The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-01
Cbe C,eatre$
"A sIessage From Mara,

"A Message From Mara" . A ripple of admiration, a rumble ol approval. followed by a roar of enthu' siasm from great audience in tho Theatre. Once. twice, three times Again and again the heavy curtain il drawn, but the people are not satis fled. Eight times the curtain ascend ed. Then Charles Hawtrey,, the grea English actor, yields to our beastl, American custom. Stepping outside o the artistic picture of his own mak- ing he'raises his hand and the applause subsidies.
 Charles Hawtrey. the player. has tri. umphed. The mastor has swayed the thousands of cultured minds and hearts. For a brief moment the sea of faces. representing all that Is typical of Montgomery. has glimpse rof Charles Hawtrey, the English gentle man and scholar.
 Evidently MT. Hawtrey is not given to making speeches fr0fn the stage. He is embarrassed. He shows 1t plainly. My friends" he says haltinsly, we are not living in an artistic age. All about us is commercialism. For this generous, this cordial evidence of your appreciation we thank you. l must say, honestly, truly, that this reception Is more to me than the goods of this world"
 There is no mistaking his sincerity, as he continues, visibly affected by the demonstration. It is his first visit to the Southern part of the United States, he says, and the sympathy of the peo- pie has encouraged him to come again.
 The scene is at the close of the sec ond act of "A Message From Mars, produced by Mir. Hawtrey and his large company of English players at the Montgomery Theatre last night.
 In novelty of conception, subtlety of charm and artistic treatment, "A Mes sage from Mars" is the theatrical piece de resistance of the year. It was con- ceived by Richard Ganthony, who must share the honor with MT. Hawtrey. but MT. Ganthony is fortunate that one of Mir. Hawtrey's rare temperament should have been selected to exploit his really great contribution to stagedom.
 In the first act, we see Horace Par ker. a wealthy young Englishman. sell fish to the point of peevishness. Ab- sorbed in the comfort of his home. he buries himself in the study of his sciences and refuses to accompany his betrothed and his sister to the ball. He falls asleep when they have gone with Arthur Dicey. At this point a
 messenger from Mars. the one mythi- cal person of the play. appears. The messenger has been condemned to visit the earth-which place. by the way, Is never alluded to in polite Martian so- ciety because 1t begins with a capital Hand seek out the most selfish man | on this entire planet whom he Is to give a lesson in "otherdom;" that is doing good deeds for ones fellows. Nf tpI fnI hnf appearance of the Martian is all a
 dream. and Parker is. followed through l the second act completely at the mercy | of the messenger The misery of sell fishness and the nobility of generosity are painted deftly and strongly. By the skillful use of the miser
 scene, Parker sees his bethrothed at th' ball, hears a proposal to her by his rival, hears himself reviled by hi!
 pseudo friends, and at last Is bereft oi
 his fortune and left penniless in th' 1 streets, the companion of the rabble. | Here the moral strikes his heart ant although he does not awaken from th' | sleep, he awakens to his better seH a the mandate of the messenger iron Mars. The action Is from 9 p. n1 until | a. m., when Miss Parker and Minnie are at tho ball with MT. Dicey apt Parker is asleep at his home. Whei
 the transformation of Parker is com pIete and the messenger has accom- plished his mission on earth he dis appears Horace awakens. but tn | vagaries have completely overcome hin
 and he sees the barren course he ha | pursued. His mean. selfish nature ha
 been vividly portrayed and he rushe
 forth to save dozens of poor peopl | | demonstration of generosity and un
 selfshness amazes his sister and hi betrothed, but Horace Parker Is nev
 man-the messenger from Mars ha | taught sthe lesson that happiness in thi
 world Is surest found in giving to other and in denying ones self that other
 may have a crumb of sunlight in thei | darkest places.
 The etherality of the Martian mes
 senger suggests Faust" but the con
 ception is so original and the mora
 so forcible that it is captivating. Tn
 subduing of Horace Parker is antipoda
 to the tanning of Katherine and conse | ouently 1t is delightful to women. A
 last they may sit through a play wher | a man Is humbled. is compelled to ste
 down from his lofty. dominating plane | The reading of this bare thread o
 the story unfolded by MT. Ganthon,
 suggests cheapness., In truth 1t re | quires the cleverest. the most effectiv | treatment. the most careful attention l to details, to lights. to scenic equip
 ment, to the niceties that make fo 1 stage art, to bring about a perfec whole. And MT. Hawtrey and hi splendid company were satisfying There was not a moment of disappoint
 ment throughout the course of the en l tertainment.
 Much was expected of MT. Hawtrey | This put the large and cultured audi l.e 1,