The Washington herald., 1907-02-10


of the order Of those undertaken in the
Belasco experiment can be given in sat
isfactory and delightful way A very
promising start has been made by the
promoters of last weeks enterprise. and
there IS no reason why performances Of
the sort should not become established
annual features of local musical entertain
meEt We may have here the germ Of
real Washington grand opera season
With courage, intelligence, and persever-
ance on the part OF the managers and
sympathetic support Of their efforts by the
public, there would seem to be no insu-
perable obstacle to the realization of such
a project
It will be too bad If Washington doesn't
get a chance to see Novelli. the noted
Italian actor. who is coming to this coun-
try in March for a short tour Ameri-
cans Of sound judgment in stage mat
tiers. who have watched the work Of No
velh in Italy. say he is a marvel OF clev-
erness, power. fire, and versatility. He
plays with equal facility and success in
farce, comedy, drama, and tragedy. He
Is a true protean actor of unusual artis-
tic training. rare intelligence, and high
purpose As a tragedian ne is said 10
fall short Of the tremendous passional
power Of Salvini, who, In this respect,
was the greatest actor Of this generation.
But Noyelli in tragedy is said 10 be I'M
queStiOnably great, while his lighter work
down the scale 10 the most rollicking
farce has been spoken of In terms Of the
highest praise. For such an artist there
can be little question Washington could
be depended on to provide remunerative
audiences for two or three performances,
regardless Of the fact that the plays
were given In Italian Ii is TO De hoped
one OF our local managers win bring No
velH here for brief engagement. The
announced plan of the theatrical firm
that has made the contract with the emf
nent Italian actor Is to give two weeks
OF his time TO Boston the same to New
York, and one week % Philadelphia. The
theory Of the managers. no doubt, is THAI
the italian population of those cities will
insure profitable business. regardless OF
the attitude OF the Americans But while
the Italian population of Washington is
small there is here a large element Of
foreigners Of the highest class. as well
as large contingent of cultivated ana
cosmopolitan residents who could be de-
pended on to patTonize an artist OF the
international reputation Of NoveIH The
latter is now playing in Mexico. He has
made several tours in the Argentine and
Brazil, but his approaching Engagement
here viii be his first In the United States.
New York clergyman nearly STAN
peded taIkfest on The drama the other
day by denouncing poetic plays as i'm.
moral, arraigniug modern composers as
panderers 10 vice, and storming along that
line generally in the edifying way Ger
tain class Of pulpit orators have Of show
ing how wise and temperate and regard
full Of the truth they can be when they
try real hard. Just why there should De
anything in actually or tendency more
immoral about the poetic play than about
the realistic play the gentleman didn't
make entirely clear. II is barely possible
that when he said poetic he really meant
versified, for persons with warm tempers
are not apt 10 be very accurate I'm the
use Of words. But even this supposition
doesn't clear matters W much. for f. is
hard TO see why a play written in verse
need necessarily, because of that fact. be
more immoral or SIS moral than ono
written in prose. VeTsifcation can hard
ly be regarded as a vice, a crime. or a
calamity. although It is usually a nuj-
sance and a mans old fault But whether
the clergyman meant poetic or versifed
the correctness Of his statement is cbaI-
lenged by the latest example Of drama
Jhat Is at once poetic and versified intro
duced 10 our stage. This is Percy Mack
ayes Jeanne Dare" a drama of rhe
highest morality. in the ordinary accepta-
ton Of that word, whose meaning is us1-
ally restricted to matters affecting 1ha
relations Of the sexes. The only ground
on which the morality Of Jeanne DARE
could be attacked would be by giving the
word a wider and truer significance Then
II might be open TO criticism because OF
the terrible picture IL presents Of the con-
qltlon OF Christianity in Western Europe
IN the niteenth century, when even the
clergy aided IN sending men and women
10 lhe stake because of the opinions they
held That men could be 50 appaUinglv
immoral only four or five hundred wears
ago is an unpleasant fact 10 recall 10 the
world, but IL isn't dangerous 10 present
day morals. The passion for burning peo-
pie at the stake because they hold diff
terent religious views, or gather herbs in
the moonlight. IS a vice that has largely
disappeared from the world, and there is
little danger Of its temperance, even #
plays by the dozen dealing with the sub
jet are produced on our stage. As to
the other count In the clergyman's indict
ment relating to modern composer. and
their works, while it was not very tenn
perately put. there is some foundation for
H. II needs but moments reflection on
the stories Of many Of the modern operas
TO realize that they don't deal with sub
Jects that can be called nice and proper
But all the PuCcini operas. for instance
are based on novels that had wide non
ularity so that Puccini has a very OBJ
vious plea in abatement he might advance
II he thought il worth while to enter into
debate with the warm-tempered New
York clergyman. OF course, the presump-
ton is that the latters ire was specially
reused by the recent presentation Of "Sa-
lone with its danse du ventre trimming.
MAURICE SPLAIN.