The San Francisco call., 1909-02-08
By Walter Anthony

Criticism before Martin V Merle's
drama of Rome during early Christian
days, The Light Eternal" is as futile,
IL seems to me, as before Barretts
play, The Sign of the Cross" The
appeal in both lies quite outside of
esthetic principles, or, indeed, outside
of artistic truths. The force lies in
beliefs which are traditional and in
racial condolences born in the blood and
which survive even the intellectual
negatives which some may harbor.
The Light Eternal tells the story of
Christian persecution. History has
established the truths Of its story gen =
orally if not specifically and the de-
scendants of those whose martyrdom
founded the races faith might easily
be imagined to be found in any audi
ence which listens to The Light Eter-
nal" The wisdom of any playwright
is established when he gives to his
play a realization, in flesh and blood
and painted scene, of the beliefs already
harbored, though uneXpressed, in the
minds of his audience. So last night
at the American theater. where THE
Light Eternal was staged, / was not
surprised when al the close of the third
act the house applauded loudly and the
gallery cheered and whistled at the
sensational fnish-the splitting Of the
statue of Jupiter to its foundation and
the upbearing of a flaming cross, re-
buking the Caesar who cursed the
Nazarene The episode was melo-
dramatic. 1t is true, and spectacular.
Some sensitive ones might resent its
theatricalism and the obviousness of
IL: but it went 1t was as in some
melodrama, when the hero enters just
as the villain is about TO complete the
murder of the infant or the abduction
of beautiful Nellie, the cloak model.
II was the theatrical, psychological
moment and it was thrilling. l felt
the shiver myself.
Perhaps there remains still too much
of the preaching which at the Santa
Clara college, for which the play was
written. was effective and right. There
We're colloquies which suggested the
catechism to one now a bit rusty, but
there was a pretty romance running
through the story of the life and death
of Marco Valerius, the young Christian
who for his faith suffered a fearful
death. though there was, perhaps, too
great insistence on the precise details
Of the bloody affair; but these points
merely the incidents of a powerful play
written when the author was a student
at college, trying mis- first wings across
the footlights. Many alterations, how
ever. have strengthened the play since
IL was last seen here.
Inc company at the American mum
bers enough good actors to carry its
/ scenes easily. Del S. Lawrence fits
easily irto the pictures. He has grace
a manly bearing and frank personality
which belong TO the heroics of his por-
trait. All T. Layne, who was Diocle-
tian. emperor of Rome was splendid
He wrought up a mighty climax in the
third act and carried his audience to a
point where the startling spectacle of
the split Jupiter and the flaming cross
were credible and normal episodes. His
picture was carefully painted. il
showed the student, as all pictures
whether moving on a stage or hung
stiff in frames. should.
Artemia. daughter OF Caesar, was an
other effective role, well played by Miss
Jane Kelton, who gowned the part with
elaborate care and who was graceful
and an effective elocutionist-withou
offense in that word. She looked the
part. MariUs. minstrel to Artemia, ex-
hibited pretty voice and told the story
of the history of the Nazarene to Arte-
mia with simple effectiveness betting
his subjec--
The play was We'll staged and there
was large audiehce to see it.