The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-11-01

I'm JOY. JOY. joy"
SO cried Petar Pan in the duel scene
with the fierce Captain Hoon. and
somehow that glad cry carried many
In the audience OF grown-ups back
aged years to the wonder and the
promise of the youth that Peter Pan
typiticd. But why choose one incident
from play that Is wholly marvel
lols? IL one had said that 1t was
possible to write a play that even for
the old and dulled by age would make
youth and it's glamor once more a
beautiful reality. and set scene that
would reinstate the certainty of fairies
and re-establish the illimitable power
of childish imaginings, he would have
been laughed to scorn, and yet this
| Is exactly what Barrie wrote and Miss
Adams played.
| In this workaday world OF mechani-
cal toys and .intifically destroyed
illusions we need just that teaching
and just that outlook which Mr.. Barrie
has given with such consummatc
genius And the applause and delight
| with which Miss Adams was received
| showed how welcome was that ap-
peal to the unfettered beliefs of chit
dren. But We are forgetting the story,
and what story 1t Is.
| ACT I.
| In the first act We see Peter re-
turning to the Darling house IN
| dren are asleep and the nursery un-
| guarded. and with the aid of Tinker
Bell the little fairy whom mortals see
| only as dancing ball OF light. he finds
| his shadow. But he can't make 1t stick
| on. Fortunately Wendy wakes and
sees the trouble he is in, and being a
motherly little soul, sews the shadow
| on for him. Peter tells her about the
fairy world he lives in. and it seems
very charming to Wendy. So she
4 wakes the other children. Peter
teaches them all to fly. and away they
| go through the window to the Never
Never Never Land.
| ACT II.
The second act is in the Never
Never Never Land, where Peter and
his bond build little house for
| Wendy. Aud here we see the blood.
! thirsty pirates and their wicked leader.
Captain Hook. who is Peters mortal
| enemy.
ACT III.
The third act shows the children's
| homo underground. guarded above by
their faithful friends, the Red Skins.
The pirates attack the Red Skins and
drive them away, and Hook puts
poison III Pans medicine glass. bur
Tinker Bell saves him by drinking 1t
in her turn, Is saved by the reassurins
message that all children believe in
| fairies.
\ The fourth act shows how Hook cap
lures the little Darlings and the band
of lost boys and carries them off to the
pirate ship. But in the darkest mo-
ment OF terror Peter comes to the res
cue and the band throw the pirates
into the sea,
4 ACT ".
In the fifth act the children return
to their mother, for the heart of &
, Iventurc is done.
y The last scene is q glimpse into fairy.
land itself. There Peter, in the little
house high up in the tree tops, wave!
a friendly good-by to all who believe
in fairies
There is the outline; but who car
describe the terrors OF the wolves ant
diaboucai rerocity of Captain Hook
To see that redoubted Pirate Chic
would make real all that the most dar
ling lad had ever dreamed of Blacl
Beard or Captain Kidd. And thel
when Peter, as was perfectly right
triumphed by the simplest and mos
obvious use of his superior gifts. how
the audience rcjoiced! Surely, as TIL,
little Fir Tree of Ham Christian An
derson's fairy tale found out, the i'm
portant thing is: enjoy your youth
! enjoy your youth" To many, II no
to all. the dreams of youth came back
real because they had once been true
I and hopelessly beau. iful because the,
were irrevocsbly gone, But despite thu
catch in the throat Of disillusioned oil
age. rang out the spontaneous and tn
happy laughter Of grown-ups who witt
the irrelevence Of other and earle
days saw the horror of the captain
situation when tho ticking clock fore
told the approved of the lnsatiate Gro
= codile.
The play Is full of laughs, and though
1t touches this deepest stops In human
nature, 1t does so withathe skill o
genius. The scene In the home whel
the children come back goes to tn
heart of that life, which Is only know
at the fireside. and the pathos OF Pete
y ans nlotherlessness Went to all heart
With directness.
How Miss Adams does 1t Is mys
cry. She gives the perfect impression
~ a motherless little boy, half -humal
lalt-elf, yearning for homo and human
ompanionshlp, yet fearing the burdel
md the restraint of the life that Slittl
aoys must lead II they are to be Presl
dents, And so realSlis the setting, 81
49, .IN. A. - "a,