The Washington herald., 1907-02-10

happy when he isn't shocking,
and he certainly shocked a large
number of Washington people
the past week by the new view Of Caesar
he gives in the refreshing play in which
Forbes Robertson and Gertrude Elliott
were seen at the National Theater. It
isn't at all unlikely that ShaW's Caesar
comes nearer showing that distinguished
Roman as he really appeared 70 his con-
temporarles, and especially to his asso-
ciates. than any other stage production Of
him we have. The Caesar Of the old plays
is chronically heroic. stagily heroic most
~, the older dramatists dealing with him
exclusively in his capacity as conqueror,
masterful statesman, or tyrant. But the
Shaw Caesar IS an intimate portrayal,
showing him as a man doing the work
Of his world as real men do, and with
little OF the atmosphere of the hero about
him. The Shaw version Of the character
is entirely defensibIe in the light of his
toric small talk 10 be found in the pages
Of Mommsen and Froude and other
writer's who have made minute studies
Of the great Roman. Most of us see
Caesar only as a great, imposing figure,
vaguely outlined il the brief school his
tories Of the ancient world. But Caesar
accomplished much Of his work by ma
chinery very similar to that in use by the
politicians Of to-day. He had his organ
izatior, or gang" IN Rome, and a very
disreputable gang 1t seems to have been,
If We may judge by what history has
established regarding some Of its leading
members whom Caesar stood by through
thick and thin. Caesar in his youth was
one of the boys" a rounder and gallant.
and there is no doubt he had the small
weaknesses and vanities that Shaw at
tributes TO him, even after he became
the dominating figure in the Roman
world. What George Bernard Shaw has
done is to bring the man Caesar close
TO Us and show sides Of his character
that previous playrights found Of no use
in the dramas they built up about him.
Hence Shaws play seems to US a satire,
at times almost a burlesQue.
Caesar and Cleopatra IS open 10 con-
ventional criticism. because it lacks a
conventional plot. but the interest it
the hands of men Of Shaw's breadth Of
knowledge. keenness Of thought, and
mastery OF language, plays may become
successes without conventional plots. To
persons even moderately interested In the
wonderful Old world in which Caesar
played SO pre-eminent a part. no more de
lightful and uplifting entertainment could
be offered than watching the unfolding OF
the scenes of this Shaw drama as pre-
scented by Mr.. Robertson, Miss Elliott,
and their capitally capable associates.
The springs Of pleasure tapped are many
and varied, and each bubbles and sparkIes
and refreshes intensely in its own spe-
ciaI way. There are choice lessons in
history, so alluringly told as to stimu-
late the imagination To a fine glow
There are unObtrusive but effective les
sons in comparative ethnolOgy and sociol-
Ogy, contrasting deity the racial. social
and political conditions Of the Egyptians
and the Romans, their views of life. OF
statecraft, and Of the gods. Illuminating
glimpses are given OF that Roman politv
which made the Romans masters of the
world. The instant Caesar realizes that
It is the little queen Of Egypt who sits
before him on the other paw Of the
sphinx. the work begins Of shaping her
TO the purposes Of Caesar and Of Rome
There IS StateCTaft in his pettfng his
Gliding, his lectures-statecraft zestfuIlv
favored with touches Of vanity, and sug-
geStions Of the amOrOus regret Of the
gallant grown old. It is a statesman
and Conqueror at work on strange ma
terial, in an environment that is i'm
posing, but under conditions that verge
on the absurd. But it is these very con-
tTarieties that serve the Shaw purpose
. --g--s
a stir and stilted stage figure in per-
petuaI pose.
All literary papas know what 4 sad
task it is to set at work carving I'd the
children OF their brains in order to make
them fl the poor little inches assigned
them by cold, practical, unsympathetlc
editors. They will. therefore, sympa-
thize with Mr.. Rex Beach. papa Of that
fine. bouncing. literary boy, "The Spoil
ers,'' who found himself confronted with
the task Of carving the infant UP and
cutting him down to reduce him to the
proper dimensions for presentation on
the stage That Mr.. Beach should tackle
the cruel job with a merciful, if not
trembling. hand was to his credit as a lit
erary parent who had not yet been cal
loused by his ambition 10 become a play
wright parent TO boot.
1t was heart-wrenChing to have to sac
riiice ruthlessly beloved features Of the
literary babe in order 70 fit him for the
more active career Of infant phenomenon
OF the stage. But Mr.. Beach steeIed
himself and cut and slashed valiantIy.
but, try as he would, he couldn't bring
"a mo -Te.E-
course he was rank amateur at that
sort OF surgery, anyhow, and that made
his work more difficult. as we'll as less
satisfactory. He left altogether too
much Of the book in the play. and he
Cldn Join deity the skin at many
points where cutting had been done.
Hence the dramatic infant wasn't as
comely or as lively as il should have
been when it was presented here the past
week. But by the aid Of more surgery.
skln-graftng, and manicuring. il will be
further improved as the weeks go by. and
viii finally emerge from the operating
room an interesting, compact. and Wig
orous melodrama. with the prOspect. of n
reasonably long stage life before it. AIN
Papa Beachs friends viii heartily hope
SO. at least.
The short season Of grand opera under
local management given at the Belasco |
Theater the past week. may not have |
been distinct success. judged by metro /
politan standards, but the performances
unquestionably gave much pleasure TO
most Of those who saw them, and the pro !
motors deserve commentator for their 4
enterprise. They brought TO Washington /
several singers of great merit. assembled /
an adequate orchestra. ami organized a /