The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-11
ADJUSTMENTS
Ne Metropo lltan--otls Skinner In. 9TH,
u. IS Duel ~ u EEEzts II III


Duel.'' r #. IL 4, .l 3
The DUEL which Charles Frohman
imported from France and had done into
Sngllsh from the French of Henri Lave
u ,lI, Dy Louis N. Parker, Is purely a psy-
geological study. The dramatist is cons
cerned not at all with the exposition OF
character nor has he. a story. to te II The
variant effects of love and religi when
opp!osea toss each other on three persons
form the subject matter Of &stis study
anas tas reientl essness of a
SOUS SoI woman a spriest.
I sshe- sonlss compl tcaffon SM that tho two
mans m re bfothers, estrahged by religion,
Ihere rs a fourth character, tfefseasoned
oia missionary bishop, who effects that
compromise between Eiovg and religion on
which any satisfying solution Of the prob
lem must be based. Bat l1sNsoul Is not
under examination. 1.-The microscope is
focused now on the FACILITATING heart of
the woman, now On the virile,. violent
love Of the atheist doctor, now on the
ascetlc soul of the priest There is, OF
course, vast deal of talk with compare
lively little action.
But the chief defect Of 1.-THE DueP' for
American audiences is that 1t lis French
The situations and the characters would
perhaps not be impossible in America, OF
at any rate they might be paralleled
But the Paris point of view is difficult
1on us to get. The American would not
approach the problem as the Partisan
does. non would he act as these. Parisians
90 under the same circumstances. / dc
not mean to call into question the ethica
standards of the play, for they are as
lofty as those Of our sternest moralist
The difficulty is one that attends, the
transportation Of any foreign play, nc
matter how strong it's dramatic appeal
The vivid pictorial quality of Otis Skin
| ner's acting is brought into play in his
portrayal of the priest. Few know sc
we'll as he how to make clear the inne,
meaning OF every sentence, how to re.
veal with look or a gesture the content
of every situation. aIe Ehas, it Is true, q
tendency toward theatGicisna that is witt
DIFFICULTY restrained and that is more
! notable in a play Of today than in a COS
tune or a classic drana- Gifted with 6
| wonderfully expressive voice, an inner.
| emit grace Of mannergand an intellectually
that demands lucidity above everything
upon which he bestows study attractive
BUT these very gifts lead him at times into
an exuberance of expression which is
welcome in romantic representations, but
Which detracts from the, effectiveness o.
such portraiture AS this. In the tire.
mendous scene with the jealous, frenzie6
brother at the close of the second act he
reached emotional Heights that stirred
the audience greatly. : " r..
Walter Hitchcock, who plays the doc.
f:tor, achieves an impersonation' that i:
isfairly effective in spite of it's lack of re.
Estraint. Before Reaching the climax JUS
alluded to-, he has already exhausted his
powers Of emotional expression and. ha:
nothing left to, give; in this remarkable
Escene. The professional side. Of : the
| character is quite lost sight Of In the
| stress of feeling that overwheIinsI the
| doctor, and; yet if Mr.. Hitchcock couTt
eontriVe to give some sidelights on this
| man, supposed to be one of the leading
alienists Of Paris,x the: impersonatior
would: be greatly, t enhanced in :vraisem:
| e., Miss Keith Wakeman as the woman
who is torn between. love and duty ex.
hibits emotional powers of expression o.
| high quality Tall and queenly, in ap.
. pearanee, she yet:cjgives: that touch ao
femininity, to her alterna tons Of passion
ate feeling and subHmated resignation
| which IS SO necessary to q, clear under:
! standing of the character. Charles Wal.
cots picture of the good old bishop
chastened Wy terrible u experiences II
| China and a. keen, judge eof. ment and wo.
| men. We was touched BY human quality
| that permitted us to descry and admire
the man within the sacerdotal robes.
II 'rr~a~' Ghanbe