The Washington herald., 1907-12-15
Mr.. E. H. Sothern.

f. H. Sothern and his excellent company
ut the Belasco Thester ali of the past
week. From every standpoint IL was a
most successful engagement, and as an
artistic Offering il was unique. Just think
or the variety OF characters presented by
Mr.. Sothern: Rodon. the Student. Fran
co.'s Viilon, Lord Dundreary. and finally
Hamlet Is there to-day on the American
stage a player who could hope to extend
his genius over such repertoire? 1t is
becoming more and more patent that Mr.
Sothern is our leading American player;
It is doubtful whether in scholarship.
breadth of feeling. knowledge of tech
nique, genius, personality. and ambition
there is contemporary player worthy to
be mentioned in the same breath with1
him.
Who is there living to-day might hope
to present as adequately and as finely as
did Mr. Sothern that semi-mystical. en-
tirely human. and poetic character,
ROdion? II Will be remembered that Mr..
Mansfield had this character in his reper-
toire, but won no fame by It, He did
some fairly good acting in the part, but
his Rodion was merely a technical charac-
terization, and left the audience cold un-
touched, and unconvinced of the human
qualities of the man. Not so Mr..
Sothern'si The character as he drew il
was intensely appealing and human and
moving, and he made US feel that the
arguments he advanced had a quality of
reasonableness that found an echo in our
own hearts. 1t is hard. OF course. 10
separate. in some cases. the player from
he
Rodion, for the matter he voices is a |
vital thing, and vital. too, is the way in |
which Mr.. Sothern utters it so that II |
carries a world OF conviction. Take for |
instance Rodion Rasl1olnikoff defending
his ideas. Let me quote:
In the play, Rodion. In the controversy |
with two acquaintainces, Keshkin and /
Zozimoff, defends his ideas, thus:
zozimof-NIr. Raskolnikof. your article. I think
Is brilliantly clever: only I feel perhaps that one
should not deal in the spirit Of banter with so ter
Tibe subject as-h1micide
Raskolnikof tdeliberately)In this article there is
not one intentional syllable Of banter
kashkin-You seriously mean 70 maintain murder
as the groundwork Of all human progressY
Raskolnikoh-It is self-eTidcnt L any one who
chooses TO use his own eyes
hashkin-I was brought M 20 believe in the
sacredness Of human hfe-by my father.
Raskilnikof-An enginee-. wasn't he?
Kashkin-He built the great bridge OYER the velra /
Tzaritzin.
Raskilnikof with fervori-And before the bridge
was finished, how many Of his sacred workmen's
lives had been crushed out Of themY Was il ten.
twenty, thirty? Answer me that
kashkin-N1y dear fellow, We all know that these /
great works q progress-
Raskilnikof- Demand certain sacrifice of human /
lives We know it and accept IT, Then. whv Do /
You come prating 10 me about sacredness Of human 4
lie! You may talk about 1t In the douma--yor,r sa-
credness Of human ife-but what makes the feal !,
progress Of your reyoution. Why blowing IN 4
governor generals. No dynamite no douma. VIII
you show me where I may observe it-this Sacred- /
ress Of human lifel CPonting out Of the window 4
On that scafolding there? Two more men fen Of /
81 yesterday. This house was built by a rAiler- 1
throPst. He wears star on his bosom row. The
house was rIn in hurry. so it's always having 20 I
be patched and workmen always losing their
lives ON Il Who shall complaint The sacredness
Of human life! Why. it's mere baby talk Look al .
your friends cheap clothes: some ones been whit
tied 70 the grave 20 stitch them together. Your
uniform. tins match-they have all levied their toll
Of death and decTepitude on some one; on scafold-
ings and bridges, in slums and in sewers. in pot
terieS among gassbloweTs on the sea-stokers rarely
~.
you know. How can they, leading an existence so
delightful No, every one knows who's not a fool
or clergyman, that once let human life be held sa-
cred. human misery and degradation truly lament
able. and from that moment what we call human
progress must cease. Dou you want it 10?
Zozimof-Do you. Mr.. Raskilnikof?
Rasklnikof-I want its Canting and dying TO /
crase-
Kashkin-You seem to have become Tolstoyan
Raski Ink r7,o !
contended for; II the state. society. the manufac-
turer. and the rest Of them have the right TO con-
sign for their own ends numbeFless men to death
why shall the same right be denied an individualY
Kashkin-What-the right to kill othersl
RaskilnikoR-The night 10 decree his own acts.
10 sanction them in HIS own conscience 10 enforce
them with his own ann
Kashkin-Would yOu extend this right TO every in
diTidualf
Raskfnikog- individual who dares to e1er-
else It has Il
Zozimoa-But the individual may impel the men
to the highest virtues OF to the most atrocious
crimes He must obey some moral law
Raskilinikof-What law does Moses obey?
kashkin-SIosesi The man who gave us the Ten
Commandments
RaskiinikoH-He didn't keep them: he gave them
Perhaps you've forgotten the particulars Of his
he He came on an Egyptian fn-treating Jew
buried him in the sand. And in the strength he
borrowed from that act Of courage he went on and
on; be became the master Of his race-then there
came a day when be penned them all down 10 the
foot Of the mountain quaking; and alone he the
slayer of the Egyptian. went up into the thunder
and the smoke; and he conTersed with God-with
the only voice Of God that mortal ear has ever
heard-the voice Of ones own conscience. Yes. and
the laws that came from snch a conscience are
justly termed By man the law Of Godl
Is it not in such discussions of moral
problems that the stage finds its greatest
usefulness and warrant, and if IL is true
that people Of to-day go only to the {
playhouse TO he amused and TO be made 10 {
laugh. so that the thinkers and the ad
mirers Of intellectual discussion are in {
N minority, is not a large measure of
praise due TO an actor ike Mr. Sothern. $
who dares bravely to use his abilities, his
genius, and his money to maintain the {
stage at its highest estate?
l have dwelt so long on Rodion because
there has been such a diversity of opinion {
about ii; and. after all. It was Mr. Sothern
who was my text. OF his performance OF
Nillon in If I Were King" it is not
necessary to speak. as the play has been
long before the public, and has been $
frankly and thankfully accepted as one
OF the finest examples Of the poetic-ro-
mantle drama in recent years. Here. too.
has the genius Of Mr. Sothern come j
greatly to the aid Of Mr.. Justin Huntly {
4 10 H. &