices love for a career,
and John Storm, who sacrifices a career
for love. cannot fail to exert influence on
the auditors opinions about matters of
social discussion.
But the most important sermon, to whose
detection the authors challenge to scru-
tiny would lead is one which h, delivered
quite innocently and with the most amiable
intentions. The iconoclastic method which
he calmly and ingeniously pursues causes
the spectator, led by long and specious ar
grment to regard a bank account as the
supreme purpose of dramatic effort, to ex-
claim indignantly within himself: "Mr.
Game! How dare you! Do you not perceive
that you are overturning principles which
nave been tnculcated at great trouble and
expense into the theatar-going masses, who
would rather praise performance than
admit they have not had their moneys
worth; that you have disdained to weary
people for an hour in order to make
them thankful for a few minutes of gem
uine lnteTest-compelling incident; that you
have written forceful, splendid speeches
all through your piece, regardless of wheth-
er they fell to the share of the star or not:
that you have sighted opportunities to
drag In comic specaltieS and subordinated
to the plot scenes which might have aroused
enthusiastic encores for song -and-dancc
artists? Are you aware that yOu are en-
CCuraging low demand for
and artistic symmetry? Can you listen to
the curtain calls for yourself and the act
ors who so ably interpret your work and
not be smtten with the remorseful thought
that you are creating a demand for more
than one potent incident in a dollar-and-a-
half's worth of entertainment, and more
than one well-paid performer in a cast Of
characters?
1T may be easy enough with your creative
power and placid endurance to meet such
conditions. but you are in great danger of
making yourself disliked in circles of the
atrlcal trades s-unioniSm. You are giving
too much for the money. You are under
selling competitors in the brain market and
If you become object of distrust it is
your own fault"
Mr.. Gaines speech before the curtain was
apropos, and adroit. His allusion to the
era of good feeling between England and
America and the pleasure of being wei
coined in sc sympathetic a spirit by an
audience in the western continent was
timely and gratifying 1t was one Of those
spontaneous touches which stamp the au-
thor as naturally qualified to be a dra-
matist. And there is of going into
the question whether had the play
fallen on unappreciative ears Mr.. Cane
would have regarded prospects of Anglo
Saxon fraternity as declining. His thanks
to the company who presented the work
were most merited. Miss Allen surprised
even her old admirers by the delicacy with
which she portrayed the moods and emo
tlons Of the leading feminine role. And
Edward j. MOrsan's appearance John
Storm compels recognition of his claim,
hitherto impressed, to rank among the best
Engiish-speaking actors
Mr.. Frank j. keenan'S work is typical of
the absolute good faith in which the play
is presented. He has little to do. Until the
latter portion of the performance he seems
only a few steps higher than super
numerary. But, like all the rest, he has his
opportunity. And when it comes he rises
to it fully, delivers his speech unhampered
by any stage device for subordinating a
minor actor, and makes his exit amid a
storm of applause. John Mason, Jamison
Lee F'inney and George Woodward all did
work which would have invited stellar en-
comiums in a production less ably kept to
the high standard assumed for it. Mrs
Georgia Dickson said some very clever
things in a very clever manner. Despite
his gloom and intensities the author can
scintilate when he chooses. But his smart
sayings are never obtruded on their own
merits, as apologies for other deficiencies
They are part of the structure put into
place like all the rest of the material by
firm hand, because they are needed and
not as superficial decorations to conceal
weak spots.
COLUMBIA THEATER.-It has been
some time since Washington play-goers
have had the opportunity Of witnessing
such strong and brilliant portrayal Of the
fine characters of a romantic drama that
has won for itself a lasting place on tht.
stage as last nights production of The
Marble Heart at the Columbia by clever
Creston Clarke and his well-balanced COM
pany. In his role of Raphael in the play
and as the Greek sculptor Phidas in the
dream Mr.. Clarke was strong and forceful
alike III his sterner moods of raproach and
in his lighter vein the lover of q Paris
idol, the heartless Marco. After the dream
scene of the first act Mr.. Clarke, and, in
fact all Of the company, has little to do
until the third act, which is without doubt
the strongest of the play, and III which the
three leading people of the cast have full
sv ay. AS the star has surrounded himself
with capable people for the roles carrying
the act its full force and power is felt and
appreciated by the audience. Miss Adelaide
Prince, well known to Washingtonians as
one of the best and most delightful young
women Of the stage today in her line of
acting, made a fascinating coquette as
Marco. Miss Princes opportunity also