The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1906-02-09
At the y -
Theatres
PROVIDENCE OPERA HOUSE.

Mordecai. i.......-...s.sss's's sNhaIles tidlpeS
Harbona. a................s.'.''..' 'stahley paIh
Mehuman. Ralph Delmore
Zethar Frank Tannehill, Jr.
First Guard ..........,..H Harris l. FORBES
Second Guard. d.............,,-Na warren Nohi'n
slave. William Garwood
General. ID. Holmes
Minstrel. rel................,....Joh john McClosAey
Nashti. i...........'.''''' '''''''''''''''c,N 80
Esther ..............,........''..A AneIs bloch
Esrgartha tha.................E Ethel Sumner
Mooshla. ................ ''.'''Meta i''se''
Al the Providence opera House for me
balance of the week with matinee tomo'-
row. Charles Frohman presents the pic
turesoue play in four acts and ten scenes,
"Mizpah." by Ella Wheeler Wilcox anu
Luscombe Searelle, touhoeu OH TIC D''
cal story Of Esther
Clingisg to the memory OF last hlsht
PRODUCTION OF this newest Biblical play
standing out from It's brilliant stase VIZ VIZ,
the sharpness OF a cameo. is tne L>S'il1i
of Adele Block. kneellng before the King
a. IL Gilmour) awaiting the royai s'sn
10 restore her 10 her place at ms sius oI
IN send her 10 summary execution Inc
maid OF prophetic destiny already mas
heen pictured with the king In three OF
four exauisitely modelled, splendloly
wrought and beautifully embellshed SIT
nations In the course or the scenes thae
have preceded this supreme Tolhent-aS
when. taking her love story IN her own
hands she appears before the KING -
command him from his throne anu peuU'S ,,,rnS
his oueen. I'm the delightfully."- pictuIeu
io,a-makine I'm the moonlight OF the
nalace garden. and again, when sne -
"a st ont charged with seeking the KING
life the murdered guards at MS thrss-
hold mute evidence against her: anu
now. as IN maidenly modesty she ~
sought the king in pursuance Oh .ne
prophecy for the sake or her racr' 80 ~
the sake OF her race she has steeled ner-
salY "a turn from flight and sacrlnee her
life ~ need be, 10 save her people rom
the slaughter decreed as the culHihau"it
OF the conspiracy OF Hamah. o,,a,-
sr,e judgment OF a sophisticated auol-
ence may admit no doubt as 10 the raw.
ahle outcome OF the intervle" mere pi".
ured. but the feeling of that auulehce 10
navertheIess acutely sttuned TO the MIN
LA emotions portrayed by the people on
tha stage The pause that ensues as hsth-
Az Lneals AZ the foot OF the throne IL un-
usually long for the securing or stage
effect and IL becomes tense oeiorS 1S
king slowly. as inevitably. lifts his scep-
ire and with II touches the croucnihs hs
ure The play is done. so far as the e'ea.
interest of the audience Is concerned anu
what is necessary 10 IvihPi''N
follows with celerity. You carry away
,hat long minute OF tense inaction as you
do TIC master moments OF all great plays
as Won always recall Rip Van Winkle
oollaps.ng into his long sleep whlle the
enome crew fades away, as La Iosca
Greens from the corpse OF the murdered
Scarpia. as Juliet feels the flrst nutter OF
lie in the tomb-and. as the accomplish
ment OF one such moment Is the aim OF
| Il,
nona OF recent times IL is more success
FULLY. more feelingly. accomplished pS
PLAYWRIGHT. by stage management ana o.!
the actlnug OF Il, than this climax scene
of "Miypah."
Miss Block is an Incompatible Demon
stration Of the modern school or actns,
of elocutionary training restrained ana
6nished most remarkably, Mr. Gilmour In
his stage experience bridges the span be-
tween the older way OF the strident tragic
manner and the newer repression that mas
now "A days rather the preference TO our
tastes He Is an artist OF training, sincer-
ity and distinction in the high romanuc
role who arrived as the masters were de-
partina and now working with the young
or school. seems to combine in his style
much Of the best OF both periods. And no
such fitting and feeling lovers role as
this. the King OF Persia, In "Mizpah,
has he had since he played 10 the Theo-
dora Of the lamented Lillian olcutt. Thus
artistically and superbly equipped IN the
two characters that focus the great inter
est that 'Mizpah" inspires, the balance
Of the cast I'm no wise falls short accord
ing TO the requirements OF their respec-
tive parts. The work OF Mr. Harcourt, or
Miss Oliver and indeed OF every one or
the company. that Mr.. Frohman has en-
lis ed for the production OF this remark
ably fine piece OF stage work. is admira-
bic.
"Mizpah" IS. indeed admirable In
every respect 1t does high honor TO
writer's. producer. actors and to every
party concerned In making II the con-
summate stage entertainment II is. IL
is written in a manner often exalted. yet
never pretending, never stilted. It's lines
now eastty ana naturally wfIether tf1ey
be blank verse. simple recitation or lyri-
cal II there Is no strained attempt at
sustained grandeur OF expresSion. at the
sanie time there Is no falling below a
high level OF refined dicuon. Vitality IS
not sacrificed merely to- sustain ineffec-
tive rhythm. yet there is an unadultera ed
effect of poesy throughout. 10 which a
great deal Of delicious. significant and
melodious music contributes vastly. The
Biblical story Is the theme rather than
the nara tive itself the atmosphere there
OF never being lost In the process OF dra %
matizng the poetic and romantic idea.
And never was skill In development Of
a dramatic work 10 an exalted and pur-
poseful climax better demonstrated than
we have II I'm this beautiful 'Mizpah.
To the pictorial equipment OF the story
the scenic artists have made a contribu-
tion that Is conspicuous even In these
days Of lavish scenic production. There
are nine separate sets and every one of
them is work Of stage art that often
reaches nobility With all the beauty of
Il. with all the sufficient effects 90 the
eve, there is not the least suggestion Of
clap-trap or tho merely seeking after
effects The carpentry as we'll - the
brush work Is amazingly fine and the de-
tail OF vistas spread across back drops
through open corridors or porch ways or
over roofs are glowing pieces of work
manship as. for instance. tho drop pic
turing tho palace walls beyond which
are seen the spires and towers and piles
of the palace structures. a scene that is
hardly IN service more than fve minutes.
Is. considered merely as painted pic
ture a beautiful thing And. TO the fur