Omaha daily bee., 1906-04-03
CANDIDA" BY THE AMATEURS
Pupils of Boyd school of Acting Give
Matinee Performance of
show Play.

At the Boyd theater yesterday afternoon
pupils of the Boyd Theater School of Act
ing. under direction OF Miss Lillian Fitch,
gave George Bernard Shaw's CANDIDA
before large audience Previous to the
performance of Candida" Mr. Cecil owen
of the Burwood theater read a short paper
on George Bernard Shaw and the play.
CANDIDA was first played in this coun-
try some five years ago by the members of
dramatic school in Chicago under the tu-
ition of Miss Anna Morgan, and Mr.. Owen
commended to the Boyd Dramatic school
the plan of producing plays previously un-
tried, although by known authors He also
quoted established critics. such as William
Archer and William Winter and others,
to prove that Candida" is entitled to be
placed in the front rank of Mr. shsw's ef-
forts. He questioned the wisdom of pro-
ducins Candida" before mixed audiences.
because of the fact that the play contains
some of the most audacious ideas and sub
jects ever embodied in any modern play
He analysed the character of Rev. James
Mavor Morell and his direct antithesis, the
young poet Eugene Marchbanks who was
dreamer and rhapsodist in contradstinc-
ton TO the dogmatic, matter-of- fact parson.
He pointed out that although each charac-
ter is the direct antithess of the other, yet
they possess I'm common the quality of
fraukness, though In the case of March
banks II is a sensitive frankness, as con-
trasted with the brutal frankncss of MoreIl
Between these two diverse natures stands
Candida, the acme of common sense. wonl-
AMY attributes and wondsvful under
standing Of masculine foibles and weak
nesses. She handles both men as one would
handle children by reason Of the maternal
feeling that is instructive in every good
true woman's heart.
Mr.. Shaw, he described as a witty Irish
man. absolutely careless Of appearances
and conventions, with none OF the ordinary
prejudices, and whose wants are so slight
that he can crafty them easily, and is in
dependent Of those things upon which the
majority of us have to depend in order that
life should be at all bearable. He contended
that the distinction between Mr.. Shaw and
other dramatsts lay in the fact that Shaw
not only made critical attacks upon the
stage. but attempted to write plays to ele-
vate It's plane. He thoroughly dissected the
character of Mr., Shaw, asserting that he is
dominated by the purest motives, great
personal integrity and a love for the truth.
He quoted Mr.. Shaw 10 the necessity of
stimulant and in his own words said: Tea.
coffee and cigarettes produce conversation.
lager beer and pipes produce routine
journalism, brandy and cigars violently err
otto or devotional poetry, and sobriety the
average parsons sermon"
The play itself was very we'll done and
was thoroughly enjoyed by the large as
semblage. Mr.. Phelps proved a genuine
revelation in the role of Marchbanks. His
conception of the character is broad and
definite and his expression of the authors
evident ideas seemed at times inspired. A
slight tendency to Overact. the natural re-
suit of inexperience. is Mr.. Phelps worst
fault. Miss Valentine rather marred her
work as Candida by her intense repression.
IL is conceivable that even Candida felt
some emotion when her husband demands
that she choose between himself and the
boy who rhapsodizes OF his love for her.
Morell is somewhat beyond the grasp Of
Mr.. Hine as yet, although he made a most
communicable effort to realize the part
Generally speaking the play was we'll pre-
sented The audience showed the deep in
terest taken in the affairs OF the school.
The cast OF Candida"
Rev james Mayor Morell, a Church OF
England clergyman ....... clifford Hine
Prosperine, his stenOgrapher. .............
...,.........-.... Miss Augusta Schmidt
Rev Alexander Mil, his curate Dan Blair
Mr. Burgess father OF Candida $3.50.
Candida wife 81 Nor.i wilson smith
i'a...' WI. % Miss Enid Valentine
Eugene Marchbanks. a youthful poet.
.................... George Baldwin Phelps