Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-05-06

k5t1f|tI local season TO include the cur
eAe69 rent week. The Boyd has ad-
heted to its announcement. and with the
performance this evening and Monday BY
the Dockstader Ministries Il will wind up
its season. The Krug stiil has a number
Of attractions TO offer. and the Burwood
viii continue It's stock company Offering
until the weather will not permit t. The
Woodward Stock company has made
amends for the lack OF strong attractions
elsewhere during the winter. its excellent
work doing much 10 keep alive local inter-
est In the theater. IL will continue as
long az the theater is open. In the mean
time the summer parks are being put in
shape for their openings, which will be
only a matter OF two or three weeks now
Some novelties are promised by the man
ayers, and a few things out OF the or
binary. In the main. though, that amuse-
ment that has been tested in past seasons
win be adhered to at the parks.
-
John corbin, in his review Of the dra-
matte achievements OF the last season,
says; 'In The LION and the Mouse
Charles Klein has given us, II not the most
skillful, at least the most vital and inter-
esting American play Of the season" This
statement Is true, II II IL true at all. solely
because the other American plays offered
during the season have been OF such dia-
phanous stun az to possess practically no
merit 81 all. Fitch Thomas and AIDE scored
notable failures with their chief endeavors,
and the minor American dramatlsts pro-
duced absolutely nothing worthy OF mem
ton, Thus the Klein play, coming as it
did, when the public mind was more or
less infiamed against the man OF many
millions, and when the muck rakers"
were industriously engaged at their chosen
vocation, II struck a chord in the public
mind that sim vibrates with more or less
resonance. Whether II be really vital OF
not. It was interesting from the stand
point OF an Investigation II Is cisappoint-
ing In a sense, for II doesn't offer a logical
solution for the problem II attacks. Il
reaches a climax suficlently logical for II
is quite reasonable to think Of John BUR-
kett Ryder as hurting all manner Of ana
thenas at Shirley Rossmore for daring to
aspire to marry the heir to the Rydor mill
lions. II was also quite natural that Miss
Rossmore should tell this man Of money
what was on the mind Of a high spirited
American girl just at that particular mo-
ment. And as Miss Rossmore's extem-
porbneous remarks on that memorable
occasion coincide exactly with what the
people who DO not posses the Ryder bank
account happen to think, II was but an
orderly sequence that she should be loudly
acclaimed as a champion. Up to this point
Mr.. Klein easily preserved the verisimiu-
tude of his play to nature, but here he ci-
verges. He has exhausted three-fourths OF
his allotted time in reaching a scene that
might have been attained in the hrst act.
This forces him TO throw logic to the winds,
and to adopt the time-tried and nre-tested
tour de foice OF the drama, and in the
fourth act Of the series we find John Bur-
kett Ryder. dictator OF industry arbiter Of
politics and policies, and, almost, master
of human destiny" humblng himself be-
fore Miss Rossmore's door. and begging
her TO come out and hguratively wipe her
shoes on him. Mr.. Klein asks too much
Of us when he suggests this as a reason
able finish to his play.
.
Mr. Klein has drawn his characters as
scene painters draw their figures. out OF
perspective. 1t is well known fact that
the painted figures on the stage settings
are more or less distorted, in order that
they may seem real to the observer seated
In front of them. In adapting his char
acters to the laws of mental optics (pre-
sumed in this instance to operate as the
laws Of physical optics), Mr.. Klein has
leaned trihe too far to one side, and has
marred the symmetry OF his figures. 1t
Is not enough that he should have squared
his Ideas with those that happen to be
popular, for he has essayed the discussion
OF question OF deepest Importance, and
one in which every citizen is to a greater
or less extent interested. To merely pre-
sent the popular side Of such a question is
sure 70 bring monetary success, and IL that
d ell NJ XN,g,
target fairly in the center. But, II he
hoped to point a possible way to a solu-
tion Of the problem OF concentrated wealth,
his shaft went wide OF the mark. The
popularity Of the play is in measure in
dicaive OF the state Of the public mind.
This Is not TO be wondered at, for during
the last few years the batteries OF the
newspapers and magazines OF the country
have been bombarding most furiously the
men with money. until the disclosures OF
the Insurance investigation of last summer
and the Lawson assaults on the system"
had wrought the people to a state of hys-
terra. The way had already been paved
for '@rhe Lion and the Mouse"
-
Now. faith is the substance of things
hoped for and the evidence OF things not
seen" On this Is based the creed OF all
Ia
was very easy TO offer us the substance
OF things hoped for" and that Is what
Mr. Klein has done 1t would be a Joy
Gus day for all mankind IL Henry H.
Rogers would all OF a sudden call In At
torney General Hadley and tell him ali
he knows about the Inside workings OF
The great Standard oil company; II John
D. Rockefeller would turn his attention
70 the distribution Of his denominations,
instead OF adding to them II, in short,
The nnaneial ils 70 which flesh is heir
wera suddenly removed. But would we be
si.y aappier9 MsnkiHd &c the beginning
started even as 10 wealth a. In ancestry.
The gardener, Adam. and bis wife" left
all the world to their progeny. and 1t can
hardly be laid as the cause for complaint
against the workings OF the plan II one
has more than another. II Is against the
uses John Burkett Ryder made OF his
wealth that Shirley Rossmore directa her