The San Francisco call., 1904-11-17

Of ebony lifted toward the evening star,
a figure. kingly fashioned and garbed
in strange and gorgeous Eastern gar
ments. dark against an Oriental sunset,
was my last picture Of the The Star
Of Bethlehem" II was difficult to be-
Eeve oneself in Berkeley. in the uni
Versity grounds. in the twentieth CEN
tury, IN yesterday afternoon in fact.
and one OF crowd that had just seen
the play in the Harmon Gymnasium.
The figure belonged TO the player Of
Jasper, one Of the three kings that
brought gifts TO the infant Jesus He
had walked out Of the play into the
University Of California grounds, and
not he royalty stTiding along with his
silent attendant at his heels. looked out
Of the picture but the prosaic rest
Of Us. One felt there should have been
camels and a caravan. instead Of cleo
trio cars al the corner and-but one
might just as well say at once that
The star Of Bethlehem" has atmos-
phere. an atmosphere that reaches over
where the footlights should be 10 the
farthest corner of the theater, and lasts
for a. least FIVE minutes outside Of II.
So persuasive is the quaint medieval
ism Of the thing that for the time one
stands reEerent and agape. like those
that stood 10y Clerkenwel Priory
watching these plays some seven or
eight centuries ago
As every one knows the play was
vritten-or rather completely Profes-
sor Charles Mills Gayley. from num-
her e old English miracle plays. Ben
Greet and his company Of English play
ers. for whom the compilation was
made. produced it yesterday afternoon
for the first time here. Boston, how
ever saw the first production, Mr.
Greet having given the play there in
September. For his chief material Pro
fassor Gayley has gone TO the ToWneley
plays. in chief the "Secunda Pastorum
end the Offering Of the Magi." The
York. Chester and Coventry cycles have
also been drawn uDon, and several
original scenes. most cleverly charac-
tered. have also been added by the
dramatist. Songs Of the period add
further interest and the quaint, rhym-
Ing measure a further charm.
Undoubtedly the plays chief appeal
is to the literau, who think this kind
Of thing:
So seieouth sight was never seen.
such "a starne shinand % sheen
As easily as you and I think The other.
Il Is possible thai Professor Gayley
has not sufficiently modernized the vo-
csbulary Of the play. Still, a public
that accepts its opera in Italian has
nB rieht 10 CcmI ltin Of \ good, old
s.; son phase Cr TIC. Beside, the ta'c
re-ds few -, Is 1t IS as Understand
able to-day as il was to the simple
sightseer Of Chaucer's time, 10 which
il belongs.
First come from behind the nall
singing an ancient carol. the good
CIerkenweH monks. They march
through the audience to the stage, that
represents the ClerkenweI Priory. Still
singing. they go behind the scones and
climb TO the gallery. Comes Gabriel
then One is grateful to the Greet
players for many beautiful pictures
Here is one Of the most beautiful
The central curtains divide, to reveal
the figure Of Gabriel, star-crowned, IN
a mantle Of wonderful blue. lilies in
hand and with the exquisitely spiritual
face Constance GraWley eau bring 10
the picture. Gabriel plays through
out something Of the part Of the Creek
chorus. foretelling and explaining the
story, and one knows what the Craw-
ley voice can do for that.
The tale OF the thieving shepherd,
Max, takes up the beginning Of the
play. II is one C the earliest examples
OF English comedy. shrewdly interest
ing and naively humorous. Max joins
th- three shepherds that see the star
OF Bethlehem. he steals one Of their
sheep. CYL. his wife, fcaring dis
covery. puts the wether in the cradle.
pretending II is a new born child The
three shepherds come. The grcans Of
CYL anc she ,'rotestations OF Max de-
ceiVe the herds" They go. But one,
out Of pity for the poverty Of the
couple. proposes 10 leave gifts for the
child with a kiss. The wether is dis
covered and Max is tossed in a blanket
for his sins. The whole story, told in
vigorous and terse English, is OF
strong historic value and in itself es-
sentially dramatic. Mr. Greet was a
highly humorous figure as Max and
the other shepherds were also admir-
ably undertaken by their unlabeIed ex-
pcnents
The second "processus" introduced
the three Magi. who. with ingenious
symbolism, were represented as black.
REQ and white men respectively In
such mood was one by this time that
ihe shift from the palpable English
ness Of the first act to the Orientalism
Ct the second was accepted with utter
trustfulness. SPLENDID pictures were
the three Eastern potentates and
biavely suggested the poetry and ro-
nance Of their wonderful Journey.
Ingeniously interviewer with their