Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-02-05
"LITTLE poRRIT" AN ARTISTIC
TREAT
CHARACTERS IN LARGE PART
DICKENS OWN
Plot, However, Shows Wide Diver
qence from the Original Story
and the Play Is Not
Decentralization
BY sIDLE LAWRENCE

MAYO and founded upon Charles Dick
ems story, though in no sense is it to
be regarded as dramatization of the
novel, was presented at the Belasco
last night before an audience that
found it both refreshing and delightful
There is a persuasive charm about this
play; charm that will appeal alike to
the spectator who knows his Dickens
and to the man whose flctional research
has been confined closely to the current
six best sellers.
The stage story, presumably, is Won
Schoenthau's the characters and much
of the dialogue, particularly in the first
act, are the great novelists. Miss
Mayo's part has been the translation
from the German, the restoration of
Dickens text where that was found ad
visabe and perhaps an occasional
change in dialogue or even in situation,
the better to fit the play for use upon
the American stage
In it's stage form Little Dorrit"
bears a curious relation to it's book
origin. Dickens does not lend himself
readily to dramatization, chiefly for the
reason that his plots are so involved
they cannot be compressed success
fully within the brief space allotted for
a stage presentation. There have been
many attempts to dramatic various of
the Dickens novels, but of recent
years, upon the English stage, only one
of these attempts has met with any
measure of success. "A Tale of Two
Cities" presented under the title of
1.-The Only Way" was well received.
The others failed. And "a Tale of Two
Cities" is the least like Dickens of any
of the master novelists works.
Plot Is New
Evidently Won Schoenthau realized
the hopelessness of placing the life story
of Little Dorrit upon the stage I'M
he hos DIV
an entirely new plot, presenting the
familiar characters in their proper sur
1oundings, retaining with excellent
fidelity the elusive Atmosphere OF
Marshalsea prison and later OF the fam
ily's social career in the world outside
those grim walls, but the incidents OF
the lay-many of them-are not to be
found in the book.
In such a case the dramatists sue
cess in depicting to the very life the
characters created by man of another
race is matter quite remarkable.
There have been of course liberties
taken even with the characters. Little
Dorrit herself remains unchanged
Fanny, Tip, Arthur Clennam, ChlVery
and the rest of them stand forth III
their proper persons, but the character
of William Dorrit has been softened.
He is made q selfish, old humbug but
lovable withal despite his faults.
There are inconsistencies in the play
that require explanation to make them
reconcilable. In the second act, for
Instance we are told that the enrich
ment of the Dorrits will necessarily en-
tail the impoverishment of Arthur
CIennam yet Clennam, in the third
act, does not appear to be hampered
by lack of funds. In the novel, or
course, he becomes an inmate OF the
Marshalsea and is assigned to that
h
had passed many happy hours before
her fathers release. But his financial
downfall is not SO occasioned. In the
novel, too, Amy and Arthur Clennam
are married in Marshalsea prison and
in poverty. In the play they become
hetrothed while the Dorrit fortune still
is intact and the prince promises to
stand up with them.
Is Not a Dramatization
These are wide departures, but as
said, the play does not assume TO pc
a decentralization. The wonder OF 1t is
that the dramatists have been aple
to take such great Liberties Wlthous
sacrificing the interest of men ana
women who know the story in its or
iginal form and love 1t. Personally,
believe there are few admirers Of
Dickens novel who win find anything
in the play of which to complain.
Little Dorrit is here, faithful, hard-
working, loving and exceedingly Iowa
HE her cheerfulness evidenced in
everything she does; her generation
for her pitifully weak father COM
Melting in its tender solicitude for his
every comfort. In the play she es-
capes the suffering that follows her IN
the novel, even during the family s
material prosperity. tn,
The first and second acts reveal win
marked fidelity to the book the lie OF
the Dorrits and of the "colleglans III
Marshalsea prison. Here, as L nave
said. much of the dialogue IS Dickens
own, The third act is different Widely
separated incidents, such as the Prunes
and prisms" speech of Amy Dorrll anu
the ball episode are brought INTO JuAe
taposition necessarily with mass OF
new material, foreshadowed, but only
slightly, in the plays earlier periods
And because the character OF Wllllam
Dorrit has been softened TO WIN the re-
card of playgoers, the old man is per-
nitted strong scene IN TINS act' uul
ing which he announces MS lntehtion
to return to the Marshalsea anu suc 20
its inmates Here note the skill OF tne
dramatists, for Dorrit's determination
is brought about through his craving
for mower. He knows that the man
who. in poverty, was the rather OF the
lIarshalsea" in affuence may become
IFS king, so even his libera1ty takes Oh
n cloak of selfishness quite IN keeping
with the character.
A Barnum Triumph
George Barnum, who has achieved
many triumphs on the Belascc stage,
never presented there finer character
deIineation than his Dorrit. The re-
ouIrements of the role already nave
heen indicated. Mr.. Barnum meets
Them with nice appreciation and con-
summate art In whatever difficulty
of circumstance he never permits VIII
liam Dorrit to display asperity; he
commands, in rags, with all the grace
Of monarch and his jealousy of his
nosition, his appreciation of his pre-
rogatiyes as father of the Marshalsea,
are indicated with admirable precision
ana without exaggeration. The first
two acts provide him with his best OPP
nort1nities In the last the character
becomes somewhat less effective, but
this is q fault with which the actor
has nothing to do. Mr.. Barnum's
achievement is the more remarkable
when the great length of the role is
remembered, together with the short
time permitted him for study.
Katharine Emmett is the Little Dor
iii. She makes the part very real
both in its physical aspects ana In her
v1e.I ftap