Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-07

II proved a cynically smart play
with little action and with a naughti-
ness somewhat less assertive than we
had been led to expect. Its plot is OF
remarkable simplicity. When the
devil first appears upon the scene he
finds Anna Meyer, wife of banker,
in the studio of Paul Muller, who has
been commissioned to paint her por-
trait. The woman has removed her
bodice and is draping her shoulders
preparatory to taking UP pose when
the devil observes her. Muller Is out
of the room, but returns soon after to
find the woman he had loved years
ago and had never forgotten in con-
versation with a stranger Then the
devil sets to work to contrfve lia1son
between these two. Seemingly it is
not difficult task, for the man and
woman drift straight onward, their
course untroubled by cross currents,
to the appointed harbor.
This of course makes for SingleneSS
of plot and purpose. Likewise it pre-
cludes the possibility of action, for
action predicates physical conflict of
some sort or another, and here there
is none. We are told that two other
women love Paul Muller. At Intervals
both of them appear and confess their
passion, but they have small place In
play, SO SIldlls III ldCI, ludl lAE
dramas close leaves both of them with
their stories unfinished. Nor do sus-
pect last nights audience of any great
curiosity regarding the matter.
A Cynical Devil
"The Devil" incarnated in the person
of DR.. Schmidt, is an omniscient being
in evening clothes. chap of cynical
wit, lively ingenuity, correct manners
and suave address. His is a repellent
but commanding personality Women
do as he bids them, but know not why
Men meet his desires in ignorance of
their yielding. He can see through a
solid oak door as readily as he can see
human nature; and he is for
ever playing tricks, some of them rather
cheap tricks, by the way, as witness
that hot coin given as a tip to Fink,
the servant.
There have been, naturally perhaps,
between this play and
1.-THE Servant in the House." yet the
two are wholly dissimilar in purpose of
characterization, method
and quality. In THE Servant in the
we saw Christ, in humble guise
working good among men. In "The
Devil' we behold his Satanic majesty
evil. The one play is dig
nified, uplifting, helpful; the other,
merly smart. The antithesis of the
two characters extends even to a COM
mon attribute. When Manson, in 1.-THE
Servant in the House" rebukes Rogers
for eating that jam, though he has not
seen the offense, the incident is impress
sive. When DR.. Schmidt exhibits SINH
lar powers of observation the audience
laughs. Manson, at the opening of
the play, remains for several minutes
with his back to the audience. When
he turns there is a reverent silence.
DIR. Schmidt, at the plays opening, is
concealed from view in a great easy
chair. His sudden appearance has
the effect of a jack-in-the-
box.
Play Is Vastly Clever
Thus 1.-THE Devil" is by no means
a great play. 1t is, however, a vastly
clever play; a play that will amuse
you by the glitter of its sophistries, the
shine of its cynicisms. 1t is essentially
of the ephemeridae, but doubtless will
prove strong enough to run at least a
fortnight at the Burbank, where the
advance sale for the remaining per-
formances of the week already is sur
prisingly large.
There are three roles Of Importance
in this play, and only three. They We're
played last night by A. Byron Beasley,
DR.. Schmidt; William Desmond. the ar
tist; and Blanche Hail. the wife.
Naturally there will be differences of
opinion regarding Mr.. Beasley's inter-
probation of the devil. In makeup and
department l regard his achievement
as noteworthy. He has a trick Of car
rying his hands waist high and half
taloned that is tremendously effective
without being theatric, though 1t may
sound so in the description. Then his
very walk, quiet, stealthy gliding
from place to place, seems to add to
the eerie quality of the character. The
arched and heavily lined eyebrows. the
leering grin are other surface attri-
butes of the counterfeit. The red-lined
cape, however, rather detracts from
the general effect.
In his readings Mr.. Beasley is most
happy. He plays the role in comedy
vein. but he does not burlesque it, The
brilliant speeches which fall to the
DEVILS share are read so that nothing
Of their effect is lost. His devil is
cynically good natured, masterfully
but of small malignity.
Even in his final victory he does not
gloat. His attitude is one of quiet
rather than of triumph.
Desmond's Good Work
Mr.. Desmond handles the role of the
artist quietly and convincingly, per-
haps because it is just the sort of
part you might suspect him of doing
badly, He has done no better acting in
many, many months. Miss Hall, too,
plays the wife with a deftness of touch
that makes the character very real. In