The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-11-15
Fine PIaUS at Local Theatres
THE VIRGINIAN''
PROVES FINE PLAY
Drama of Open Air Ex-
cellently Acted.

The air of the broad West, its rolling
foothills and brown mountains trailed by
longh0rned cattle and governed by the
freest men i'm the world. fills the Col
umhia Theater this week. Whoever at
tends the performances there OF The
Nirginian" win distend his lungs with
it and rejoice that an Americanism so
broad and reliant has been exemPlifed
by the stage. Last night there was tes-
timOny OF this sensation in the presence
of an audience of large size, and in the
intense interest which this life OF the
Open-air aWoke.
That life out on the plains is morally
the American stone age. Honor is Gle
mental there. The cracIde Of c7lfskin
chaps and the shade of broad som
breros seem 80 nurture not only deep
and enduring loyalty 10 a mans friend,
but an usually deep and enduring hatred
OF a mans enemy. Quarrels are brought
10 quick issues and pistols discredit ar
gument.
For about ten years, now. the course
of empire Westward has been driving
these men 20 the wall. IN few years
more their freedom as nomads will have
passed away. and in that day this vivid
and thrilling picture OF it viii have an
extraordinary value,
A Good Story Made Better.
THE Virginian" strobe first through
the pages of the magazines, given the
quality of life and the atmosphere OF
Wyoming in a series of sketches by
owen Wister. He now rocks across the
stage in a series of scenes made from
those sketches by the author and Firke
knowledge OF stage technique and the
skill needed to project in action the
pictures conceived by the novelist. Oc-
casioually stories are clarified and con
centrated in this straining process. This
was the case with "Pudd'nhead VIII
son. and il is so with 1.-THE Virginian."
THE sight of a single "quirt. or the
jingle of Il single spur, will arouse more
interest than a whole page OF descrip-
ton.
Into this life comes a young school
ma am from Vermont, upsetting the
hearts and accenting the rough bearing
OF the cow punchers. To one Of these
she deVotes herself as a teacher, eager
10 smooth out the creases in his gram
mar and willing TO respect his modest
rnanhness He, only half conscious %
his personal mastery. with the forest
grace of the trapper and character de-
Nel0Ded by hours OF silent thought as
he stradCled his horse, announces blunt
u.s. a purpose 10 compel her love his
campaign is open ana honest ana ne
wins. But an obstacle arises v hich IS
70 hard 10 SurmOunt that the struggle
with 60 depOses the love story from us
place OF chief interest. This obstacle IS
the opposition of a halfbreed. who itches
for money, is destitute of all restraining
standards, and is lying, cheating, conn
dent, sinister, undulatlng OF movement.
and lowering OF look. The night IS 9
fight of men. It's development IN this
play is one Of the most powerful dra-
matte stories composed in many years
Dustin Farnum's Success.
The Virginian" is acted BY Dustin
Farnum. "a young man known 10 Wash
ington chiefly for his representation OF
Lieutenant Lenton In Arizona" The
plays are somewhat alike and the char
acters are superhcially not dissimtlar.
but beneath the surface they are widely
different Mr. Farnum's success In
drawing them distinctly. in bringing
the Virginian so evenly beside the army
officer and yet disclosing clearly the
basal differences Of their characters
stamps him as an actor OF unusual
promise. Both are brave and modest
and earnest: but the one has been
trained 10 think skulfully, while the
other has trained himself 20 act simply
The Nirginian" Is the incarnation OF
pure manliness, and his favor will be
as wide as the love Of pure manlinesR
Near him are half a dozen plain ranch
men aud their wives, a group Of real
cowboys, two exotic persons from enete
New York. and half a hundred babies
The Representations Of all these chaIae
tiers are accomplished with skill but
particular credit is due Frank Campeau.
who plays the half-breed. Trampas; Guy
Bates Post who acts the role OF The
Nirginian s. weak friend Steve; c. r.
Gilbert WashingLOniau, for an OK.
cellent portrayal OF the bishop OF the
plains Marie TAYLOR. Marie PeJtes. and
Helen Holmes. The last named is pretts
and acts the role of the schO0lTna am
without offending.
Some there win be 10 whom '"The
Nirglnlan' VIII seem crude, forgetting
that the life he led was crude. and
some there viii be % disparaEe this play
~ less lauEhanle than farce and less
intense than a tragedy. For such as
these The Nirginian" has no message.
Iut the true American who loves the
things that are American viii be glad
i1 this picture OF open manllness as in
few other pictures exhibited on the
stage of his day.