The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1906-02-27


amGu uniting 10 sacrilege. Such subject II
respectfully treated could but fall very
short OF the aspiration or the playwright
| and actor and tho imagination OF an
| American audience, while IL the thing
proved failure II would evit&ntly be
| something intolerable TO public sense OF
the itness OF things. Public sentiment
amounting 90 reverence and common
sense. too, seemed To argue against the
propect OF satisfaction out OF the thing
that Mr.. Benjamin Chaplin had written
and presents TO us this week at the Provi-
dence Opera House
We do not refrain from spreading the
foregoing reflections on the record at
some length for the reason that we have
never been quite 90 profoundly astonish-
ed at hnding something so different from
preconceived notion Of IL that we had
felt was we'll grounded as we were when
the actual and compelling fact ora new.
remarkable and praiseworthy, interesting.
informing and impressive dramatic pro-
duction began 10 dawn upon US last even
ing which happened before the close of
the first act OF Mr.. Chapin's Lincoln"
IL now sounds superficial 10 attest that
Lincoln" Is written In a spirit OF great
reverence; that II reflects with profound
impressivness the man and the period and
the scenes that constitute the mightlest OF
American epics; that II Is. at the same
time. neither sombre nor heavy nor stilted
nor ever anything else but entertaining
In the usual sense that we mean enter
tainment with added touch OF lofty in
sp'ration; that II Is constructed with un-
usual stage craft and performed with con-
summate skilfulness The fact Is Lin
coin" doesn't seem like play at all--if
one may venture 10 go so far I'm praise.
IL is like living and breathing portrait
panorama done in splendid strokes as TO
Its chief figure and touched with great
elegance in its accessories.
And yet II is a perfectly simple and
straightforward piece OF dramatic work,
when you come TO look close at IL. Writ
ten with the eonsummate skill OF a mas
ter OF stage craft, IL possesses the effect
OF ignoring effects It is distinguished
throughout by a consistent simplicity OF
action and dictlon. There is no sugges-
tion of cant about II. not in a word or a
scene-no appeal 10 the sentiment through
any claptrap device OF speech or action.
1t does appeal. however, nightly without
seeming 10 strive 10 and last nights audi
ence alternated breathless attention with
the sort OF applause that indicates an APP
proach TO the rapturous.
We believe that Mr.. Chapin's character
drawing Of Lincoln is pretty familiar
through his monologue entertainment.
though IL has never been our privilege TO
have, seen II before last evening In
the makeup, and especially around the
pronounced mouth In a most deft way
much OF the familiar speech and story
telling attributed by history or tradition
TO Lincoln Is introduced throughout the
play without, however, any suggestion OF
grating IL on. In Mr.. Chapin's eN-
ceptionally fine delivery Il was curious 10
feel the freshness OF even the most fa-
miliar part OF this historic material-as
for instance. the some OF the people all
the time" quotation. The lines that are
n igtn htIt a par rt Of q nj
wrights invention. are so constructed as
10 balance nicely--they are neither high
sounding nor are they trivial--Lincoln In
blank verse would plainly be quite as
much out Of our reasoning as the Lincoln
statue dressed in the Roman toga that
faces the capitol and, at the same time,
we couldn't have IL commonplace. We
were forcibly reminded OF the general
sanity and elegance OF construction OF the
reading OF the part when one uttennce
struck us as a solecsm-where Lincoln,
addressing little Tad in his nightgown In
the last act. referred to IL as ''neglgee'
we doubt II that word was so used col
loquially 40 years ago. and again there
was the use OF the expression "all right
as slang which we also rather doubt the
vogue Of at that period The portrayal
throughout was OF vividness that pos,
sessed n subtle grandeur far removed
from the stage STACEY.
The play IS given a plot that Is sub
sdiary. contributing as IL does only to the
portrayal OF the heroic central figure.
and acted with-a-e charm and vtvidness
that. while these do not force u beyond
its allotted bounds In the general scheme,
result I'm making IT OF great interest.
There is a villain hero and heroine.
quite in accordance with ordinary stage
method but these parts are so deftly con-
structed and so prettiy acted as to never
obtrlde the stage mechanism. Consider
the scene where the young Union officer
is about 10 be shot as a spy on trumped
up charges brought before n drumhead
gnl arft toI nv thaO1p
Is commonplace and essentially OF the
melodrama. but II Is fitted into this play
with nothing short Of sheer reality
Again the hero before being marched
to execution is permitted 10 see his sweet
heart for farewell-a bit out OF the emo
tlonal drama that is yet so handled as
10 catch your heart, after n fashion that
makes yoI forget that you are looking
at play. Miss Lowering Is an ingenue.
nothing more. In all OF the scenes but this
In this brief scene she rises TO the sta
ture OF an emotional actress. And every
one OF the members OF the company de-
velop their parts with n rare finish. n
certainty OF touch and a discriminating
restraint that focusing on the work OF
Mr. Chaplin. make the production well
nigh hawless. Miss Maud Granger Is de-
llghtful as Mrs. Lincoln and the opening
scene where the tact and resourcefulness
of the president, that are afterwards to
be displayed I'm handling the mighty fac
tors OF war, are indicated IN his manage
mcnt OF the cause OF his little son, who IS
oesirous OF going on an excursion against
the set opposition of his mother. gives this
skilled actress an especially fine opportu-
nifty for the play OF her always delightful
comedy
BY tho production OF Lincoln" we feel
like SAYING that Mr. Chaplin has ventured
the imposslble-and accomplished IL tri-
umphantly And. viewing the result. the
accom- plishment Is n contribution OF great