The Washington times., 1904-12-27
"AOREA" DISCLOSED
IN CONVENTION HALL
Greeted and Applauded by
Brilliant Audience.


the Adriatic Sea, and called '-Adrea''
after its chief character, was acted for
the first time last night at Convention
Hail. The star was Mrs Leslie Carter,
the authors were David Beiasco and
John Luther Long and the production,
which was accomplished by Mr.. Belasco,
was as opulent and bravely colored as
his earlier offerings. ..Du Barry ''-rhe
Darling of the Gods" and Sweet Kitty
Bellairs''
The performance dedicated Convention
Hall TO new use as a theater- The au
ditorium has been transformed. Across
the middle of the hall stretches a pro-
scenium which has the effect Of gold mo-
sale. Banners of deep green convert the
steel girders of the roof into an efrec-
tive sounding board and a canopy OF
restful color. Boxes raised like daises
at each side of the stage surmount back
grounds of golden pillars which support
the crimson velvet curtains used in -Du
Barry The new theater is large, its
aisies are wide. and the distance from
gallery to the footlights is great, but
the effect OF these vigorous colors united
in a design of rare beauty is one of COM
pactness and warmth.
Greek IN Theme and Treatment.
a key to the play is afforded by the
extremely picturesque and brilliant cur
tains which close the proscenium The
design IS pure Greek. with an effective
suggestion Of Already in q motif OF bios
SONS contrasting sharply with the
geometrical outlines of a Greek frieze.
Inclosed by these two decorations is a
legend in Latin which begins ..Cognos-
cite Omnes Homines' and sets forth the
law of Adrea that only those can rule
yx-fla hot j,
Admiral and Mrs. Dewey, the Secre-
tary of the Navy and Mrs Morton, Mr.
and Mrs. Marion of Chicago, Admiral
and Mrs Schley. Henry Loring, and a
party, Col Henry May Mrs May and
a party, sat in the boxes. Near to their
hands were half a dozen Senators, many
members of the House, and officers of
the Government, and others prominent
socially. The audience consisted most
largely, however. of the Capitals con-
frmed first nighters, and the applause
with which these auditors as well as
their more conspicuous associates
greeted ..Adrea'' established their ap-
prevail of the production beyond any
question
The Times has already published a
sufficient outline of .Adread for an es-
innate of its plot. 1t presents Mrs.
Carter as a blind princess, gentle in
(
brave man To this woman comes a
succession of horrors-the loss Of her
sweetheart, kaeso. acted by Charles A
Stevenson; her marriage under cover
OF her blindness to a repeJiant fool: the
restoration of her sight, the discovery
or her degradation; testimony from
kaeso that he knew and might have
aYerted her shame; an attempt at self
murder; ascent to the throne, the
punishment of Kaeso by a series of
heartless tortureS; the murder of her
old sweetheart to save him from a
worse fate; the voluntary loss again
OF her eyes, and oblivion.
Company Large and Effective.
Near Adrea and Kaeso are Arkissus
a barbarian of loyal heart, acted by
Tyrone Power; Marcus Lecca, a sena-
tor, acted by r. d. MacLean; Holy
Magyar, priest. acted by H A Rob-
erts; Minus, the fool. acted by J.
harry Benrirao; Lula Donna, Adrea's
play, acted by Edith Crane; and Garda.
slave, acted by Maria Davis.
MT Stevenson suffered from an acute
cold, which almost robbed him of his
voice. Mr. Power was clearly a popular
fayorite- And Mrs. Garter was fol-
lowed with a tensity of interest and
which attested beyond question to the
popular Endorsement of this stars
latest offering.
The text is poetical. imaginative. and
All the scenes are sunptuous The
tapestries of Arabia and India serve for
ceilings and sun-shields The arcaitsc-
ture of the buildings displayed is firm.
accurate, and effective The costumes
glisten with jewels and glow with warm
ceIors- And the furnishings recall the
vivid descriptions of Gibbons Decline
and FAIL
Distinctive Musi,.
Even the music is distinctive. On this
point the composer, William Furst, has
said.
NO violins are used on the stage.
There are no stringed instruments what
ever, except the harps.- I have tried to
initiate the instruments of the period of
the play by using wind INSTRUMENTS
saxophones, bass clarinets. contra-bass
eiarinets. alto oboes, bass flutes (Which
are seldom heard in this country. trun
pets and the harp. All the music of tbe
stage is played with those Instruments
and aeoIian Earps.
The music adkeres to the a,c,a,,,
creek and Roman modes and the Greg
orlan notes. To play these as they were
Played OF OLD would be to use nothing
more than fve-finger exercises Thu
have been modernized to fit the drarnafi tic
action The entire actes are all on the
themes OF the different acts of the nlav
nave modernized two of the old
original musical settings Of the odes OF
horace watch We found in England. The
INSTRUMENTATION is, 1 believe, quite nov
q, only sort wind Instruments, being
used. The brass instruments used are
intended to initiate the ancient Iituus
and buccinae"
After the third ana fourth acts the
audience called Mr.. Belasco to the foot
lights with the star, and the producer
brought along MS collaboration. Mr.
Long, 70 share In the honor Mr. Be
lasco then made a brief speech, express
ing for Mrs. Carter and the others of
the company, the gratitude they felt
toy Nasn!uetons interest and protest
ing that the evening was exclusively
Mrs. Carriers
The performance ended shortly after
midnight.
In Praise Of Chanbe-iain,s couyb