The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-17

%~~~>~~~~~~-~~~~~~~~~-- ~-~>~~-@~>->>><Sr>r>~~> the occasion of his previous engagement in Birmingham created a favorable inn pression. Magnetic, graceful and drama tic, he has made himself favorte with Birmingham theatregoers and will always be accorded a warm welcome in this city.
 In reviewing MT Lorimer's perform ance of .The Shepherd King the New Orleans Times Democrat of last Tuesday said:
 "In The Shepherd King the stage has been given a play which is at once bril- nantly spectacular, powerfully dramatic and withal profoundly reverent. Consid- cred from purely spectacular view point, Wright Lorimer's production is a splendid work of art. It is not hap hazard conglomeration of startling color and dazzling light effects, nor is 1t the mere vague guessing of the author as to the stage pictures which might or might not be adequately descriptive of the dramatic story of David's career from the dawning of his ambition Cor inspiration) when an humble shepherd boy on the hills of Bethlehem, to the proud and glorious day of his coronation as King of Isreal but it is a series of stage pie lures conscientiously and artistically adapted from the standard Biblical crea- tions by the great masters.
 "In adapting Biblical history to the stage. the studious and intelligent drama tist Is not confronted by any lack of rich and effective material. but the diffi- culty with which he finds himself forced to contend in that of preserving sulta- ble tone of dignity and reverence ln- efficient acting, inartistic costuming or cheap, inadequate scenic environneh' Is sure to tend in one direction, that or lowering the sublime tone of Scrlptural history and character to the level or tawdry and meaningless glitter ana tinsel which is inseparably associated wllh paltry buffoonery of the circus ring. III like manner the dramatist whose nrst aiiii ts to secure the applause of his audience, rather than the maintenance or arustlc consistencies, is sure to frame his ln- dices in such a way as to introduce com Ynonplaces which are so woefully out oI tune. and so far beneath the intehectuai nlane of the Scriptural story, as to Jar ,,non ones sensiblities and inevitably convey the suggestion of undlgnii1ed IT. reverence if not of actual profanity
 "A1I these evils have been studlousiy .nd effectively avoided in Wright Lorl- mer's beautiful and dignfied tTageay aThe Shepherd King in the accompllsn- rent of his really sublime achieVemeht, MT. Lor1mer must ndVe pioe x,,, aid. not only profound and schoiarly studv of his theme, but a sincere heart deep reverence for it. Not even in Lew wallace's 'sBen Hur'' have the incidents been so gracefully and tunefully harmon ized with the sublime dignity or the ne, oclip- p,, turaI theme as in this instance. lhedg l,, is not A single dscordant note in Ine Shepherd King" It is not devoid or the Iighter touches of comedy, but even Tn these there is not word, not me that jars with suggestion or the com. messages. but they are all pervaded with that earnest solemnity that never fails to ring true and absolutely in tune with the exalted tone of the sublime Scrlptural history"
 ~anization to play a return date so quick iv in Birmingham, was brought about through a peculiar combination or cir cumstances. which would not occur again