The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-15

fourth act. she rose to her old heights of
| crude power. In the one case she may
| If you will, be called the American Duse
! In the other she has long been called the
| American Bernhardt. Let US not quarrel
about phrases, even though they are little
rough on America. The simple fact Is
that she ia soulless Duse and wingless
| Bernhardt. As yet she has shown no power
| beyond her strong and somewhat rank
| physical appeal except the power Of hollow
mimicry.
But come TO praise the production. not
to bury the play and the acting. II would
be godsend to the American drama. and
indeed TO the drama OF any country. II its
stage managers could be made to serve an
apprenticeship under MIR. Belasoo. With
all the praise that has been lavished on
him and after all the fancy names he has
been called. 1 doubt If many of us quite
realize the greatness of his achievements
France and Germany where the arts Of
playwriting and piayao'irg are supreme,
have nothing that deserves 70 be men
toned in the same article.
In only one theatre can anything he found
that approaches it and that il His Ma jesty's
London, under Beerbohm Tree. There
one may see vaster atmospherical effects,
higher flights into the poetry of enchanted
distance. One scene which can never I've
forgotten by those who saw 1t is OlridS
palace in Twelfth Night Il was an
architectural triumph of mellow marble
walls and vast, terraced stairways. and out
beyond 1t one saw perspective of rocky
headland, shore and sea, over which palpi-
tated leagues of quivering aerial space.
In Oiirids garden there was an effect OF
more intimate and inhabited space-moss
banks and woodlands all on the border Of
garden brook, with green lawn in the
foreground-but the secret Of Mr. Trees
triumph is not necessarily that of superior
Imagination, OF u vaster Imagination. His
theatre is one Of the largest in the world
and his stage Is Of operate magnitude.
How many of those whose visual senses
d!late into the enchanted regions of Mr..
Belasco's creation realize the narrow limits
OF his stage? From leg To leg his pros
cenum arch measures 30 feet, or only
little mora than the width Of an ordinary
city house. Our intimate homes of draw
ing room comedy are as large--the stage
OF the Garrick is only wo feet less and that
Of the New Lyceum actually two feet wider.
The stage Of the New Amsterdam Theatre
il 40 feet wide, Of the Academy Of Music "A
and of the Metropolitan Opera House "a
feet wide. This is as nothing, however,
a. compared 10 the lack of depth, which Is
the real obstacle in producing effects of
space. Mr.. Belascos stage measures only
30 feet from the footl gifts to she back wall.
The Opera House measures all but three
times this-sg feet The Academy OF Music
measures more than twice as deep, 90 feet,
and the New Amsterdam 30 feet. The stage
Of that miniature theatre the Bijou is as
deep as that OF Mr.. Belascos.
To realize what can be done by Intelligent
management, let any one compare. for in
stance. the stage pictures of THE Darling of
the Gods" with those Of The SorcereSs.
The number Of square feet at Mr.. Froh-
mans disposal was more than double yet
the eIets he produced hardly enticed the
Imagination beyond the paint and canvas
of the playhouse, Mr. Belasco opened up
prospect after prospect of seemingly illiuit-
able light and color.
How was it done1 II one only knew
I II may be observed. however, that Mr..
Frohman's stage manager so used his
lights as to give only two or three different
values Sometimes the lighting WIS so
crude and careless that one felt the pres
| ence of all the electrical appliances in foot
| lights. wings and flies saw them flicker and
flare Az the Belasco Theatre it is all but
impo ,sible to say wherS the lights come
from. and the adjustment is so -Blful and
intricate a. to produce Il sense OF iDnu-
merable values. gradated with all the va
riety and compleNity Of the most highly
moduated landscape.
1t Is in effects of color. however, that Nlr.
Belasco's genius touches It's summit. and IL
il here, as il seems 10 me. that he merits
the name Of wizard. In certain moods
and color Is 30 much matter OF mood, OF
sheer enchantment-he deals with tones of
the most subdued The first two acts OF
"Adrea pass in monotone OF gray green
the Swallowed portal Of a Doric palace
and the darkened room of the Tower Of
Forgetfulness II is as If the purpose were
to put one as far as possible into the mood
Of Adreds blindness.
In the first scene the only color is given
.by the shifting throngs of Roman and bar
barrie soldiery, priests. yestals and debalch-
ees. but the effect is Of a dusky splendor
In the tower there is not even this. But
note the triangular pane Of blue on the right
and the balancing patch Of orange seen
through an open door Note. also the va
riety lent by the momentary opening Of the
doors at the rear. II the last attribute of
genius is simplicity. you have II here.
In the remaining acts the Oriental splen-
dor of Mr.. Belasco's sense of color runs
not or IN thor rpa Cbee tho limit az gor-