Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-02
SERMON-PLAY
WELL DONE
"AMEssAGE FROM MARS" PROVES
DRAMATIC TREAT
FANTASTIC THEME Is NICELY
HANDLED
Drama breaches but Is Never Prosy'
Shows Reformation. Of Most
Selfish Man In tho
World
by s1pLr LAwRENcN

"a Message from Mars" is a sermon IN
play form: 1t is preachment without
being prosy. The story involves the
reformation of the ''most selfish man in
the world" and naturally the selfishness
and the subsequent altruism are some
what overdone. The result, however, is
fine dramatic antithesis.
To Horace Parker, the personifcation Of
seIfishness, comes in dream a messenger
from Mars, who explains that for his
own selfshnes he has been condemned
10 remain upon earth until he shall have
effected the reformation of earth's most
selfish citizen. Parker is that man, and
the Martian at once sets to work.
He bids the earth dweller to don coat
and hat and accompany him outside into
the storm. The man rebels, but is COM
PEELED to do his visitors will. Then fol-
low in quick succession a number of incl
dents devised to arouse sympathy for an
tthers misfortune in the breast of Selfish
ness. All fail Parker lends aid when he
must, but only through compulsion.
Finally the Martian, having compelled
the man to give away all the money he
has with him, brings to him the knowledge
that all his fortune has been swept away
through unfortunate speculation. He
shows him tine contempt i'll which ne is
held by his intimates and, at the last.
strips him of his gentleman's clothes, bln
c.ng him stand forth as tramp. ragged
without cent to his name and hungry.
SeIfishness Becomes AItruistic
To him then comes another human dere-
lict. The two form partnership. ana
when the tramp falls Ill Parker shows his
first sign of sympathy, the second act
curtain falling upon the first unselhsn
action he ever has performed voluntarily
in his life Having accomplished his OBJ
;ect the Martian disappears; and when
The curtain rises upon act Reformed
Selfishness is seen asleep in his armchair,
before the fire in his own home.
The dreamer awakes, realizes 1T has all
Been dream, discovers his Bank of
England notes In the pocket where he
had left them and seems in fair way to
return to his former disposition. when
curious chain of events. somewhat re-
sembling the instances of his dream, un-
fold themselves. The resemblance Is un-
canny and the man hesitates for an In
stant. Then he throws off the habit of
lifetime and becomes what we-perhaps IN
cgotisni-term human.
This is the substance of the play. The
"details, the love story that runs through
1t and the characterizations serve merely
to round out the story and give 1t accept-
able dramatic form 1t is a fanciful
comedy drama, interesting alike whether
viewed as sermon, as play or as a
happy combination of both.
Play Is Well Acted
On the whole the piece is well acted.
Wallace Widdecomb is the Horace Parker.
and his characterization is admirable IN
department in accent and in acting. 1t
is a safe hazard that Mr.. Widdecomb
was himself born in the tight little, rigpt
little isle. His Englishman can be native
TO no other stage He wears no monocle,
he does not strut and he does not "haw,
hut he is so English that If he were 10
pronounce Pail Mall as it spelled you
would pinch yourself to see If you, AMI
nDt he, were the dreamer.
Harry Cluxton plays the Marian, and
IN attempting to give the character i'm
pressiveness he has fallen into declama-
tory style of speech which detracts from
the dignity of the role. though doubtless
something is needed, beyond makeup and
costuming, to differentiate between the
earth dweller and his Martian mentor.
Alfred Beaumont does an excellent pit
of character acting as the tramp; Miss
Eileen Enrol is natural and attractive
Young woman in love, and Miss Nellie
blanchard does commendable work as
Aunt Martha. One of the minor roles
that stands out in clear relief is the Girl
Of Zaidee Appleton. Miss Appleton hasn
more than half dozen lines to speak and
title to do, but she shows herself capable
of more important things.
You ought to see "A Message from
Mars" More likely than not it will do
you good