The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-06-11
NEWS OF THE BOOK WORLD
sP!igrim's Progress to BE Dramatlzed-
Great Possibilities In the AIlesory from
a Scenic standpoInt-Dram Effec-
( tIveness Not Wantlng-HeIen keIler's
Hand-Laurence Hutton Dead.

Bunyans Pilgrim s Progress Is to be drama
Iized next season under the direction of Mr..
Frohman, and the Woman's Foreign Missionary
Society Of the First Congregational church,
Washington, d. c., recently engaged Mr.. Greet,s
company to play for it as mode Of raising
funds with which to spread the gospel abroad
The above Is an extract from Harper's
Weekly OF to-day. It gave the Uneasy
Chair a distinct shock: not that the chair
felt there was any serious improperly in
adapting the allegory to the stage, but
that 1t thought the story was not one which
would appeal to theater-goers. Certainly
to many 1T would not. Nevertheless, Bun
vans Christian and his experiences could
be made wonderfully effective upon the
modern stage with all Of it's devices.
How effective became evident to the
chair the moment it reopened its copy
of the famous book Almost the first
thing to attract attention was a. half
tone reproduction Of George Cruikshanks
conception of Christian passing thru the
Valley of the Shadow of aDeath-C Christian
following a narrow path and beset on
every hand by monsters of frightful mein,
reaching for him with tooth, claw and
venomous sting. Certainly such a picture
If embodied in a characterization Of Chris
tian's adventures would give seekers after
new sensations an opportunity not to be
missed. .a-t
One pictures Christian ascending the
y,
self, as a prelude to sharper action;
The hill, tho high, I covet to ascend;
The difficulty will not me offend,
For perceive the way, to life lies here.
Come, pluck up, heart; let's neither faint nor
Better the difficult tn right way to go,
Than wrong, tho easy, where the end is woe.
To go back to the beginning there would
be the setting out from the City Of De-
struction on the journey to zion-a scene
which could be made a striking introduce
ton to the play.
| Then, for those fond of the swash-
buckler, there would be Apolyon. 1.-THE
monster was hideous to behold. He was
clothed with scales like a fish (and they
are his pride), he had wings like dragon
feet like a bear, and out of his belly came
fire and smoke, and his mouth was as the
mouth Of a lion"
And what about Vanity Fair? '.And
moreover, at this fair there is at all times
to be seen jugglings, cheats, games, plays
fools, apes, knaves, and rOgues, and thai
Of every kind. Here are to be seen. too
and that for nothing, thefts, murders
and great number Of other things. An6
Beelzebub is chief lord Of the fair.
The "happy ending is there. too; thai
is, It can be, if the dramatizers will stoI
short of disclosing the fates Of Ignorance
and Vain Hope, proper presentation Of
the welcome Of Christian and Hopeful tt
the long and far sought Zion could Ger.
tainly be made a fitting climax. This Il
Bunyan's vision:
Now saw in my dream that these two wen
| in at the gate; and lo they entered the!
/ We're TRANSPORTED, and they had rament put o.
4 that shone like gold. There was also that me
i them with harps and crowns, and gave them t.
them-the harps to praise withal and the crown
! in token of honor Then I heard In my dream
that all the bells of the city rang again for JOY
and that 1t was said unto them ENTER "
i into the joy Of your Lord
i Altogether there seems no good reason
!! why Pilgrims Progress should not prov
!, a very effective play-effectiye in man.
more ways than one.
The Uneasy Chair.