New-York tribune., 1907-01-10
PLAYS OF THE ORIENT
4 Ne1c Cleopatra-.Sindbad zcith
Modern Variations.
London. Decemher %.

genial
der with luxurious tastes; decadent victim OF
.s,f-;ndulgence rather than a stalwart figure in
I. conflict between Eastern and Western civiliza-
.,on. a Samson enmeshed by Delilah in a play of
rassion; not great Roman thinking imperaIly
hrt an intensely human figure He plays the
,art with naturalness and sincerity, but without
either subtety or distinction. AS stage manager
he achieves his most brilliant and artistic tri-
,r,nh in Antony and Cleopatra" Never has
more glorious series of spectacles been seen at
pis Maiesty's Theatre than the council hall Of
che triunlvirs in C@sars house; the landing stage
e. Alexandria and the golden barge with its
nIrple sails and silvery oars: Cleopatras palace
where the messenger is punished with insensate
rage: Pompey's galley, with banquet and Dances
Antony's return to Alexandria. the Roman
camps and the sombre majesty Of the monument
with its death chamber. With the graduation
and blends Of color in glittering armor. marble
columns gilded thrones slken canopies, luxuri-
ous diYans, gorgeous costumes and the buest Of
skies and seas, these stage pictures OF en-
trancing beauty, and they reproduce the sensu-
BUSINESS and glamour of the Orient and in
accord with the spirit of the drama. Mr.. Trees
scene painters and costumers artists who
know the poetry of their trade and he himself
has the organizing mind and the cultivated taste
for producing pageants OF unrivalled splendor.
Shakespeare cannot De converted INTO magIi!H-
cent spectacle without sacrifice Of dramatic ef-
feet and orderly development OF a complex
theme When Mr.. Tree even with so dscrini-
mating a literary adviser as Mr.. Comyns Carr
behind him, reduces the thirty-eight scenes Of
the text TO thirteen by excision and transposi-
ton he dininishes the cumulative force Of the
action, impairs the effect Of sequence and rela-
ton and complicates the study of character.
There are adequate compensations in scenic en-
richnlent which is certainly in accord with pop
ular taste but the movement OF the drama be-
comes less integible and convincing when, in
place OF q rapid succession of short scenes rep
resenting the passage Of time and the progress
of rnomentous events. two acts crumpled
and jumbled into one. Cleopatra is a less logical
character study when she is always exhibited
with Antony, and the effect of his absence from
her cannot be adequately denoted: compression
reduces the high drama of Roman Imperialism
and faction discord 10 empty show; sea fight
and land battle hopelessly confused, and
tragedy becomes over-tense and wellnigh intol-
cradle when the lovers die one after the other
In the same chamber, when Shakespeare sepa-
rated the two endings and devoted an entire act
10 each catastrophe. Yet, while legitimate ef-
fects are sacrificed by adaptation processes to
what have become necessities of the modern
stage what is characteristic and essential in the
Imperial politics and historic narrative Of lit
tie account playgoers look on. 1t is the love
story Of Antony and Cleopatra-the sacrifice Of
ambition and power TO passion-that is of para
mount interest to them, and this is told with
dramatic power at His Majesty's Theatre.
Enobarbus being the witness, the real Cleo
patra was endowed with grace and charm rather
than beauty. Miss Constance Collier. with her
black hair. dark skin. flashing eyes and cleaning
teeth has beauty of a barbaric order of splendor
suited to the part, and she has serpentine sup
pleness and grace which fascinates rather than
charms. 1t is not easy TO decide when she is
most beautiful, whether in the flame colored silk,
with scales of goa. she stands on the landing
stage, or in dull Blue with gold, the
eTneralds matching Ser green scarf IN the gilded
palace in pure white, with a golden helmet,
as she awaits Antony at the throne, or In vivid
crimson and royal purple, with crown OF
rubies and carbuncles on her head, as she passes
into her simulated death trance opposite An
tony's nfeless body. Less Egyptian than the
Chairman OF Miss Alice Crawford, she is more
barbaric and sensuous in her Oriental fascina-
ton. If she falls short of Enobarbus's tribute
Of Infinite variety she plays with wide range
and in her greatest moments with intense power
On the opening night her most triumphant pas
sage was that in which she swooped down upon
the messenger like a tigress and flung him
across the stage and then relapsed into compla-
cent self-satisfaction when she heard how pale
and denure was her rival. Octavia. For this
fine display Of stagecraft she was rewarded with
two enthusiastic recalls and a chorus of braeos
after the fall Of the curtain. Her death scene
was played with touching pathos naughty dig
nifty and elevation Of spirit. and would proba bly
have met with a similar tribute If the audience
had not been weared with prolonged tragedy
Altogether ii is a great impersonation. lacking
the inspiration Of genius, perhaps but subtle
vital. changeful and powerful-a welcome proof
that the noble old art Of acting still lives.
Fantomime is increasing in cost and scenic
splendcr every year at Drury Lane What Sir
Augustus Harris a decade ago would have con-
sidered colossal and modern would now be con-
oemned by Mr. Arthur Collins as unpretentious
and old fashioned. The stage at the famous old
theatre has not been enlarged although the
mechanism has been improved: but in every
are bigger crowds of performers the stage;
there is a larger ballet the scenery and costumes
are more gorgeous; the dragons and sea mon
sters are more immense: the realism Of ship
wreck diamond valley, palace and durbar is
more intense; the orchestra is more overpower-
Ing. Every detail from the clowning Of the
Comedians TO the resplendence Of the stage set
ting has been exaggerated; and inspiring word
for the enterprising Snowman. everything has
been brought up to datew Topical songs and
comic dialogue have been stocked with the cur
rent gags and skits of politics and journalism.
and sandwiched between pictures of the Orient
Is a whirIigig marvel worthy OF a Partisan holi-
day: motor omnibus with wheels revolving
and crowded with passengers, while at the side
is an endless travelling platform. from which
70 dos IS, into he fa