Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-11-12

1.-THE Song of the Sword, new and
original romantic drama in four acts
by Leo Ditrichstein, is the play in
which E. Fl. Sothern and Miss Virginia
Harmed are at present bidding for pub
lie favor at Days theatre in this city.
Mr.. Ditrichstein, to judge from his play,
was evidently instructed by MT.
Sothern to build something which
would fit the last named gentleman like
a glove, regardless CT technique. Even
though such directions were not given,
one is, by the result, warranted in as
Stunning that they were at least limited
at, for If ever play stuck to the con-
ventions while at the same time yio-
lating almost every phase of the tech
nique of the drama, 1.-THE Song OF the
Sword does it. But it pleases the peo-
ple. not only the hoi polloi, but intel
ligent theatre goers who are not usu-
ally carried away by such plays.
Why does it disarm criticism, this
queer connection of Mr. Ditrichstein?
1t does so because it is not plastered UP
with morbid problems and grewsome
details; because, in fact, there appears
to be no thought of details, excepting
only those which tend to add to the
effectiveness of the stage pictures; and
because, above and beyond everything
else, it is hard hitting play, play
which tells its story in direct way and
without recourse to the methods so fire.
uuently adopted nowadays for the pur-
pose of obscuring the purpose OF de-
LAYING the action and so often looked
upon by a self chosen few as the en-
bodiment of all that may be considered
as artistic in the drama. In other
words, it is play which strikes from
the shoulder. 1t is not subtle, and does
not pretend to be. 1t simply tells Il
story of an impossible hero and hero
inc who is only trifie less absurd
But the former wins the latter after
many repulses, just as he wins every
thing he goes after, and that is what
the people like. The hero gets tipey
too, and the people also seem to like
that. He is tried for his life for being
gallant to his ladylove, and even that
the people like. He is rescued from his
dire peril by circumstance which en-
ables him to be a hero once more and
to occupy the center of the stage at
the fall of the curtain, and the people
simply go wild over that. Then the
people also like good stage manage
ment. good scenery good costumes and
good acting, and all these will be found
In the production of "The Song Of the
Sword
The success which this piece will I'M
questionably enjoy ought to have an
important bearing upon matters the
atrical in this country. 1t ought to set
managers a-thinlzing, and the burden
of their thoughts should be that the
public cares more for one single poorly
written play like '@The Song of the
Sword" which is full of manly love,
strong patriotism, impossible but
wholesome valor and absurd self sac
rifice, than it does for a dozen plays
which go into nauseous, fetid discus
sions of the relations of the sexes I'm
possible, absurd, the story of The Song
of the Sword may be. 1t is never
slow or stupid, and, what is more, the
community will be better for having
seen it. OF how many plays now be-
fore the public, in this city at least, can
the same statement truthfully be made?
Mr.. Archibald Clavering Gunter asserts
that Mr.. Ditrichsteins play is not by
any means original. In fact, he accuses
the distinguished author-actor of hav-
ing pifered the story from moved
which, Mr.. Gunter further declares, il
has for some time been his own inten-
ton to dramatic. Mr.. Ditrichstein,
however, has vigorously denied the
charge, and, in view of his past record,
it is pretty safe to assert that he has
a good defense up his sleeve, for ne is
one of the few among our playwrights
who have never masqueraded as an
author when he was only an adapter.
Julia Arthur and her company I'M
der her own personal direction in the
great imperial spectacle, More Than
Queen by Emile Bergerat, and adapt
ed from the French by Charles Fred
eric Nirdlinger and Charles Henry
Meier. The play is in a prologue and
Ave acts, as produced at the Porte st.
Martin theater, Paris, last season"
Thus does the programme of the
Broadway theater in this city describe
the vehicle whicG Miss Arthur, as the
star, is at present exploiting, and, While
the description is rather long, it is not
entirely out of place, for the play itself
is also abnormally stretched out
Josephine, the first. wife of Napoleon
BoIaparte, is the character which gives
the drama its title. The last lines of
the piece explain that satisfactorily 10
the author at least. There Josephine de-
clares, after signing the deere of di-
vorc, that she is now more than queen,
for she is q woman. That may be very
pretty from a theatrical standpoint,
but it is scarcely in keeping with the
motive OF the play, throughout the en-
tire length of which runs the same
chord, More Than Queen" More
Than Queen" which is up to the last
moment used to indicate that the
/. prophecy of the cid woman in Marti-
aique will be verified and that Joseph
Inc will some day be an empress. Then,
because the play is about to end and
the author wished again to ring the
shanges on More Than Queen" to fit
--~r---------------------------