The Washington times., 1907-12-10
POWERFUL INTERPRETATION
OF GLOOMY RUSSIAN PLAY
BY S0THERN AND COMPANY
The Cast in "The Fool Hath Said,
There Is No God"

AASAS ID NO OOu.
KashSin. student Rowland Blackstone
Nastasla servant sKatheri 10 Wilson
todion RaSknikO1. ..-.....-......E. l. Sothern
sonia Martinova.- Virginia hammond
AvdOtya Romanoyna. sister to RasE6lniSofT
Puicheria. mother to RasloInilSofi. -
Mrs NJ HoIcomb
Katinka sonia's sister. zyIlah shannon
Keller. Anton Peirovitch sa6-RFocqresr
Koltzon. Preestav OF Police. paul scardon
mlkolka. a...-.-....-....-.......A Albert S. Howson
Bezak, an investigating masistrate..,...
Adolph Lestina
Solski Bezak. William Harris
Aasnenka, Sonias youngest sister.
Virginia Fralick
Without ostentation. but with an
earnestness which commands admira-
ton, E. II. Sothern IS striving to I'll
the place made vacant on the American
stage when the final. curtain was rung
down upon the life OF Richart Mans
/ field. Rightly to deserve the distinc-
I tion OF the foremost American actor
requires intellectually, temperament.
I dramatic judgment and dramatic per
/ spective. All OF these Mr.. Sothern has
demonstrated he possesses. But there
/ is a nth quality which IS essential
I wide versatility The whole world Of
i human emotions must be his to inter
pret. IL mas been charged that Mr..
! Sothern has created but one role, that
! Of Lord Chumley, and that all his other
/ Characterization have been adaptd-
/ lions OF his early success. 1t IS as a
proof that this charge Is unfounded
/ that The Fool Hath Said There Is
/ No God" seen at the Belasco last
/ night. IS Of value. AS a drama, the
! Laurence Irving adaptation Of the
/ Dostoeivsh novel lacks human appeal
as well as variety. The atmosphere
/ is entirely too leaden 70 make IL pop
I Ular with the average playgoer It.
( like Mansheld's Ivan. the Terrible, "
| and lVIllard's The Man Who Was"
IS a monograph, rather than play.
II is a study Of conscience written In
one monotonous key.
There Is not the suggestion OF comedy
nor the spark Of any pleasurable emo
] tiOns. Even the love interest which is
! conpIcUc.y overshadOWed by crime. IS
| OF so,Uber, almost repelleut character.
! The whole spirit Of the play IS one OF
: melancholy. and the single truth esta D.
/ .iShed IS that Man cannot set up for
u
/ which he can live disreGarding all con-
! ventiOns and all dictates Of civil and re-
/ lEiOus law Such a lesson has no direct
/ application 10 the general public for we
! are not murdererE. either IN spirit or
| IL fact. The average playgOer does not
( need the narrowing scene OF the III
QuisitiOn or third degree" IN tie fourth
lHct 90 warn him against mansi aughter.
| The teaching OF the Irving play IS.
! therefore. entirely foreign &c the eX-
! pcriences ard the thoughts OF the audi
] ence. A study IN crime Of a peculiar
/ nature and under the most unusual cir
/ cumstanCes IS the pivotal subject pre-
! Sented- We have a student. oppressed
| By the Wickedness OF the world and
/ the injustice OF his fellOw-mep, who en-
dedvors 70 take upon himself the bur-
den Of aVengtTg the wrong tlat has
| been done al orphaned household. Be
ing socialist and an egodst he con-
! ceives the idea that upon him rests the
! responsibility of effacing those. beings
who IN his finite mind have no place IN
] the economy CT the human race Hav-
| Ing fully convinced himself OF the logic
Of his position he murders the man
| who has brought ruin upon & young
woman and her two sisters. After the
deed Is committed his soul viii not ap-
plaud the crime which his brain has
told him was right There IS q struggle
| between the man human and the man
! intellectual, with the result that tire
( former finally COnQueTs and the muir
! ucTer cOufesses his sin and accepts the
J punishment The few eufsodes which
/ attach 10 the central theme do rot
serve to brighten its sOmberness. but
rather heighten the picture OF moral
! anguish ana despair by quasi con-
! tFasL
| Throughout the five long acts there IS
much didactic dialogue which delays
the action and falls 10 est bblish any
particular point OF view. At times the
discourse virtually becomes a treatise
discussion throughout IS OF esoteric
rather than general interest.
As vehicle IN which Mr.. SOthern
might establish his versatility. how.
ever. better dramatic production could
not have been chosen. ROdiOn, the stu
dent is the embodiment OF al that IS
austere, mOrose, Unsympathetic. he IS
socialist, a thinker, an inhdel, but
~lJhal one whose carolnal principle Is
The brotherhood OF downtrodden man
i1ind. The role is not a pleasing one
but Mr.. Sothern portrays II with great
power. earnestness and consummate
art. There Is sureness about his de-
HneatiCn that commands for the icon
oclastic ideas OF the Russian student
a respectful hearing, regardless OF Oui
inability 10 subscribe TO any Of his
views Of life There Is a majestic bit
tcrnes5 and loneliness IN the pOrtrdya
somewhat softened by the final CAPT
tulatiOn to the orthodox ideas OF the
girl he has tried to save, that ellcitS
| Cdre1ul COnS1OeTallOn- Inc CnaraCteT1-
zation IS a long step for NIT. SOtherr
toward the goal Of unquestioned SUI
pTemacy on the American stage.
Next 10 Mr.. Sothern, Adolph L,estlna's
impersonation OF the role OF Bezak, ar
investigating magistrate, stands out as
the most artistic work Of the perform
ence. In the fourth act where he sue.
ceeds IN forcing a confession from the
student Mr.. Lestina's work was re-
markable for rs adroitness and It's con.
vincing art. The highly dramatic sit
uation was handled with great discre
ton and commendabis repression. The
final outburst Of the magistrate wher
he IS defeated by the idiocy OF another
prisoner is a vivid picture Of impoten-
rage.
| Rowland Blackstone. who was to have
| appeared as Kashkin, Rodion's friend
was Ill The part was acceptably inter
preted by Albert HOwson.
| The Sonia EiSTtinove Of Miss Virgins
| Hammond was Overacted. Early IN tn,
play she made a decidedly favorable i'm
preston, hut in the fifth oct the role wa
played with a futile attempt to compe
sympathy. Miss Gladys Hanson mad,
| a strikingly handsome Avdotya Ro
manovna, while Frank Reicher was sufn
GENTLY repulsive 10 make a satisfactoT,
} Keller. Sydney Mather. who becam,
, popular in Washington during his stool