The Washington times., 1908-09-08
The Fighting Hope" Better
Than Miss Bates Pre-
viouS Vehicles.
Notable Audience Sees Clev-
er Star Score Another
Triumph.

~ striking uiSl performance bs
N Miss Blanche Bates and. lit
tie group OF competent Belasco
players. last night propitlously re-
opened the local playhouse named from
the manager indicated. The drama is
called "The Fighting Hope" Is the inl-
tial work produced from the pen OF
Williaa ]. Huribut, young American
and Is modern in every aspect. For its
first hearing there assembled at this
eXceIleHtly managed theater premiere
audience Uf characteristic size, bat OF
rather unusual culture, and 1t Is pleas
ant 10 note that this auditory followed
the play with an interest maniIestly
tense.
splendor like that of The Darling
Of the Gods. or rough-sawn pictuF-
esqueness like that of The Girl Of
the Golden West" have heretofore been
the Backgrounds against which Miss
Bates has displayed her abilities. The
transition to our own life of the cur
rent year, commercial in spirit and
drab N color. Is a bold undertaking
even f)r this actress. In the first Of
her larger successes she embodied the
spirit of one or the oldest and most
ornate civilizations: in the second. she
projected out Of the license Of tn min
ing camp a personality inherently ten
der and Womanly though reared IN a
DdI-tOOm ana nuTIuTed on profanity
Here there are no such high-lights. The
actress must be simply a stenographer
LnOuEu or 4 type Well above the aver
age, ? mother battling for her two
hLtle sons with a ferOcIty as old as
humanity, u wearer oS clothes in every
day patterns even II they are-and in
deed they are-simple, distinguished.
and beautiful
Miss Bates at Her Best.
The role OF Anna Granger requires OF
Miss Bates that she depict for the com
prehension Of an average mind a war in
her heart between three loyes-that for
her chlidreni that. of rather slender
root, for an unworthy husband: that
which grows imperceptibly and purely
for an employer ghom she has set
out 20 hunt down as the suppOsitionaI
source Of a blotch upon the name borne
by her little boys She has TO disclose
this tumult while she yet mainta ns the
outward calm OF q confidential clerk
She must reveal and give beauty 10
the new love which becomes so large
factor in her life. with her husband
and the father Of her tNo sons, walk
ing among tie trial men, in q prison
within sight from her typewriter FINAL
iy, she has the ordered task OF the
actress OF our generation not 10 inn
mOlate a personality which playgOers
have come to admire, while vet she
keeps f. coUsOna1t with the bearing and
conduct Of woman differently circum-
stanced.
It seems. on Tuesday, almost trite 20
say that Miss Bates achieved all this
last night. In all the years since her
! career opened itself before her-here in
Washington, ten seasons ago. IN Mr..
lZangwilps artistic but unpromising
Children Of the Ghetto'-she has never
done anything badly. But this IS. in
] the right sense, her largest opportunity.
An inferior actress might find conceal
ment in the trappings OF a Japanese
setting or the easily assumed bravadO
OF a mining scene: but TO give verify to
| a chain Of acts, based upon extreme
emotions, in a life cirCumscrlDed lie
our own. requires an artist.
Even last night, while Miss Bates
I plainly OVeractGd, II was a rare pleaSuI
! 10 watch the unfolding OF her role. No
woman now on our English stage can
more naturally or more beautifully simu-
| late the play OF emotions over heI
COuntenauce. Her reading was a nlie
I lesson iU delicacy of emphasis, In true
/ feeling. in the pure use of our tongue,
lighted and shaded by the senslDlltlss
| OF a gentle woman. All TINS Is tne
easier for her, no dClbt, IN that she Is
| bv the grace Of nature herself lovely
! personality. But those critics ' no nave
/ said OF her heretofore that the secret
! of her widening success lay IL her per-
sonal charm Will nave new respect .-IL LOT
| her art when once they see her IN The
| Fighting Hope
( A Performance Simple and Big.
The play is distinctly a study Of this
single character But It is not mono
Ilogue. Each of the other four members
/ Of the cast has worthy dramatic OppOr-
& al
/ cut. successful dominating, and (here, at
I last. IS surcease from the noise Of the
lmuck-rakeT) wholly honest business
man. John ". Cope, once rough and
ready as the sheriff IN Arizona but
iuOW CrusIy and laugh-provoklng as
confidential adviser; Howell HInsel, in
The role Of the steuographer's husband,
| as complete a picture of pOltrOOneTy as
was ever exhibited on stage and y2l
made SURPRISINGLY real; Loretta Wells,
las an old friend to the stenographer
and housekeeper to the employer
| These five with dialogue which IS
crjsn but not brittle, have now 10 over
come the invariable talhness OF new
NAV. 10 tone their acting out Of last
nights consistent Overempnasls5 per
| Ea3,s bere snd there-as in the interjec-
/ ffon OF the hOusekaeper III the last OF
the three acts-tO substitute suggestion
1 TOR a slaD in the face. But thls review
I yyouId la wholly untaltnfui II II perm L.
fa3 these lesser matters to cloud the
larger values of the performance.
Tne MAY is simple and pIg. IT'S hoid
! an its auditors. as vSempllhed l1st
night is unwavering- From the nfst IN
siaIt into AIRS GTdngcr'5 . hears 70 the
-srv last words of the dialogyie-W0n-
| 7erfuilv affecting words as 10 the Won-
ans little sons. spoken with Synpa-
| tbetfc understanding by Mr. klchmah-
/ fba int crest is eager and sustained.
/ The scenes wherein the younS Vile
+ drbts for her hope, by burning let
] fel. which uncoVers Eer husband S eui!t,
on tor herself respect by costing out
/ y love that has been weakly dragged
! fbr5ugh the muck, have the pow er
/ ,yEich sustains PLAYS lacking in the psN-
! Geological interest o. this composition
and IN their climax reach TO the height
/ of tragedy. The Lessons are wholesome,
/ ana though old as al lessons are old,
bsve vet application immediately today.
/ AyCst fnportant of all hoWaVeF-(tC an
! Ibor. producers. and patrons alike)-
/ .rhe Fighting Hope" makes lense OF
he human heart. and with that Sc
I lection OF detail which is the fOunda-
( ron Of aIl art casts upon the screen a
( clear image OF that influence which
has been the subject of dramatic com
/ position and defied analysis in all ages
/ the in6aite love. pure, ana many-Sided
II which good women are all capabie.
A. D. \.
Il GAYETY.