Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-08
A N U S E M e Mt S .
New National.

The audience at the New National The
alter last night enthusiastically testified
to the loyal esteem in which Mrs. Leslie
Carriers abilities as an emotional actress
are held. The frequent poStponements
of the opening of her new play kassa
could be understood when the massive
magnihcence of the scenery was unfold
ed act by act. The first scene. con-
vent exterior with terraced garden of
peoples and lilies. went so far beyond
/ ordinary limitations of stage display
that it ranks as work of architectural
beauty rather than as mere theatric
fiction. The eye is constantly delighted.
not only by splendid scenes. but by beau
tiful costumes
Mr.. John Luther Long has displayed the
students affection for minute circum-
stance IN portraylng the customs OF people
whose remoteness of life holds them
strongly to tradition His story is dar-
ing, discussion of the escape of a nun from
convent and the terrific penalty she in
VokeS for the childish truancy of a sum
mer day. The title role as the play now
stands reflects the plots lack of distinct
| ana consistent purpose. kasSa reveals
the moods of a Rosalind. a Juliet. Beat
| rice. Lady Macbeth and Ophela.
which is rather an extensive variety for a
single performance 1t is not surprising
If the story sometimes fails to keep pace
with so rapid succession of heroines
embodied though they be in the personal
ity of so accomplished player as Mrs
Carter
1t is in the scenes Of sincere emotion
that Mrs. Carter rises to her most i'm
pressive moments. The artIess hippancies
of innocent girlhood frequently en-
phaSlzed-but the greatest worth of the
performance is manifested when the dis
carded wife and the desperate mother
assert themselves At the close of the third
act Mrs Carter brought her audience to
r pitch Of enthusiastic approval the
more remarkable and triumphant because
of the lack of consistent incident and con-
else expression. as d foundation for the
5000. Mere physical measurement dem
onStrateS that the performance as placed
on view last night is deficient in COM
pactneSs. 4 play whose story is only
about three fiftIls told at midnight can
rot be regarded fully adjusted to the
requirements of the average audience. The
impression of cumbersome slowness in
narrative Is largely due to the second
act. whose scenic beauty. though great,
by no means ccmpensates for its super
abundance IF explanatory detail.
The role of Prince Bella, the reckless
libertine. is in the hands of Mr. Frank
Nilvard, a manifestly competent actor
Hho. through a certain conflict of motives
in the development 'of his character? is
forced to occupy the scene at times almost
with the air Of a diStntereSted observer
engaged with his own inward doubts as
to whether he ought to maintain the al
titude of the Indifferent and soulless mon
ster he has declared himself or fall in.p
the rage of jealous husband and suspi
cious parent. His disclosure of ficti-
tious. or rather incomplete. marriage LAYS
the foundation for truly great artistic
and emotional demonSt ia ton by Mrs. Car
ter. but the mans character, owing to II
lack of consistent motive, has but scant
share In it. Mr.. Robert Cummings has
the part of the man whose vow OF ven
geance on kassa's betrayer is the means
of bringing out the touching portrayal of
loyal devotion to an unworthy object. This
idea of WomanS love unconquered by
scorn and humiliation leads to an intense
and legitimate climax in the fourth act
The colossal dramatic possibilities of
'kassa.' once realized. will be we'll
worth the careful and deliberate process
of development of which last nights per-
Torrance was an interesting and not in
suspicious step.