The Washington times., 1907-10-29
"The Christian Pilgrim" Resplendent
In It's Artistic Scenic InyeStiture;
Production Without Dramatic Worth
William FurSt's Music
One of Notable Fea-
lures in Allegori-
cal Play.

ings.
AS a play the dramatized version of
Bunyan's Pilgrims Progress Is in
every respect a negligible quantity. It's
plot consists OF several alleg0rieaI epi-
sodes; there Is no character drawing.
and opportunities for artistic dramatic
/ Interpretation are entirely lacking. The
one positive comment that can be made
| Of the production Is that as a series OF
stage pictures of prodigal splendor It
stands alone. Henry 3. Harris and
Maurice Campbell have given the play,
If such II may be termed, q scenic In
/ Fe5titure which even the master hand
OF David Belasco has never equaIed.
It would seem that the producers OF
Of ''The Christian Pilgrim" had in mind
tho success OF "Everyman'' wheI they
conceived the idea OF dramadzing Bun
yan's great aliegory. The miracle play
which was presented In this country
several years ago by Ben Greet, with
Edith Wynne Mathison as Everyman,
was received with enthusiasm; by schol-
ars because It was a valuable contribu-
ton to the modern stage as an historical
replica OF the earliest English drama,
and by the average pIaygoer first, be-
cause IL was a distinct novelty, and IN
the second place, because he did not
understand it, and for that reason
thought il a production Of rare merit.
1t was something about which people
talked, and q play which anyone might
discuss with apparent erudition. But
one such play has proved enough for
those who do not understand. and a
modern adaptation OF an old idea proves
entirely worthless to the scholar. tt re
fore, from the same standpoint as
'Everyman." that OF a dramatic curl
osity. THE Christian Pilgrim" VIII
have small claim for public patronage.
The Christian Pilgrim" may expect
tO receive the hearty acclaim Of the
theological student who vii find il
valuable in the illumination of enc OF
his classics. But theologfaus. as a class,
cannot be expected to add much support
TO a production from a box Office stand
point
Based upon dramatic veritles s'The
Christian Pilgrim" Is altogether fmpos-
sible. for anything so ngurative is from
the purpose Of plays, whose end, both
at the first and now. was and is. TO hold
as tKere the mirror up to nature"
The stage version OF Pilgrims Prog
ress' adheres with creditable fidelity
70 the book. The first scene opens with
Graceless in great distress as a result
OF his vis'0n concerning the doom Of the
City Of Destruction Ee falls by the
waysids where he sees In a dream the
fiends OF the Bottomless Pit rise up
and hail Beezlebub. who announces that
Graceless must be brought back to the
City Of Destruction. Graceless awaken
ing from his sleep sees Evangelist, who
- IA - l.
the wicket gate. Disregarding the en-
treaties Of his neighbors Iraceless jour
Eeys 10 the wicket gate. ana al the foot
OF the crcss his burden fails from his
shoulders. a. the House Beautiful the
pilgrim Is armed with sword, helmet,
and shield. Going down into the valley
of the Shadow Of Death he oyerSomes
Apollyon, AID then journeys 3n TO
Nanfty Fair, where he Is unable TO
rescue Christiana from Lord HategOod
and his followers. Here ne Is joined by
Hopeful, and together they journey 70
the enchanted ground and the SHRINE
OF the WantOn, from which garden OF
pleasures and earthly desires they es-
care at last 10 enter the Celestial City
The stage settings throughout are
marvellous evidences of the degree or
near-perfection to which the scene
painters art has been developed. Each
tableau seems to excel its predecessor
in the Kaleidoscope beauty OF coloring
and magnificent illusions OF distance
and immensity- The electrical effects
are startling in their brilliancy and
gorgeousnes.s. In the vision OF the
first act when Beelzebub stands upon
his throne and commands Legion 20
su5due Grac5less there Is Verltable
explosion Of light and color enVeiOplng
the myriad-hued demon in a shower OF
nTfsrnatfc tints. And in the second scene
Of the second act, after Christian has
routed Apollyon and Faith stands on
the mountain top encouraging the mill
tsnt pilgrim to arise. the light Of the
dawn Viewed through the riffs in the
mighty canyon OF despair and death,
will be remembered as one Of the most
respIendent stage settings ever pro-
duced.
There is small opportunity for tasteful
costuming except in the scene or the
dance of the sirens. where airy drap-
cries of rainbow tints are seen in pro-
fusion and the dance there given IS
RacChanalian in its sensuOHs abandon
and its poetry OF motion.
little need be said OF the iLsterpreta-
ton Of the role of Christian given by
Miss Crosman. The possibilities are
limited and those which ara afforded
here are of a kind entirely out OF this
capable actress natural sphere of Gain-
ty ingenious and altogether charming
characterizations. When seeing Miss
CFOSman as the SOmber-brOWed Pilgrim,
one remembers with distinct regret that
he Is missing the opportunity Of seeing
SuCn 4 QGuSuLIul USf6UudBG dS At1-lI-a-
Sudden Peggy, Rosalind. or Mistress
Nell II is not any diseredit 70 Miss
Crosman to say that her Christian is
not impressive or convincing. There is
nothing in the role with which an au-
dience might be convinced. and the one
thing that could make the part i'm
pressiVe would be a sonorOus voice or
the volume possessed by Otis Skinner
or Forbes Robertson. Miss Crosman's
voice is nodceabiy thin in the Vanity
Fair scene.
Tyrone Power. another capable actor
has little opportunity 20 make use of
his talents, in spite of the fact that
he appears severaly as Beelzebub Apcl-
lyon. and Lord Hategood-
One other feature Of the production ia
addition to the stage settings is notable,
the heroic music OF William Furst
There is a wealth of harmony and pow
CT in Mp. FuTst's compositions, which
make the production in a. sense akin to
grand opera. There is both dignity and
impressive symbolism IN his motifs.
If the scenery were shown in a series
Of tabieaus. and AR. Fursts music were
Played without intermission, and the re-
main6er Of the performance eliminated
the audience would get home at a much
more seasonsble hour. and IN a much
more charitable frame OF mind
Miss Crosman deserves a better fate
than to be forced to bury her delight