New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-11-30
THE DRAMA.
A SPECTACLE AT THE BROADWAY.
'REN- HJrR"

,. .,,oars 70 be thought by many persons and
or,,cuary by those persons who write novels. mat
the novel anG the play are interchangeable and that
nothing In the world is more natural and desirable
than the deduction OF the one from the other.
There could not be greater error The novel Is
orratlye. the play is action. The novel gains by
-onose. the playe loses with every relaxation Of
-,ovement The novel addresses itself 10 mental
perception and imagination the play appeals. first
~ all TO the eyes. There never yet was made
NAV upon the basis OF a novel that did not con-
siderably modify its original or depart from 1t
altogether For this reason lovers Of the great
novels OF our language.-such "Od Mortality"
Henry Esmond" Lorna Doone." etc,.-are in
variably disappointed when those books filtered
through the stage. In some cases the filtration is
more skilflly done than IN others but in no case
IS the play the same as the novel. and in no case
does II produce the effect. For the most art
the result Of this radically inartistic method OF
rlay-naking is a hyhrid,-neither play nor novel
nartaking OF the attributes OF both without possess
ng the unity. symmetry. and conclusive character
Of either.
General Lew Wsllace's novel Of "Ben-H ur" well
known for a long time, and far too familiar to re-
oulre description IS not one OF the great novels OF
English literature but IT has its specific character
and its Individual merit and it has edited thou
SANDS Of readers by It's slow, mild, and kindly
condemnation OF amatory interest and religious
sentiment Its lOve-story, novel in tone II nothing
Alse-heing twined with association of the historic
period OF Christ and the Emperor sejanus-i per-
rested with something OF the beatihc spirit Of the
New Testament. All that individuality disappears
IN the play The best incident In the story because
Of its Imagination. is the meeting Of the three pill
erims who are led their tryst by the Star in the
East That. doubt, was prompted by a hint in
the Gospels and possibly also by the wonderfully
imaginative prologue 10 Eugene Sues novel-once.
many years ago. in every odys hands.-Of The
Wandering Jew" At all events, that is the chief
beauty Of General Waace's hction-and that. oh
ylousy cannot be utilized in theatre. Men may
come and men may 60. as the poet TennysOn has
comprehensively remarked, but the atmosphere of
that weird mysterious and sublime night, when
the shepherds were watching their hocks and the
awful portent Of revealed Divinity famed in the
wintry sky. can never be expressed by canvas and
calciums. A gloriied circular buzz-saw, in a mist
Of paint and gauze. is adequate representation
Of the Star OF Bethlehem.
Mr. William Young has made a spectacle play,
neither better worse than various old semi
religious dramas,-such as The Christian Mar
tyrs that iourished in the pious and thrifty
days OF Barnurn's Museum. In a dramatic sense
It is not comparable for a moment with
either "Sardanapaus" The Last Days OF
Pompell" On the other hand It excels in scenery.
The pictures quite overwhelm the action, and their
dazzling opulence will amply suffice TO hold the
public favor. The Chariot Race alone would
suffice 10 win the multitude. This was managed
each team being driven a treadmill. and the two
parallel treadmills with their spirited steeds IN
action being backed by vast panorama or a
crowded coliseum. stretched over three sides OF
the stage and moved with the swiftness OF light
The cheers for this splendid stage effect were long
and loud and General Wallace who was called
before the curtain. briefly expressed his pleased
acceptance Of the public tribute.
There Is not single essentially dramatic sltua-
ton IN the piece but several Of its incidents are
rnomentarfly effective An ocean Of talk could be
cut out OF H. to great advantage. The story is
that OF the broken friendship between Ben Hur ana
Messiah the escape OF Ben Hur from the ganeys.
the rivalry Of MESSIAH and Ben Hur for the favor
OF the wanton Egyptian. the contest between these
rivals in the arena. and Ben Hur's ultimate re-
covery Of his home and his relatives, with his I'M
piled conversion from Judaism TO Christianity 1t
is a languid story and IL has been languidly told
No attempt is made 10 develop character and as
no exactng situations provided there Is no
special draft upon dramatic resource in the actors
Mr. Z. J. Morgan. Ben Hur. bore the burden OF
the piece and bore II well. Mr. Henry Lee presented
the impressive image OF senie decrepitude which
yet could roar ike twenty fog-horns More bad
elocution has never. surely been heard In one per-
Torrance. Extended comment the acting. how
ever can he reserved. The popular success Of the
spectacle could not be doubted. ". ".