The San Francisco call., 1905-01-11
MIZPAH POWERFUL
IN MANY LINES.
suffers a Little
Through Lack
Of Age.

In 3Mizpah," the Biblical drama by
Ella Wheeler Wilcox and Luscombe
Searele, produced for the first time
anywhere this week at the Majestic
Theater, the playwrights have at least
chosen a theme of exceptional beauty.
1t is the story of Esther, told in four
acts and nine scenes, and in rhymed
and blank verse. Mr.. Searelle in a
note to me claims 1881 Of the lines, leav-
ing 461 to Mrs. Wilcox's credit. He has
further furnished the incidental music
though he objects modestly to being
programmed-as he is-as the musical
wizard" Mr.. Searelle might perhaps
leave that safely to US. Certainly the
musical setting Of ''MiZpah" cannot be
charged UP to any kind Of wizardry.
: The play itself is an unaffected, inter-
esting, somewhat ingenious and rather
loosely handled presentation of the
story. 1t has atmosphere, certain
colorful orientalism, but it lacks age
Its Persia might be the Persia of to-
day-VaShti,f for example, in her curtain
lecture to AhasueruS on not being al
lowed to share the king business, is as
much the new woman of the current
comic papers as Carrie Nation. One
gets again from Vashti a quite modern
.dithyramb about the pens might over
lacks largely in the ancient sternness
of fiber. Ahasuerus is more of
charming philosopher and lover than
warrior and king. Haman, too. the bit
terly ambitious, in his presentment
here, with his rather childish inter-
ruptionS of the kings dicta, becomes
not infrequently something not unlike
the enfant terrible. AS a whole, in
short, the picture does not fill the
frame.
The love interest, as might be ex-
pected from the 'poetess of passion"
is heavily accented, and happily. Mrs.
WilcoX-surely these are of the 461-
in these lines and scenes is at her
best. The scene where Esther comes to
meet the King is the best in the play.
and handled with felicitous delicacy
and sincerity by Miss Adele Block and
j. H. Gilmour. There is the profane
love, too, of Vashti and Haman, clev-
erly contrasted. and interpreted to
, the necessary degree of sultriness by
Eleanor Gordon and Howard Gould.
4 Mr.. Monahan, of that queer and fla
vorful sheet, the "Papyrus, halls
. Mrs. Wilcox as the leading woman
writer of the day-then proceeds to say
that he means ethicist and philoso-
pher. So far as literature goes 'Miz-
pah" does not establish Mr.. Monahan's
claim. The lines have prettiness, occa-
siOnally strength, even occasionally
poetry, but except here lack wholly in
distinction. However, they run along
easily enough, and tell the story with
commendable clearness; and altogether.
given a scenic setting of adequate
splendor-the Majestic is excellent for
a stock house-with all the luxury and
richness of detail that was expended
upon, say ben Hur,'' quicken the
action of the piece, cut judiciously,
and you would have a play at least as
effective as most of the biblical dramas
In subject it is more fortunate than
most.
The play owes a good deal to the act
ing. Mr.. Gould makes an Ahasuerus
of notable charm, his love scenes with
Esther, as before said, of sincere
and convincing beauty. His reading of
the lines lends much grace to them.
Miss Block, as Esther, has done moth
ing so good since her Kundry. The
conception has an the delicate woman
ess-maidenliness-an later the full
a picture Miss Block is wholly charm
ing. Is not Miss Gordons Vashti some
what over-shrewish? And would not
her bearing a little more befit dancer
than a queen? But Miss Gordon sue
ceeds admirably in suggesting the plot
ting and passionate woman, and she is
a stunningly handsome picture. Mr..
Gould is effective in the modern fash
ION as Haman, and Mr.. MacVicar's
Mordecai has genuine feeling. The
others fill in without disaster, the hand
some costumes lending color and splen-
dor to the very well-staged piece. Mr..
Searches music is occasionally pretty,
but trivial in the connection.
BLANCHE PARTINGTON.