Evening star., 1901-03-19
ADJUSTMENTS. A

NEW NATIONAL THEATER-Last
night Beau Brummel rushed valiantly-per-
haps with more Ealor than discretion-to
the battlefield of Agincourt. Henry V is
peculiar play. Indeed Mr.. Mansfield fol-
lows the suggestion of some learned COM
mentators- and declares that it Is not a
play, but an epic. Taking the production
from this standpoint the auditor who Is
willing to confess frankly that he does not
care to go to the theater to hear epics re-
cited, may be pardoned for an occasional
yawn. The play was mounted with an ac-
curacy, close attention to detail and,
above all, with regard to superficial en-
beliishment that would have made the
Beau Brummel of real life glow with self
approving ardor had he chanced to turn his
attention from the tailor shop to the thea
ter stage. With all things neat and in
their places, even to the dead and wounded
on the battlefield and with no limit on ex-
pendlture for costumes and other means of
decoration, 1t would have delighted the ex-
qulS1te court gentleman who won so many
earnest admirers seasons ago-before Mans
field became ShakespeareanIy ambitious
AS series of stage pageantries the pro-
duct1on is memorably beautiful. Some of
the scenes are so daringly conceived and
executed on so studendous scalethat they
must hold permanent place in the recoI-
lection of every auditor. So strong is the
impression they make that it is difficult to
suppose that the historic events with which
the production deals could have appeared
otherwise than Mr.. Mansfield has depicted
them. As a pageantry this enterprise is a
monumental achievement possibly the
grand climax of scenic artifice and pun
petry which, in the modern theater has 90
long been subordinating the interest of the
ear and the intelligence to the delectatjon
OF the eye. How far the pleasure in the
performance depends on mere dumb show
rather than on acting, is shown by the
ovation aroused by the historical episode
which constitutes the fourth act At tho
close of this display Mr. Mansfield was
saluted with unbounded enthusiasm by the
audience, simply for coming horseback on
the stage. The scene is a remarkable nic-
toriai achievement.
The most conspicuous member of the
cast was Florence Kahn, who had long and
arduous pieces to speak in EXPLANATION of
what the actors were going to do next
She recited with great elocutionary yigor
and invested her work with a goodlv de
gree of personal charm. The speaking
parts in the cast are very numerous and
some very studious bits of character com
edy are developed. The humor. however
was long since obsolete There was some
spontaneous laughter at the advice to Bar
dolph to use his face for warming pan
But the Immortal war play" as ii is call
ed on the program, was written for au-
dienceS who were keen in appreciation of
everything which pertained to their own
history. 1t deals with the clamor of war
and the empty platitudes of braggarts who
are laughed at If their clothes be tattered
and knelt to If they wear the garments of
nobility. 1t has not the genuineness either
or humor or sentiment to commend II tn
generations beyond it's own. 1t is merely
a pageant, and as such, the present pro-
duction is a triumph. 1t would be possible
TO invest the title role with graces of per-
son and with emotional warmth in such
manner as to make 1t in some degree dra-
matte. But most of the time even the cen.
tral character is submerged by the scenic
display Mr.. Mansfield has shown so much
| discriminating taste as an artist In f3eiirata -
| and refined roles that his own opinion con-
| corning any actor, not excepting himself
| becomes important. There is every reason
] to believe that Mr.. Mansfield thinks ex
| ceedingly we'll of his Henry "" and this
| fact alone will commend 1t to q consider
| able element of theater patronage The
man who thoroughly believes in himself
| is certain to command a large share of re-
spect. And If we do not happen to believe
| in Mr.. Mansfield as artist capable with
| in his own personality of realizing broad
| effects or completing lofty flights We NAV
| at least admire his shrewdness in making
| capital take the place of individual labor,
and maintaining reputation as Shakes
| pearean actor by choosing piece in which
/, acting is not really essential.
COLUMBIA THEATER.- R.-Beneath a gos-
| samer covering of truly delightful comedy,
'Unleavened Bread" boldly satirizes a
phase of American life, which it must be
| admitted has an existence. The story is
| told in a broadly humorous fashion and
| completely convulses the audience as 1t
| presents a picture in which the hues Deep
/ en- into sable somberness. The writer has
| drawn his type of woman about whom the
| story clings. in an exaggerated FORM OF
| course, for in this single person he concen-
trates the character of many, and more
| forcfbiy points his moral. ..Unleayened
Bread, is a serious title to give a. play
| even though the name be already popular
| through its association with a book, from
which the production has been drawn II
does not suggest the mad riot Of laaghte,
l contained in this adaptation of the Grant