Los Angeles herald., 1908-11-08
Clayton Hamilton S Critical
Review of Season S Plays
BY CLAYTON HAMILTON, IN the FORUM


ayes delicate comedy entitled Mater"
In this piece the narrative poet dis
closed in Jeanne D'Arc" and the lyric
poet revealed in "Sappho and Phaon"
has made q long stride forward toward
consideration ais q dramatist. He has
discarded the trappings and the suits
of panoramic poetry; he has grown to
appreciate emotion for its dramatic as
well as for its lyric value; he has APP
preached within discerning distance OF
the actual; he has set his scene on MS
own soil and In his own century; ana
although he has written for the most
part in literary prose, he has ascenoeo
on occasion to that clear reality OF
speech which is, for the purposes OF
the stage, not only simpler but
nobler form of utterance than elther
prose or verse.
Mr.. Mackaye's characters frequently
speak the sort of prose that Lowell
wrote in that mood. when he was un-
able to rid himself of cleverness. They
quote poetry and mention books, IKE a
recent graduate as yet uncured Of Har-
ward. Much Of his wit Is merely intel
lectual, toying with words, a tickling
of the BRAIN not a STUNNING or the
heartstrings. Mater borrows the Queen
Nab speech of Mercutio and drags IN
references to Erasmus, La Fontaine
possibly the fabulist) it is likely that
she had read, often the author forgets
that Michael isn't Hamlet, and makes
him speak the latter's lines$ Mater, IN
a certain speech, couples 1.-The magma
ton of MoIiere and the f1nesse of Ra-
chez: and the fact that she is evil
IDENTIFY unaware that Rachel was not a
comic but a tragic actress indicates
that she might better have left such
illusions alone.
In his inability to restrain his own
literary fancy, to prevent himself from
Juggling with mere words, Mr.. Mack
aye demonstrated that he has not yet
learned to aim level and to shoot
straight at the mark. Every now and
then his hand huttered upward and he
hit above the bulPs-eye. For this rea-
son, and apparently for this alone, his
really fine play proved caviare to the
general.
A Gentleman from Mississippi
1t is not difficult to understand why
"a Gentleman from Mississippi" should
appeal to a much larger public than
that which found it's place at the per
Torrance of Mater" 1t Is aimed less
at witty, trained intelligence, and
more at humorous and genial human
sympathy. This thoroughly enjoyable
comedy was written by Harrison
Rhodes, with the assistance Of that
ingratiating actor, Thomas A. WISE
who plays the leading part. Its theme
IS the friendship of a young man ana
a man of middle age-a friendship
which makes it possible for them to &C
complish together a noble work which
neither is equipped to do alone. the
elder man, William H. Langdon, Is
newly elected senator from Mississippi
He Is a man of large heart and ready
sympathy. He is incorruptiply noIle 20
but as yet he has had no experience OF
politics; and he has been sent TO
Washington by the party boss of his
state because the grating pontlclans
believe that they can make a ready
tool of his inexperience. The younger
man, Bud Haines, is the Washington
CORRESPONDENT of New York newspa-
per. He knows all the ms and outs OF
the political game. The two men IKE
each other at first sight; and the SEN
ator engages Haines to be his private
eecretary They share the same ideals;
each desires to put down corruption
Together they appear impregnable; Tor
Haines has the experience and the
knowledge of the game that Danguoh
lacks, and Langdon has the positlon
and authority without which flames
can accomplish nothing. United they
stand: but divided they would fall.
Therefore their corrupt opponents con-
triye, at the climax of the story, TO
convince each of them that the other is
dishonest There follows an estrange-
ment Which is Senulneiy tVuS'S
the heart Thereafter, of course, the
breach is healed by understanding the
two friends come together once again,
and conquer in their struggle for the
right a.
This manly and estimable story Is
well piotted; the play is alive with
movement and with action, ana exnlp-
its MANY true and clever bits of charac-
4erizatfon. Many local details or lire
in washington are amusingly suggest
ed The play is simply, truthfuily ana
humorously written; It is, at every
for itself a mark neither low nor very
high: but It aims directly at 1t and
hits it with a ring.
Belasco Seems InfalIibIe
In the strange old Stuart days there
used to be a maxim that the king could
do no wrong; but after certain mon
arch lost his head the maxim lost lts
meaning. This antiquated superstition
has, however, been revived In the case
of David Belasco. Judging from the
reviews of his productions which ap-
pear in nearly all the newspapers, one
would infer that Mr.. Belasco is infail1-
BILE. He has only to lift his curtain;
and all the irresponsible reviewers
crook the pregnant hinges OF the Knee
THE reason is not far to seek 1t hap
mems that the public at large sympa-
thizes with Mr.. Belasco in his single
handed fight against the syndicate,
and wants him to succeed. Now the
newspapers-those purveyors of public
opinion, or (as o. Henry would express
it0 those straws which show which
Wav the hot air blows-are therefore,
eager to hail his every effort with fan
faronnades of praise This, however
Is exceedingly unfair to Mr.. Belasco
Whv should he alone among producing
ayers be denied the need of honest
criticism? Surely, by his manifest abll-
ity. his indomitable daring, ne mas
earned the right to be considered seri7
ously. s,a.,o,,
which has ben hailed Historically as q
masterniece, Is admirably acted and
perfectly produced; but 1t is a very pad
NAV tt is a melodrama called me
Tiphtinr Hope" and Is the first ofrer-
inc Of Young author named William
Hurlbut. Mr.. Hurlbut exhibits
vivid sense of theatrical SITUATIONS, anu
a. certain ability at building; put ne
has no sense of character, ana the
emotions he depicts are entirely untIue
to life. The young author eVldently
thinks that writing melodrama is as
easv as living; but in this he Is ms
taken. Melodrama which deals with
violent emotions evoked by strange ana
stirring situations depends for 1ts Ell
feet even more than tragedy or COM
edy, upon a certain momentary plausl-
bility of incident. You may enjoy sne
Stoons TO Conquer" without believing
~ ,nnccfhlU have