The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1904-11-05
ben Hur'' and aLOulslsus.a

next two months In the Worlds Fair
CITY that no one should mss are
Louisiana" at the Cdeon, better call
ed 1.-THE Winning of The West" aud
nBen Hur, q Tale Of the Christ" at
tbe Olympic.
While Louisiana Is as free from
plot as the Pike from light on a
Sunday night; it is dazzling, brilliant -
gold and silver, purple AID crimson,
diamonds, rubies aud sapphires can
make it, Beside it, almost the sun
itself would suffer an eclipse.
Several features are introduced not
belonging to the play. Among others
the celebrated Mr.. Slade Of Iowa gives
an organ recital, we suppose this was
fine but we confess our musical in
trinity, in our preference for silence;
the Radium Dance is amusing, intro
ducing La Tonchee's flight through
space over the heads of the house.
The real play begins after the scene
Of Fountainbleau where Napoleon
receives the American ambassadors,
Monroe and Livingston and signs the
deed to Louisiana Territory which
selves England her rival. -
The powers represented winning the
west to civilization are the pioneers,
the 49'ers, the railroad and electricity.
The latter e beautiful woman touches
the Spirit Of the wilderness with no
gentle hand.
Everywhere the "too much" which
is the awe of the classic play is put to
scorn. You do not wonder after
seeing this played that Oliver Wendell
Holmes advised the western man
before attempting to enter an eastern
drawing-room to go into cold storage
at least tor a month in one OF the best
refrigerating plants to be found!
But we did not inherit this lovely
western land because our fathers
wreathed their swords in roses. They
faced the foe, we're struck, gave blows
ia turn, and did not mind the hurt.
That drop of blood IN our heart grows
warm, inherited from those sturdy
pioneers, who came west and simply
precipitated themselves upon the wild
rness to secare a home.
This play appeals to the West, and
may he deemed to symb9lize the high.
way from loneliness TO life; from
past,-full of terrors by night and the
dangers that walk by day is felt in al
savage music, in the fierce chorus nc
less than in the wierd refrain; to /,
present, crowned with peace, beauty
and abundance.
s'BEN HUR A TALE Of THE Christ"
Lew Wallace's play at the Oily mpiI
has a plot sufficiently interesting tt
please Walter Besant, who said, Tn,
story is the thing, "rhis drama shoulC
be seen by every one who puts pen tC
paper and writes Ammo Domino 1904.
The artist succeeds wonderfully il
what he attempts. Surrounded By
d~iiiculties. restrictions are turned into
opportunities. Languageis inadequate
to express the thin line of demarkation
that an artist must observe, who putt
on the boards, "a Tale Of The Christ. )
There are three kinds Of lines,-the
geographical, moral aud symbolicsl
like that drawn by Plzarro when be
said to his discouraged followers, Oh
this side are ease and pleasure; o.
that, toll and glory, for my part, l g
south. Bot none can say o stern
y than the moral line, "Hitherto tho
shalt GO, no further.
After every scene when the curtain
falls without words they seem to ask
did We observe the liner The audi
enoe with one voice say, Yes.
Meantime as the play proceeds anC
Ben Hnr becomes the center Of al
orbs, you feel that mans kingliest &C
n to sway the scepter Of himself. EV
erywbere, color, light, action, feeling
are held severely in bounds, there
is no loosening Of the reins. Eve
the chariot race Of Messiah and Be
Hur IS under perfect control. Min
and spirit dominate the mere physics
and keep it under foot, There IS n
breaking point. You realize there
power here,
Simply from an artistic point Q
view, to have conceived and execute