Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-13
THE THEATER.
Belasco Theater.

A play bearing the title of Jeanne Dare"
Is of necessity work of somber severity.
There is. or should be, no trace of comedy
to disturb its symmetry of idea. 1t is true
that Mr. Blackstone may without offense, as
he did at the Belasco last night, give few
glimpses of the roughly human side of
loyal soldiers character. But this is human
interest rather than comedy; 1t has not the
jar that comes with the vacuous foolery of
some of the casual efforts to delineate peas
ant types. Though rather hating in it's
earlier scenes, representing a forest near
Domremy, the play moves with secure dig
nifty through the second, third and fourth
acts which portray successfully the accept
ance of Jeanne by the king as his cham
pion, the important military episodes of her
career and the coronation. 1t closes wiz .
parting scene between Jeanne and her tC4e2
at Rouen, and her departure to meet 0o
pitiful fate which brought her strange hfe
to an end.
The play is by Mr.. Percy Mackaye. and is
reverential, albeit mystical. treatment OF
the subject. There is not hint of fanatt-
cism in the development of the central
character. She is completely heroine and
prophecies. Her visions are made real
ties to the audience, the supernatural sug-
gestions being conveyed by numerous in
SeniouS and beautiful effects.
The interest centers absolutely in the role
which Miss Marlowe assumes, and If she
did not fully convey the impression of men
TAI eXalldtlOn winch might De expected IN
young peasant girl so strangely visited
she more than compensated for any lack
in this respect by her realization of the
woman and the heroine. Miss Marlowe's
art has that strange subtlety which is
more than technical expression. Beyond
and above the music of her wonderful
vocalization, and the delicacy of infection
which responds to every tint and shade OF
the authors meaning Is the sympathetic
consciousness conveyed to the auditor that
she feels within her own nature the moods
and sentiments which she depicts. There Is
no doubling her. For the hour. she is the
leader inspired by heaven. the general
who all unlettered and physically frail, in
spires deeds of unprecedented valor; and
at last the woman with a heart which
knows no ambition beyond its own simple
affections. lie complexlty of the char
acter is impressed as much by Miss Mar
loves manner of rendering 1t as Dy It's
literary presentation.
The production, despite it's thrilling bat
tie scenes. lacks the elements of suspense
and surprise necessary to its acceptance as
a drama in the usual sense of the word.
Outside of Miss Marlowes delineation OF
the central role the production is pictorial,
rather than dramatic. but 1t is so stu
pendously pictorial that the imagination is
contented and the interest is not permitted
to lag. The literary treatment of the SUBJ
ject is largely initiative.
The diction is marked by strong Shake
spearean resemblances which 1t is scarcely
needful to remark do notrise to the helgnts
|
philosophy in idea which distinguish the
author of whom this author has evidently
been so thorough and loyal a student: II
did not need the inky cloak nor the book
which Mr.. Sothern has with him through
his various scenes the scholarly lover OF
the heroine to convey strong suggestion
of Hamlet. The lines do this. Mr.. Sothern's
role is one of rather artificial Importance.
Its function is to supply the element OF
romantic attachment which rounds out the
character of Jeanne to human completeness,
but which is less than her love of country
and loyalty to the crown.
The company is a large one. and the
characters were represented with degree
of efficiency that is rare in enterprises OF
such magnitude. The production, both seem
ically and in action, is distinguished by
uniformity of quality that makes it an ar
tistic delight. The king, a most responsible
figure in the cast, was we'll played last
night by Mr.. Lewis, and the other roles
were handled with a high average of COM
petence such as is seldom to be found.
Despite the fact that a railway accident
caused delay in setting the stage, the final
curtain was down we'll before midnight.
The audience was one of the most represen-
tative and appreciative that Washington
has assembled in a long time.