The daily sentinel., 1908-03-20

Last night at the Park opera
house Wilton Lackaye, easily one of
the most brilliant actors that has
ever visited the city. was seen in
the role of Jason, the Icelander. in
the original dramatization of Hall
Gaines sad and tragic, yet powerful
and inspiring novel, "The Bond
man.. In this role Mr.. Lackaye
did remarkable work, and in an ideal
Interpretation of the character of this
almost wild man of the north, who
labored for years under such a ter
rifle burden of longing for vengeance
only to out of the fullness of a
mighty heart turn that spirit of re-
venge to undying love and un-
equalled sacrifice, the actor is seen
at his very best. Those who saw
him here last season in 'The PITT
liked him much better last night in
the role of Jason than they did in
the role of Curtis Jadwin 1t is a
difficult and remarkable character
that of Jason, the red. 1t is one of
the greatest characters of classic fic-
tion and Wilton Lackaye is worthy
of it.
In every one of the series of great
scenes that make up the drama Mr..
Lackaye was superb. He gives
brilliant delineation of the strong
and rugged, pathetic and heroic
character To those who have read
Gaines powerful novel and who saw
Lackaye last night the actors pres
entation of Jason must have come
up to every ideal of the character
formed by all who had read the
book.
In the dramatization of "The
Bondman" many changes are made
n n of =
ed novel. These changes are neces-
sary to encompass the principal por-
lions of the great story in 4-act
production. The plot is entirely
changed in several places by the dra-
matization, yet the changes do not
stem the great theme of the novel;
In the play are added several char
acters that are not in the book, add
ed for the purpose of giving a touch
of humor and merriment here and
there where it is missing. The TWO
little children, sweet and delightful,
and the merry old grandfather are
characters of the play not of the
novel itself.
The dramatist makes a change in
the ending of the story. Hall Caine
ends his novel with the execution of
Jason, who out of love for Greeba,
the wife of his half-brother, Michal
Sunlocks, and whose hate for Sun
locks had been changed to love, had
become bondman for Sunlocks, un-
der sentence of death, and as Sun
locks and Greeba sailed away from
Lonely island. met his death. The
play ends with Jason being saved
from death by the discovery of the
ex-governor general that Jason is the
son of the daughter he had disin-
herited 80 years before. This change
in the final climax of the story makes
the play all the more pleasing. There
are enough of the tragic and pathetic
scenes of the story given in the play
to warrant this change in the end.
Mr.. Lackaye is supported by a
magnificent company. Every mem
Der of the cast was strong. capable
and satisfactory. Miss Elsie Fergu-
son. who takes the part of Greeba,
is one of the sweetest and most fas-
cinating women ever seen on the To-
cal stage. If Lackaye was ideal as
Jason, Miss Ferguson was ideal as
Greeba. Her work was sublime in
its Interpretation. In the scene
where. half distracted by the impor-
tunities of her friends and relatives.
she gives herself to Jason when she
still loves Sunlocks who has been
away in foreign cline for years.