Evening star., 1902-02-11
ADJUSTMENTS.

enconium, was exhibited for the first time
at Washington last night. Two large con-
courses Of people stared at each other
across the footlights, and 1t was safe to
guess that the peculiar character Of the at
traction brought from their homes people
who had never been inside a theater before.
On this point, however. honors were about
even, for some of the people who helped to
make up the stage multitude were, to all
appearances equally unfamiliar with the
playhouse. 1t is unreasonable to expect
absolute smoothneSs in an immense travel
ing production. 1t Is too much to hope that
80 large band of supernumeraries, unless
trained to make their small but important
portion Of the enterprise permanent am
bition, shall win unalloyed approval when
they lift their voices in song or their legs
in the dance
display it is perhaps unsurpassed by any
thing that the present generation has Wit
messed. Scene painters have proceeded win
bold yet exquisite art to reproduce 10 the
eye those pictures which Gen Wallace
famous novel SO vfvidly conveyed to the in
tellect The electrician has lent his choic-
est skill In creating novel effects. and the
stage carpenter has not spared saw, nam
mer nor axle grease. As procession OF
pictures the piece is wonderfully impress
i've.
The camel does his part with stately and
supercilious calm: the horses put forth their
pest Efforts as nOrSeS can always Uc NC
pended upon to do. But the human beings
employed In the production, with Two or
three illustrious exceptions, were deficient.
1t was another case where every prospect
pleases and only man Is vile. Mr.. Farnum
acting In the title role was genuinely goou.
Yet multitudes Of people have found Ben
Hur to their liking. As a Kentucky gentle-
man who once remarked, 1t Is diner
ence of opinion that makes horse races; and
the horse race Is the principal feature OF
this mammoth exhibition of scenic splen-
dors. Dramatically the play is not strong,
the narrative being necessarily subord1nated
to the mechanical contrivances. Any poetic
grace which the language might have pos
sessed was lost in its recitation, and only
the tableaux remained. The music, which,
according to the management, Is hlstori-
cally correct is valuable an optimistic
assurance that the world has progressed
immensely in It's taste in this branch or arr.
But all this Is very probably Judgment
biased by too much familiarity with stage
effects. Many people will see In ben Hur
succession of marvels, whose beauty en-.
hances their reverence for the central
theme, so auda aciously selected. These Will
be spared the shock which more discerning
spectators may experience at reaiizlng tnat
subjects. which have heretofore Deen men
toned even by the most worldly with q
sense Of solemn sanctity, are being utlllzed
to animate a theatric pageant. Mr. Far
NUNS excellent work was We'll supported
by that Of Henry JeWett, as Slmonides. "A
cruelty oyerburdened by being assigned to
the role Of Iris, wicked Egyptian siren.
A little bad acting, more or less, however
will not seriously interfere with the pros
poets Of the production, for bad actlng does
not damage the scenery.
AS a gigantic spectacle Ben Hur fully
realizes all the expectations when had pesh
formed concerning 1t, and its scenes. as a
series of Illustrations to General Naliaces
book, must be accorded serious artistic
value.
COLUMBIA THEATER-Aside from the
credit he should receive for reviving, slim
ulating and maintaining interest In poetic
drama, Otis Skinner has placed the play
going public under an obligation for re
Iewing to this generation something OF the
art Of Booth and Barrett in the portrayal
Of the tragic phases of human character
For surely this man must be accorded MS
place in the front rank of the living expo
nents Of tragedy Of today. and those OF US
who sigh for the blaze or departed genus
must needs admit that the immortal spark
of the tragic muse has been famed into
fame again and burns with brilliant prom
ise The man who last night dominated his
audience and caused them to live the an
guish love, hate jealousy, tender pity and
fiery rage that he acted. has won by merit
and conscientious endeavor his enviable
position among the players Of the day.
He chose wisely when he selected Fran
cesca da Rimini' for the crowning effort OF
love and tragedy, which will live as long
as poetry and the drama recite Of human
passions, is suitable vehicle for the mani
festation of his talent and power OF artistic
Interpretation. Whatever may be the In
diyidual opinion of the merits of the diff
ferent versions Of the Italian romance,
made almost history by Dante's pen, which
ever the preference as to George Boxers
Stephen Phillips, d AnnunZios or Craw
ford's, the verdict of those who heard him
last night would be that he has caught the
spirit of the dark, central figure whom all
those writer's delineated. For 1T is Lam
ciotto. the misanthrope, the cripple, hungry
for love, raised to the seventh heaven when
he fancied for a moment 1t was bestowed,
and sunk into immeasurable despair when
the dream was shattered, who Is, after all,
one great character in every version Paolo
and Francesca, with their hapless love, lut
weave tiny thread of color into the SOM
ber woof. and with the fantastic broidery
of Pepe the fool only serve to set off the
bolder pattern Of the central theme.
Otis Skinner keeps measured step with
the stately march of George Boxers lordly
sentences. voice that charms, accented
by sensitive and harmonious perception,
gestures spare to pleasing and a pose that
denotes constant and thorough repression
in moments when olfe less competent would
give way to demonstra tion that would
quickly become ranting. are the most pro-
nounced accessories to his success If one
were asked to describe in a line the leading
say that it is the marked evenness Of 1t;
depending not upon climax, but upon con-
stant and harmonious effort to create the
effect. Never for moment Is there de-
parture from uniform excellence. 1t would
be difficult to pick out an act or passage
In which his impersonation seems either to
fall short or to notably exceed the general
tenor maintained throughout.
He is as tender in his loyal affection for
his brother as he is majestic in. his right
eous Indignation when he finds that love
misplaced. He Is noble in his proffered
of Francesca as exultant when
1t is declined, and consistent both in his
jealousy and his pitiful solcitude to find 1t
unfounded. His implacabe demand for
vengeance for his outraged honor contrasts
with his grief when he discovers that he
loved his brother dearer even than his
honor or his own life. The impression that
one brings away, therefore, is OF finished,
consistent delineatfon Of many conflicting
emotions.
He indeed makes the physical aspect of
the famous character less repelant than
some Of his predecessors in the part, but
nevertheless detracts nothing from it's sin
lister disposition. Lanciotto Of the warped
heart and bent nature Is there If Lanciotto
of the crooked back Is less In evidence;
Lanctotto of the quick and heavy hand and
the resentful temper which brooks no tri-
fling Is not to be mistaken In the last act
Mr.. Boucicault, as Paolo. invests the part
with a dignity and simplicity which OBJ
scures qualities which might at other
Inns ar or;t