The Washington times., 1904-04-12
TheaterS All Crowded for
Notable Performances.
Morality Play Makes
Deep Impression.
Julia Marlowe at National.
Mask and Wig at La
fayette---VeSta Til
ley a Success.


edges uneven, illuminated with tbs
strange figures of the clustered painter
and phrased in language so clear and
forcible that It controls the heart as
humble emotion controls the heart OF the
child, was unfolded in Washington last
night amidst the rapt attention OF q
great audience. This remarkable result
was not accomplished in a church or by
means Of moving preaching, but in a
theater, and by means Of a play. Yet
the power and spirit Of the drama were
such that through an entire performance
this audience sat In silence and was
finally dismissed without applause.
The work which thus impressed itself
SO deeply had for its substance the mont
ton of the church that all VINO live must
die; and so the play bears heavily or
the heart with the awful mystery of
the infinite. This has been sung, taught,
argued, preached in every tongue Of
every age. Primitive man looked from
his cave out upon the stars and saw
3 there the unsolvable problem Of death.
We look today upon those same stars
and that same dread mystery" The
Egyptian Book Of the Dead, the my
thOlogy OF the Greeks told In classic
verse. The legends Of the Morse seas
and the German forests, the song of the
Persian Omar. the first writings of the
English tongue. and the last sigh of the
wistful exquisite who makes the maya
zine poetry OF our own time-an these
like this old play, 'Everyman have
dealt with death and left il still appal-
ing, unsolved. dreadful.
The Churchman's View OF Death.
'Everyman" is the Christian church
mans view. the work Of a Dutch monk.
Peter DOrland Of Diest, who wrote in
the fifteenth century. The drama was
in his day stm under control of the
priesthood The writings Of Menander.
Aristophanes, Seneca, and Plautus lay
under the ban Of dogma and ignorance.
What there was Of literature was re-
hgious. In dramatic form this litera-
ture had first produced the mystery
2 play delineating some chosen incident
Of the Bible and acted by priests Then
came the miracle play. clarifying the
patron saint Of the monastery: and then
the morality play. personifying such alb
stract qualities as 'felawship." '1zyn-
crcde. 'beaute." ''knowlege, and
'gOOd-dedes.' OF this last type "Ev-
eryman' is by far the best
a key 10 its spirit and its form IS pro-
! pray you all give your audyence.
and here This mater with reverence,
BY tygure moral playe:
The sononynge Of Everyman. called il is
That Of our lives and endynge shelves,
how uansytory we be all dave
With such an admonitory preface the
play begins Then sounds the voice OF
the Almighty lamenting the sinful earth
and summOnins bis mighty messen-
gere, Dethe to Apprehend Everyman
IN his evil life. Everyman Is found
sE:sing and hght-hearted. is chilled
through by Dethe's message. and a.
moved TO seek the companionship on
his 'touFnaye, a long waye harde, and
dc ngerous, of those whom his heart
holds dear. And so he asks them all in
urn-FelaWship. Kyndrede, Goodies.
Gc0d-Dedes. Knowlege. Confessyon.
Eeaute, Streugthe. DyscrecyOn. and
Iive-W yttes-and those whom afrection
first called:
When Deathe bloweth MS blast,
They al renne f=o' me full fas-
KnowleEe and Good-Dedes alone arc
steadfast. They alone confront the SOL
emn opening Of the tomb and upnft
his fainting body. and at the end Good
Dedes remains the pilgrims only com
forter
1t Is simple story. an epitome Of that
later work which reused whole nation.
Pilgrims Progress" But IL is power
ful TO move the hearts Of men beyond
ali the poems Of paradise or tragedies
of Hamlet. which the world Of our lit /
erature knows
As in the Middle Ages.
Every accessory TO the play contrib /
utes isolation 10 % The acting and the /
investiture are. in fact. kept as close 4
10 the acting and investiture OF Peter
Dorland's day as possible 'Moralities''.
were acted chiefly I'm mOnasteries and /
churches; so the stage Is set as a clois-
ter, copied from an old print The COS
tunes are taken from Flemish tapestries
Of the same period. On the stage are
'ascensiOns symbonzing by flowers.
9 ae cultivation Of the soil; by a little
gan, art; by several wheels, work.
Uy cushions. rest after labor: by candles.
worship and thanks due. A little music
IS introduced song for a group OF
roysterers. a rondelay for Everymau.
and the singing Of the angels-and this
IS all kept close 10 the primitive com
position Of such musicians as Adam de
Ia Halle. The characters enter. nearly
all. from the audience-the Messenger in
black; Fellowship in vari-colored hose !
and doubict, Goodies as a miser. with
voice; Knowlese as "a noble
figure Of benignant mien; Beaute.
Strengthe. DyscrecyOn. and Five-Wyttes
as maidens, and Good-Dedes as a nun
OF sweet face and gentle voice. walking
with the dig-thed grace OF the cIoister.
II Is a gOOdls company, and primitive.
The effect OF ''Everyman." even to-
lay is 20 shame the intellect and exaIt
the conscience. Yet the Office Of critic
an adversIon 20 the actinc
which gave this old play such singular
and valuable emphasis II is most re
narkable for the voice and bearing OF
EYeryman'' in the person Of Edith
Wynne Matthison All the strain Of
al act nearly two hours long did not
essen the mellihuOus sweetness Of her
voice or the tenderness and strength of
Ter acting. She distinctly one Of the
most plessur figures Of our stage.
Yet, It Is nr,.i.. her endowment nor
Ter skill TLCI :: her impersona-
ion % VIA" gIe.t power Il
s revereEte s. eaInSs- e. nc 50 pur-
hat il egps caches N-e-s dose 10 in
piraticn. sn6 beuays itse-f iu glIsten-
ng tears o1' her cheek. With Miss