The Washington times., 1902-02-11
Bon Hur. Juda. the SON of Ilham

OF Ben Hur" the press agent told but
haf Few among the large audience that
| witnessed the first performance In Wash
| ington of William Young's dramatizatior
of General Wallace's romance. as giver
at the National Theatre last night. hat
! any adequate preconceived idea OF the
magnitude. the impressiveness. the lit
erary value. or the melodramatic merits
| of the play.
Reports of the success of Ben Hur'
had reached local theatregoers from New
York during the past two years. but no
J body hardly believed these stories were
actually true. But they were, in every
| particular
Even many persons who last night wit
messed the different scenes of The melo-
| drama-for it should be borne in mind
Ben Hur" is melodrama first. last, and
| all the time, without the customary
| comedy eiement'-were unable to grasp
/ the numerous excellences of the piece.
That they realized and were profoundly
| impressed with the lavish splendor and
/ the extraordinary ingenuity of the scenic
and mechanical effects was unquestioned,
/ but there were not many in all the audi
! ence at the National that grasped the
! lofty tone of the play itself. or properly
| appreciated the beauty of the dramatizer' S
work-not the mere writing of the lines.
but the drawing of the characters, the ar
ranging OF the stage pictures, the whole
! problem Of proportion and symmetry that
makes Ben Hur' model of stage litera-
| ture and skilled stagecraft.
| Almost all OF those who saw the per-
! Torrance of Ben Hur" last night will
| want to see it again. once, certainly, and
/ two or three times if they are fortunate
! enough to be able to procure seats.
| Ben Hur'' typiies the greatest moral
| struggle of the ages in the story of a
| single life. Judaism. with it's belief In
one GOD, was coming under the celebrating
! tramp of the Roman legions. The Roman
heel was planted in Judea. Jupiter, Mars,
| Vulcan. Apollo, Ceres, and Venus were
crushing the creed of Abraham; the up
roofing and dispersal of the Israelite was
not four-score years away. when a new
light WAS borne into the world-a new
star was lifted in the Eastern sky. Cen
eral Wallace's novel reFives this Christ
period, and seeks to give picture of the
Roman Empire particularly its eastern
dominion. This writing of a story intro
duc:ng Christ as one of its characters was
daring thing. The book was accepted
! by the American people, however as fair
ly and reverantly accomplishing its OBJ
ject. and SO the story suggested itself as
mr. mi zinc moi riot tn 80 -,
drama.
William Young. who was selected to
make the stage version, undoubtedly
found his task fairly bristling with diff
ficulties- 1t was of the first necessity
that, however close the story of the play
was brought to the living Christ. he
should not appear in it, yet his influence
must be felt. his presence fully indicated.
And while General Waliace's story was
told in straightforward manner, rich in
color and occasionally strong in episode,
it was almost wholly lacking in technical
dramatic qualities. But Mr.. Young was
indeed fortunate in having producing man
ayers of the liberal qualities OF Klaw &
Erlanger, and with no financial restraint
he builded his scenes with an eye to the
spectacular as well as the literary ele-
ment. But. leaving the scenic portion of
the play out of the question. forgetting
ter and scene painters and the ingenuity
of the electrician Ben Hur" as dra-
matte composition Is Il decidedly notable
addition 10 the literature Of the contem-
porary stage.
The audience first hears an orchestral
prelude by Edgar Stillman Kelly, whose
incidental music throughout the drama
lends realism and inspiration TO the ac-
ton OF the play
The play itself opens with tableau of
the Wise Aten of the East following the
Star of Bethlehem. The curtain falls and
quickly rises again, showing the roof of
the palace of Hur with a view of the city
of Jerusalem. The trials of the gallant
Prince of Hur, chatting under the Roman
mastery of Judea, begin. He quarrels
with his friend, Messiah, and when the
fall of a coping stone Kills the Roman
general passing in the street below, Civ
ing Messiah a chance TO wreak his hatred
on Ben Hur the latter is seized by the
Roman soldiers to be taken TO the galleys,
while his mother and sister are carried
into dreadful captivity
Ben Hur is next seen three years later
aboard the trireme, laboring at the oar
He Is exempted from the general rule
of being chained to the benches, and when
the galley. attacked and captured by pi-
rates, sinks. young Hur and Arrius are
seen on a raft with Roman galley bear
ing down on them.
The stage picture changes 20 the home
of Simonides. in Antioch, and then to the
grove Of Daphne and the temple of ApoI-
10. The dance Of the Roman maidens in
this scene is particularly effective and
Hur stands in the group, grave and stern.
Again the picture changes and the foun-
tain of Castalia is revealed. a beautiful
setting, fringed with towering palms.
The great spectacular event OF tho play,
the chariot race. is next in order. The
opening scene depicts the great gateway
to the circus at Antioch. Crowds of
pleasure seekers enter and there is an
abundance Of betting on the result of the
forthcoming race between Messiah and
Hur. Suddenly above the shouts of the
crowd is heard a rumble, and above this
roar the clatter of the horses hoofs. In
a moment the interior of the circus is re-
vealed and the race under full Roadway Is
disclosed. This proves the very apex of
the spectacular appointments OF Ben
Hur," and Is, indeed, one OF the most in
tensely sensational scenes that have ever
been shown on Washington stage There |
were any number OF curtain calls follow
ing the lowering of tho curtain ON this
race scene and there was no MISLEADING the |