Evening star., 1900-04-17
AMI SEMENTS,

COLI MBlA THEATER-There ia no
study more fascinating than the study of
genius. And as a penalty there is no study
more dlfficult. Mr.. James Young has chosen
to disdain the comforts of mediocrity and
travel the path through hardships to the
stars. He has youth. personality and intel
ligence on his side, and his devotion to the
highest ideals of the drama is so consistent
that those who have watched his work have
had little doubt of his ultimate success
His new play. Lord Byron" which opened
weeks engagement at the Columbia The
ater last night, is bold stroke on Mr.
ioung's part. BY portraying a character
upon which the eyes of the cultured world
are turned he cannot fail to compel earnest
attention to himself. He has filched the
bard's poetic fire and used 1t, as a calcium
light for his own dramatic purposes. And
he stands out in its full glare and COM
mands attention from the literary student,
the casual reader, the romantic lass-in
fact. from all who have admired Byron's
lines, sympathized with his misfortunes and
perhaps GeSpiSed his personal character
MIR. Young may awaken some hostility
among the students of Byron lore, the rev.
crent fox who hold biography sacred
even from the inspiring touch of the dram
atist. He NAV cause a bit of surprise
among the theatric folk who believe that
these studies of historic character should
be left TO actors who. by long service In the
harness Of popular demand, and persistent
lihations to the gallery gods, have earned
the right TO indulge themselves in some In
cidental intellectual luxuries. Often these
bits of literature turn out to be enormous
popular successes. But box office tradition
is against them and IL takes rare courage
to stand forward and try to stem the tide
Of clap-trap.
1t is this sort of courage which, in addi-
tion to its intrinsic scholarly interest,
| makes Mr.. Young's production of Lord
Byron noteworthy. Miss Rida Louise
Johnson, who wrote the play, has approach
ed her theme with StudiouS caution and
literary dignity. There are details of plot
mechanism which research would no doubt
| fail to verify. but the character of Byron
is developed with a directuess and disdain
| of apology which in its very spirit reflects
| the temperament of the mad cap original.
He comes before the footlights with all his
moral imperfections bluntly confessed, ask
ing the public only what superior mental
| force can compel and with scarce the COM
mon grace of chivalry to give his affairs
| of heart the dignity of romance. Yet, like
| should be despised, and by intellect and the
| ardor of ambition compels alteration such
| as virtue never could have won.
| This Is the Byron that history accepts
| and this is the Byron whom Miss johnson
| has portrayed. The audience is called upon
| to scrutiniZe the character as a human
| probability, and not as a hero whose faults
| a charitable fiction has sought to palliate.
| The responsibility of sustaining interest in
/ q character whose traits do not invite con-
| ventional sympathy is one of the most diff
| cult that a theatric artist can assume And
SO scant has been the concessions to de-
/ mands for stacy climaxes that Mr. Young
/ is left almost unaided by the customary
! artifices Of plot in holding the interest Of