The Washington times., 1906-12-25
The Prince of India"
a Spendid Spectacle

In The Prince Of india which had its
nrst Washington performance at the
;>,'.1i NatlonaI last night, klaw q changers
nave OuldOne themselves. They have
broken their own record, established in
The production OF Ben Hur. The
Prince IS not great dramatic achieve
menJ, but 10 is spectacle OF extra
ordinary magnincence, and about the
most impressive thing OF the sort that
washington has ever seen. AS an effort
10 blend semi-hist0TiCal drama with
scenic magnlncence into a great histor-
zeal pageant il IS even more successful
than Ben HuT.
Although the play has its dramatic
moments, IL is primarily as a spectacle
that II must be considered. Some few
OF the leading roles are splendidly taken
but the acting, though whenever the
spectacle permits. il is excellent is
necessarily OVershadOWed by the scenic
splendors of the production. Scene after
scene OF dazzling beauty and Of Sump-
tuOus appointment holds the eye, while
the story of Byzantine romance in
which is the fall of ConstantinODIe Is
being Infolded. From first TO last
it is a VeTitable orgy of color.
The earlier scenes are, frankly. slow.
But by the end of the first act the pro-
ductiOn has struck its gait Certainly
cumstance OF war are mimiCked in
several massive pictures as they never
have been mimicked before on any local
stage. The last scene OF all shows a
magnificent perspective Of arch and coll
umn and gilded dome, representing the
interior OF the Church OF Sancta Sophia
And the audience chamber of the palace
Of Blacherne. where the Prince of India
comes TO make his plea for universal re-
ngiOn is scarcely less beautiful.
Emmett COTrigan plays THE Prince
Of India"-the Wandering Jew. presiding
spirit of the spectacle and element of
eternal tragedy. He plays fl well,
makes IL full OF dignity and pathos a
majestic and imposing figure bowed by
the tragedy of the centuries.
William Farnum has the heroic role,
and fills IL admirably He makes n hand
some. manly MOhammed splendidly
Virile, and with all the fire essential to
the great Meslem warriors. He plays IL
with sincerity and casts about 1t the
necessary atmosphere of romance. BOYD
Putnam does Constantine with dignity
and intelligence, Julius MeVickers gives
an able personatiOn Of Count Corti
The only two women who have parts
Of any Importance are Adelaide Kaim,
3 Princess Irene. ana Julie Herne. as
Leel Both Of them were pleasing. but
scarcely so impressive as the men. There
are thirty-nine performers whose names
appear on the program, and il is GER
tainly not worth while 10 criCicise them
All. They tit well into the general pic
ture, which is their chief excuse for
being. There is moreover, a horde OF
supers, who are simply part Of the spec
tacle, mere animated scenery, and as
such very effective.
For. first. last and all the time it is
the spectacle, the picture. that counts.
Sometimes ii is picture Of shImmering
moonlight, sometimes OF cleaning white
sunlight. Now II is in the warriors hut.
poW In the Sultans palace: now full
Of deep sorrows, now IN the glare or
day. Always il fills the eye with It's
beauty. The great elinsa2es come, ore
at the end OF the third act. with THE
Prince OF India" personally denOuncing
the court of Constantine, which viii not
receive his doctrine Of universal broth
erheod: one in the fifth act. with the
assault on the Greek capital This.
with the din and clash of battle. is prob
ably the piece de resistance of the en-
tire production And ii is q production
which spectaculaTly has not been
equaIed IL Med