The Washington herald., 1908-08-23


This week are bUzzlng with excitement
over the coup which Harrison Grey Fiske.
the independent manager. PLAYED on Col.
: Henry W. Savage. OF Merry Widow"
ard English grand opera fame. Savage
has been announcing fo- month past
production Of tie Hungarian play. The
Devil" by Ferenc NoIaar. a newspaper
man OF Budapest which IS credited with
q sensational hit abroad. having been
performed successfully IL Vienna. Milan.
and Berlin, and being slated for early
production in LONDON and Paris TINS
play was 70 be the opening attraction At
the Garden Theater, and the part OF the
Devil q part not literally representing the
Prince Of Evil, but only his counterpart
n modern Hfe-for the play is modern
was 70 Be played by Edwin - Stevens
Rehearsals started this week.
On Monday morning Harrison Grey
F5ske startled The Rialto with the an
nouncement that he would present The
Devil AT the Belasco Theater on Tues
CAV night for an indefinite run. with
George Arliss IN he title role. That vas
the a-st iatirratloa 1hat there was az
other Richmond fl the field as no one
had even so much as an idea that George
short tine aga. IL vas stated tha- yhis
Rctor. after completing ilis season with
Mrs FIsse. had gone 70 London and was
preparing TO appear there IN = play whose
authorship IS the result OF a coLabora-
ton between him and Prof. B-a1der Mat
theWs-
7 now appears that tie WHY Mr.. Fislle
secretly -e-imported Arliss under an as
sumed name some tine ago. and that the
play has been IT rehearsal all os a
month in a small suburban town. the Ut
most care being taken that nothing should
leak out regarding the plan 70 anticipate
Col Savage in his cherished hope Of be
ing the frst % offer ths production in
America
The second chapter in the grand coup
developed On Tuesday morning. when The
papers announced IN flaming Iype il the
regular advertising columns that Col
Savage would counter the Fiske move BY
presenting his version OF The Devl"
Tuesday night az The Garden
The colonel had been yachting when
FIsze stole the march on him but he
was at his desk in Forty-thi-d street
before noon. on Monday. and thence on
the wires were kept hot with messages
EUmuOniIg acIOrs- Fortunately for him.
the play had been tried cut in stock at
Providence some time ago under the
title Of The Cloven HoOf-~ Before night
The essential members OF the cast had
been assembled and reEea-sals began az
once Al Of Monday night and all Of
Tuesday, almost Up 10 the hour Of the
initial performance the actors were kept
at their task. and at the regular hour set
for the performance the curtain rose on
The Devil al the Garden and at the
Belasco. both houses being sold out long
before night
The situation marks one OF the most
Interesting contests in recent theatrical
history. Col Savage IS bitterly denun-
clatory OF his rival and roth are able
70 make an excellent showing Of having
the only right 70 the play One OF the
other IS likely 20 make a great deal OF
money OF the transaction
Fiske justifes his course by the state
ment that he owns the authors rights FOR
this country which were secured by him
through The original translator and points
70 the fact that he included The Devil
i1 his alnounceueuts last spring. Ions
ahead OF Col Savage's schedule Savage
claims 10 have secured his rights from
the publishers
Considering the extraordinary haste
with which tae play was put or at the
Garden the performance was rather cred
Stable. and the large audience went away
fairly satisfied At the Belasco a finished
production CT the play was made with q
fine cast. in which Hamilton Reveue
played the young artist. Sander. and
Grace EIliston the role OF J0Ian. the two
principals independent OF the devil. whose
tate IS involved il the plot These parts
were played in TIE Garden production by
Paul McALister and Dorothy Dorr
Whether the play viii justify all the fuss
that IS being made over It remains TO ,be
seen. L is q strong play. g remarkabIe
play. a play far out Of the ordinary
Sander and Jolan have secretly cher
ished an affection fO- each other for six
years Jolan IS now married. and has
scrupulously avoided Sander in all that
time But her husband. a rich man, lii
tie given % romance. insists that sne
shall have her portrait painted BY San
dor. and escorts her 10 MS studio. Not
knowing their Eecuet regard for each
other. Re leaves them aIo7s-
To give her an opportunity 90 make =
change n her dress Sander leaves nc
studio ard locks the Gcsr she ta!-ss ors
her bodl-e and IS about % place Il Oh a
chair when suddenly tcere stands before
her strange little raaa CT QuizzicaI as
pecI a2d sArewd facs. wao has appar-
eat.y jumped OFT Of the 1oor-
Sle gives @ scream and Sac6o- enters.
Re no sooner claps his eyes on The ms
terious stranger. who extends his hand
II friendly greeting. than he recognizes
ni-l as a man who succored him with
means at a gaming resort From that
moment tie stranger, who gives his name
IS Dr. Nicholas. attaches himself 10 the
two and never leaves them until he has
sent them on the primrose path OF dal-
ilance.
Sander for her gives Up the love Of
pretty Wilma and turns q deaE ear &c
Fanny. his model, who loves him with q
. Cog-like devotion And all this IS brought
about b The Devil
There Is no tragedy n il. On the con-
Irary. much mer-iment. for this Devil Is
most agreeable fellow, however sinister
his designs. and he philosophers. ser.
monies, and cispelses cynical hUmor as
only Mephistopheles has done before him
IN truth, Molnar has simply taker
Goethe's hero and put him in a new suit
OF clothes. He does not wear a rapiel
and does not ride through the air OF
fiery horses In fact. the last act Of this
fantastic Devil IS 20 consult his watch
grip in hand. and dash OF 70 catch the
o'clock train For his WORK here IS done
Sander and John have just left the room
with each others arms intertwined. Thest
latter two are Faust and Marguerite II
modern Surroundings
II IS the wonderfully brilliant play o.
wlt. the extraordinary personality OF tht