Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-02-08

casion OF n production of the drama
Carmen by a number of Annapo-
lis amateurs. Rehearsals had been
/ in progress for some months. aud the
event was conspicuous in the social
| life of the season. The performance
| marked the climax of n series of
| plays which have been given by
local talent during the past four OF
| five years. Judging, therefore, from
this circumstance, and from the fact
| that Carmen is q work seldom un-
| dertaken by amateurs. it is 10 be
fairly inferred that the efforts of
| those who took part in last night S
entertainment are TO be estimated by
a rather NOR seyere and less COM
placent standard than usually obtains
| in such cases. Acting upon this in
ference an attempt will be made here
to gauge the performance from a some
what critical point of view.
To begin with, then. it was rather
unfortunate that such play as Car
men, should have been selected on
this occasion, and this for several rea-
sons. Performances by amateurs are
necessarily attended by audiences
made up largely, if not wholly, of
friends of the performers, Aand it is
Il ilOI unItASOHAUIt III futiH W 0ADttl
amusement rather than a conflict of
emotions reused by the imperfect rem
dering of tragedy. Much credit is no
doubt due To- those who had the matter
i'm charge, for their ambition TO step
out of what may be regarded as the
beaten track the track strewn with
the more or less badly mangled re-
mains of farce and comedy, but to
Ill ne n rfaotaft -,
be justified only by the availability
of actors and actresses of seasoned ex-
perience-aboye all, by a leading
woman, who, both physically and by
talent and art, is capable of depicting
the not altogether pleasing character
of the heroine. Further, even If these
means were at command, il is ques-
tionable whether Carmen in itself
possesses sufficient merits from
dramatic point of Wow TO warrant
its rendition. The theme OF the play
is. at best, an unpeasant one, the sit
uations are theatric to the last degree,
and il is painfully lacking in the
essential ingredient, even in tragedy,
of comedy relief. Even in its
most attractive form, that of Bizet's S
operatic version, it depends for sue
cess almost entirely on the singular
and engaging personality of the singer
who sassumes the title role. It is
significant in proof of this assertion,
that never since Calve left this coun-
try has the opera been included in the
repertoire of the Metropolitan Opera
House. In one respect alone was the
selection of this play for rendition by
amateurs justified. 1t admits of the
employment of number of young
men and women as chorus, and
this circumstance was taken full adj
vintage of last night. The men who
assumed the subordinate roles of
soldiers, gypsies and smugglers were,
i'm all candor, fully as good as those
we have seen in more pretentious per-
formances of the play. The young
women were JOY to the eye-most of
them pretty, tastefully costumed, in
telligent. alert and properly modest as
to the display of their ankles.
The lime-light of criticism must Of
necessity fall upon Mrs. hedgrave,
who assumed the role Of Carmen. 1t
is obvious that this lady has had some
experience on the stage. She possesses
assurance, ready knowledge of the
tbusiness. a conviction of sincerity
and most creditable of all, she was
plainly earnest, hard working and in
telligent. Unfortunately. however,
She was seriously handicapped in
several important PARTICULARS. The
very name of Carmen" suggests in
stantly. as we have already limited,
the buxom, rollicking, devil-may-
care personality of the vivacious
Calve; or the more serious, voulptu-
Gus. sensual Interpretation of Miss
olga Nethersole. Mrs. Redgrave pri-
marily-and it is no fault of hers--
lacks the mere physical endowment
possessed by both of these professional
women. She is too fragile. too slen-
der. even to suggest what has come
to be the accepted Carmen of tradi-
tion. The part emphatically demands
every physical and personal attraction.
The ideal Carmen is a woman of ir-
resistible feminine charm, and though
this NAV seem an ungraeious criti-
eism, yet, in order to adhere to our
purpose, 1t must be admitted. in all
truthfulness, that Mrs. Redgraye,
despite an undoubted winsomeness of
manner which we conceive would have
telling effect in many others roles,
fell far short of the requirements of a
luscious. abandoned. physically en-
thralllng lover.
Mrs. Redgrave was hampered in
other ways. Her pronunciation. which
would have passed with commendation
in Clyde Fitch comedy, was serious
ly out of character. In fact, her man
ner of sp ech was so odd at times as
TO render her fairly unintelligible. The
bruslue, homely dialect of the uned-
ucated gypsy maiden was lost and in
its place was the elegant, apparently
also the affected. diction of the dra w
in room. This may seem small
matter but it is just such small mat
ters as these that help to destroy the
illusions of the stage. One final count
against Mrs. Redgrave-her walk and
carriage, especially her shoulders and
a constant. almost irritating, exag-
gerated swagger in her walk, strike
the onlooker as an affectation amount
ing almost TO a confirmed and em-
baTrassiDg mannerism.
I From dramatic point Of view the
; third act was the best. The setting