Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-13

IS a minor consideration. It is pic
ture Of people. and the rather Romeo
esque loye interest it provides seems
more a concession 70 custom than an
essential 70 the plan. The real atmos-
phere is that Of humble home life. tn"
Prince Charming who comes in quest Of
Cinderella does not take her to his pal
ace but allies himself accompanying as
good lover should TO the heroine's
reduced circumstances. In his indiffer-
ence TO The inar,istic perhaps but popu-
lar happy ending" Mr.. Klein, the author
has gone 10 the opposite extreme, and on
Monday night rang down his final curtain
on a scene of villa!ny triumphant. L
was a bold. unhackneyed thing to do,
and were It not for the invitation TO take
sides with the hero in his fight with a
moneyed mlscreant would have been a
strong revelation Of realism. But the
germ Of heroic lnteres. had been i'm
planted. and it was not allowed even
10 be blasted in a tragic storm. 1t sim
ply ran 10 seed.
Mr. Klein's plot is only a framework
on which to display studies of character
Il can be shifted and readjusted as ext
gencies might suggest II the tastes Of
might with little rehearsal, be so ar
ranged as to meet the desires of each
evenings assembIage. allowing the two
mean men OF the play 10 stalk away in
ser. ne immunity Friday nights, when the
more intellectual attendance is expected
and handing them over to the police Sat
urdays when the popular thirst fof retri
button is likely to assert itself The
characters are what count for most in the
piece. They are real people. Whether
or not the Incidents through which they
move stand logical analysis, as they
should there Is no doubt that they have
a vitality and magnetism which crosses
the footlights and brings them into init
mate interest.
Perhaps this is due largely TO the way
in which they are performed. Mr.. Klein
says it is. In his curtain speech he
thanked the company profoundly. Why
are playwrights so modest? Maybe they
are afraid. In old English days, when
people who wrote plays were professed
poets the author of a bad play was Ii
able 10 be taken out and tossed in
blanket. Maybe there is some lurking
consciousness of that time which genera
lions OF literary evolution have not eff
faced But change would be a relief
II would have been sweety surprising
81 for instance, Mr.. Fred de Beeville
had descended to the footughts and said
something like this: Ladies and gentle
men thank you for your kind applause
of my efforts and 1 also wish to thank
Mr.. Klein for giving me such excellent
opportunities for the display of my gifts
as a character actor"
There is no special propriety in singing
Mr.. de Bellevile. Any other of the
players could have made the same sort
OF a speech with equal propriety. But
IN all probability it never occurred to
them. On second thought the suggestion
is unreasonable. The actor is placed
forward as the visible expression of an
idea, and the auditor as a rule does not
think beyond him. The youngster in his
admiration for the motorman gives no
consideration to the people in the power
house.
Once ~ a while an author rises up as
G. Bernard Shaw has done, and by sheer
audacity dominates the scene Mr.. Klein,
who likes TO converse, but not TO be in
terviewed, speaks of Shaw with hearty
admiration. Vet with a tinge of reproach.
His satire is brilliant" he says but it
is unsparing. George Bernard Shaw has
killed the stage hero" II this is true il
might be well TO send for Mr.. Shaw and
beg him to bring his battleax to our
shores. We have number of stage
heroes who could be spared,
It is mans nature to he dissatisfied
Charles E. Blaney is trying to write like
Augustus Thomas. And The Rangers"
proves that Augustus Thomas is trying
10 write like Charles E. BIaney. 1t is
fearful to see how bloodthirsty a play
wright can become. even a play
wright who years ago wrote "Editha's
Burglar and Alabama The exc
cu:ion of a lot OF prisoners in squads
Of ten is massacre for whose grotesque
horror there is no palliation in dramatic
interest Mr. Dustin Farnum is pro-
vlded with a role similar 10 the one he
played IN The Virginian." In this era
o. Specialization playwrigLts and nanag-
ers Will probably require Mr.. Farnum
70 go through the rest OF his professional
existence playing this same naive west
erner, who puts In most of the perform
Rnce explaining how his sense Of duty
compelled him 10 ASA ssinate personal
friend
The Three Of Us" came well recon-
nended from New York. 1t is another
complication OF the fact that the me-
tropons loves acting and does not par
ticularly care about force or consistency
in p!aymaking Consistency this little
idylic creation has. but force il lacks.
Miss Wilson's performance is delightful
and the story OF the bad boy who
was rude and disobedent toward his
se!f-sacriac!ng sister and who very near
~ came To a bad end is as fresh and
wholesome as anything ever placed be-
tween the covers in juvenile literature
Ii scarcely provides robust entertainment
for an entr- evening. Yet il had deli
cacy and charm that made it we'll worth
acquaintance.
PHILANDER c. JOHNSON.