The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-03-13

at the door is stabbed TO death by Hassan
.Akbar. This Moor was once a servant of
WARMERS. and the Englishman. 10 get
rid of him. turned him over TO an enemy.
revenge vas having Warmer kidnapped by
his brethren of the dessert.
Warmer thus put out Of the way, the
spectator is left TO conclude that Miranda
and Charrock go on together in happiness.
The sense Of it is that Miranda proves her
nobility by sacrificing the chance of fe-
licity in letting her husband remain buried
alive I'm the desert, while Charnock sue
cessfuly stands the test of friendship.
which is. il is said. greater than love. IN
der these circumstances II the pima
Moor did rot find his chance 10 Kill war
rineT. Miranda would have 10 draS out
her existence without Charnock. Tor the
prac tical idea of divorce Is enurely foreign
to the spirit of the affair. But If the nov
est worked out his problem In similar
environment there would be no series OF
adventures in colorful, Oriental surround
ing, though, OF course, MS achievement
would be of far greater value TO the per
sons that read his story see the play
made from it. Mrs. Burton Harrison, In
writing THE Unwelcome Mrs. Hatch,
which Mrs. Fiske presented on Monday
and Tuesday nights. did a more artistic
thing. because her drama Is of intimate
appeal. but on the other hand, her play
is not nearly so well constructed as is
Miranda" and does not give half the
opportunities for the display of Mrs.
Fiskes and her assistants ability TO act
strenuOusly given by the latter play.
The admirers of Mrs. Fiske liked Mi
randa" better than they do THE Unwel
come Mrs Hatch Her fascinating pecu-
randa" as they did in Tess In the
final act. when Warmer stands before her
like a terrible vision out of the past, she
cries: Where is 'he?" (Charnock) in that
thrilling, cutting tone that has remained
in the minds of those that saw Mrs. Ftske
in the Thomas Hardy play as its most dra-
matte moment. Again, in the second act
she portrays grief-when she buries her
face in the flowers cut for her sons grave
of poignant quality that other Ameri-
can actress Is able TO approach In other
Incidents she exhibits suppression OF emo
ton that is the most marked of her char
acteristics.
The capabilities of various members of
out in Miranda" Mr.. Haines, as Char
mock. and Mr.. Hurst, as Warmer. have
struggle in the desert that brings the first
scene of the last act to "A dramatic close.
Warmer has tainted Charnock beyond
endurance. and Charnock turns on him
and tells him that he is still a slave ana
that he (Charnock) may easily send him
back to that awful life from which he has
just rescued him. Warmer begs for mercy,
crouching on the ground, and simultaneous
catches the knife and the cOwardly War
riner grovels at his feet. sobblng childish
Iy that ''he did not mean it, Mr.. Figman
impersonates Wilbraham, who has been
tout a billiard marker and a blackmailer
He attempts to force annuity from
Miranda on condition that he does not be-
tray to the public the fact that
her husband is alive. The COM
credible, but it let's Mr.. Figman do some
clever acting. Mr.. Bogel is WARMERS
friend. Fournier. who comes from Algiers
to Spain as WARMERS emissary. This i'm
personation is admirably neat. The French
man is timid little fellow, coward he
says, but he is filled with ardent loyalty
for his unworthy friend. Mr.. Young por-
trays the vengeful Moor Hassan, with a
sincerity that produces a shudder in the
spectator.
These performances have shown again
that Mrs. Fiske is the greatest American
actress because she has an intense,
unique personality that no other woman of
this country's stage possesses. She is
naturalistic, but not versatile. She has not
near the authority of Mrs. lie Moyne, her
only close rival. Mrs. Fiske's power puts
a responsibility on her. She should follow
the example set by Mrs. Patrick Campbell,
and devote herself 10 the best of the drama.
ton that controls the American theater
commercially may prevent her obtaining
worthy plays of contemporary American
life, but, to be specific, Ibsen, Sudermann,
Hauptmann. Bjornson. Hervieu and the
other European dramatiStS of similar pur-
pose if not so great ability exist for her
as we'll as they do for Mrs. Campbell She
seems to be letting her opportunity slip
by. But her difficulties are many and under
any circumstances, in recognition of what
she does DO so inspiringly. she will always
have q hearty welcome here and elsewhere.
Every serious. informed person wishes her
we'll.