The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-02-05


Shaw's Caesar and Cleopatra"
Mr. Forbes Robertson, assisted by Miss
Gertrude Elliott and a very capable com.
pany of English players. reappeared in
Washington at the National Theater last
night in one Of the most remarkable and
masterful works produced by the brilliant
pen of that master OF satire and dra-
matte construction, George Bernard Shaw
Caesar and Cleopatra" as a whole, no
doubt, has proved, and will prove, a puz-
zle to perhaps a majority of those who
see it. But even those w.to are most per
picked by its daring satirical handling of
the episode in Caesars life with which
il deals. and the almost indcfensible but
delightful anachrOnisms OF which Mr.
Shaw has been deliberately guilty in his
irresistible itching to score the eonven-
tiOnalitles and hypoerisies Of his own time
and society, cannot fail to enjoy deeply
the rarely fine and lofty historical drama
he has evolved
/ II may be said he has taken liberties
with Caesar. But It is only with the
! Caesar Of his predecessors of the stage,
the imposing, often stilted, half-human
and half-god creation that has strutted
/ in heroic grandeur through previous
! tragedies. He shows US a Caesar who Is
entirely human, but none the less lofty
/ and imposing. He shows US the great
soldier and statesman at work, and who
can play. or pretend to play. as he works.
It is an intimate picture of the con-
/ queror dealing as the soldier and states
man deals with the human nature he
must bend to his purposes and the pur-
| poses Of his country: a Caesar. sublime
/ In his lofty but crafty practicaIness. with
human passions and human weaknesses
stealing through his armor Of philosophy.
sweetening his glory-weariness. soften
ing and humanizlng and bringing him
near 20 US through the mist and dust OF
the centuries.
The episode Of Caesars life Mr.. Shaw
has worked into his play IS his conquest
Of Egypt after the defeat OF his competi-
tors for control OF the Roman world-an
episode that only Caesars own marvellous
resourcefulness saved from proving his
own undoiug Caesar comes to Egvpt
when Cleopatra is girl Of sixteen. and
the drama presents in a series Of adrni-
rably constructed scenes at once the
means by which the conqueror averts The
disaster that threatened him and his small
army, and those by which he turned the
puppet child-queen into a woman and real
queen, In feeling II not IN power.
Caesar is first presented i'm "a scene that
may be based on history, but that has so
much cf the Shaw whimsicality about f.
no one can be surprised that the audience
wonders il it isn't Witnessing a burIesoue
IL is a scene in the desert near the Syrian
border, with a sphinx 10 which the girl
queen az the approach OF the terrible Ro-
mans has secretly fed from her castle to
sacrifice the sacred white cat as an offer
ing TO the gods for protection. Here
Caesar finds her AZ night curled 10 be-
tween the claws OF the statue. which the
dramatist makes Caesar take for the
great Sphinx. and address in a speech of
lofty personal import.
Then follows scene In which the most
delicious satire mingles with the childish
ness Of tHe little queen. Caesar takes
Cleopatra under his protection and con-
ducts her back 20 her palace. the act end
ing with a stirring finale when the queen
finds IL is the terrible Roman conqueror
who has been her escort and who places
the crown on her head.
As the play develops It reveals. with
the most striking effectiveness. the con-
trast between the policy and civilization
or the Romans and egyptians. always i'm
a delightfully."- human and intimate way
shaw takes the view Of Caesars charac-
ter taken by FrOude in his fine sketch Of
the conquerOr's life He makes him
clement and mercifuI. remorseful for the
slaughter the policy Of his country
and the necessities Of his own ambitions
have forced him 20 commit: vet stul
facing, with sad resignation. the duty
destiny imposes on him as a Roman mas
ter of the world. The play closes with the /
departure Of Caesar fer Rome. and
as he is about 20 embark he delivers a /
speech that has In it almost the ring Of
sermon on The cruelty Of ambition and the I
lust 20 conquest The lines Of the PLAY
are OF Shaw's best and most scinuIlatiug. /
filed with satirical thrusts that are none
the less delightful because they are utter /
anaclronisms ia the mouths Of men and I
women Of the time of Caesar. The play /
is SO filled with these Shawisms that one
comes q examine with some suspicion I
every uttcrance Of the characters in /
doubt whether another hit at the modern
world is not wrapped up in IT,
The role Of Caesar is one admirably
suited % Mr.. Robertson, and he plays
1t with altogether admirable effectiveness. /
He is almost an ideal Caesar. and his /
work last night was received with mo
nentary evidences Of delight by the large
ana distinguished audience He and Miss /
Elliott and the leading members of their f.
company were called before the curtain
again and again after each act and show
cred with the most sincere applause
Miss Elliott, as the girlish but cruel
and capricious Cleopatra. already in love
with Mare Anthony, was a revelation OF
finished and intelligent and charming
acting. Her work is finely shaded. She
grows almost visibly under the shaping
hand of Caesar into self-willed and
'rafty woman. the woman whose beauty
and wickedness have filled the world
with their evil fame. There is no men,
Der of the supporting company who fails
10 iii with intelligence and dramatic
competence the part assigned them. The I,
pay moved with smoothness and cumula-
I've force TO the denouement. The
iramatic construction is masterfuI. The
'etting is as beautiful and ADEQUATE as \
my seen on the local stage in many sea
IONS. Caesar and Cleopatra" will be
epeated Tuesday and Wednesday even
ngS and at the matinee on the latter day.
The Spoilers" Attract u Large Au-
dience to the Columbia.
The large number Of people who braved
ne snowy weather last night to get to the
Theater found that the atmos-
here outside the theater was fitting ac-
In q NAV ys-b1ec -o,,--- -. /