Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-06-15

Special Correspondence
ONDON. June 1.-Queerly enough
considering that one of them Is
based on a Bible incident, and the
other on best selling American
novel. there promises to be quite
striking similarity between a new play
from the German which Martin Harvey
is about to produce at the London
Adelphi and "BTewsters Millions,
which is duplicating, at the Hicks inca
ter the big success which 1t scored
across the water. Incidentally II Is
doubtful II any other piece underlined
for production In London this season is
arousing half so much curiosity and
anticipation as the German one mem
toned, which Is called Great Possess
sions.' and is the work of Karl Ross
ler
The original. Der Reiohe Junl5ling,
though accepted by one of the principal
theaters of the fatherand, has yet to
be produced there. but when 1t is, 1t
probably viii make a sensation, as the
English adaptation is confidently eN-
pected 10 do here. For this work or
ROsslcr's. which is a tragedy, is @ sort
OF sequel TO he New Testament story
of the Savior and the young man who
had great possessions, and VINO was
the poor Report speaks highly of 1t,
and the theme must have been handled
with some deXterity, otherwise the play
certainly would have been vetoed by
III British censor, who seldom consents
to the production OF Biblical plays.
In Great Possessions however, the
hero is named simply Nathaniel, while
other characters are Ruth, Asar1a and
Spintharos, the second Of these parts,
htr he a
production by Suzanne Sheldon Mar
tin Harvey, OF course, Is the hero, and
he Is said TO have golden opportunity
In the second act OF the drama when, IN
u long soliloquy. Nathaniel tries to at
tain TO the real meaning 0f the SaVior's
injunction.
The story of the play begins just al
the moment when Christ looks in sor-
row AT the retreatlng figure of the
young man, and the authors object is
to show that in rejecting the Divine in
junction 80 give 10 the poor" Nathaniel
took the wrong road. Crazed with the
problem of his wealth, he begins to
throw his possessions 10 the winds
in odd similarity to the hero OF the
American farce further along IN the
West End. But IN the German piece
the end is tragic, the owner Of the
great possessions dying at the hand
OF an assassin.
a queer feature OF the Rossler play
too, rs the fact that the name OF one
Of the characters Is indicated on the
program only by a blank. The general
belief among people here who take an
interest in this sort OF thing Ia that
Miss Dc Silva Mrs. Harvey. who APP
pears as must have n part
resembling that OF the Greek chorus"
or the French 'rasonncur." hut this lg
only speculation, 1t Is said that Har-
vey. who begins his season at the Adel-
phi with his American play THE Breed
OF tho Treshams." has strong faith IN
Great Possessions" and viii mount 10
with uncommon laYishness The scene,
however. which is am open square I'm "A
small Palestine town remains un-
changed throughout The drama Is IN
four acts and probably wiz be produced
In Germany some time during July
II clyde Fitch is of AN appreoatiye
disposition, he must before this have
made a grateful acknowledgment to
a Leading English actor and actress,
10 both OF whom he owes rather lot
These are Marie Tempest aud Cyril
Maude, the former Of whom has made
fitchs Truth" which was only a
partial success az home. one Of the
emphatic hits of the present season,