The Washington herald., 1909-01-10
Mrs Leslie Carter.

MS. ACo44I OdA III
II is great big theme that Mr.. John
Luther Long has handled IN the making
% the play "Kassa'' for the use Of Mrs.
Leslie Carter. The annoying delay in the
production which brought the birthday Of
the play on Thursday-the same day Of
the week. by a curious coincidence. which
saw the birth Of ~Du Barry ''Adrea
and ''Zaza--was due TO the massiveness
Of the production which Mrs Leslie Car
ter gave 70 the story. Il was plain 10 be
seen that there must have been an arts
tic war in Mrs. Carter's heart, battle
between the actress and the manager in
her. and that while she must have known
all the while that her ambitions
were too huge. she could not bear 10
sacrifice any portion Of her finely artistic
conception for business exigencies.
But beautiful as the production IS, big
and vital and moving as the play IS.
sacrifices must be made; for while au-
diences are patient and gOod-humored, It
IS too much 10 ask OF them that they
shall be required to spend the better por-
ton Of the night IN the tbeater. II viii
be hard, indeed, TO prune 'Kassa' into
practicable .angth and il must be more
or less ruthless proceeding, but Il can be
done and, possibly, 10 the betterment OF
the play.
II Mrs. Carter can only be brought 10
see it. it viii be. perhaps, the part Of wis
dom for her 10 send that beautiful sec
ond act Of "Kassa' 20 the storehouse as
T. rrfH frrr~
happens in the second act thai could not
Just as well be transferred 10 the nrst-
The first two acts as they stand now
merely serve 10 show who Kassa X;
that she j. the Prima OF s.. Lauka, that
she feels the call Of the outside world
and that moved by love Undergoes
strange marriage ceremony, after a Hun
garian custom. with the man who ;empts
her 10 come away. All this could be
compressed into the first act and with
the distinct gain 81 doing away with the
note OF frivolity and false gayety in the
second act. which. beautiful in itself, yet
has the effect Of lowering. in a measure,
the tone Of the play.
The third act is long. but il IS Won
drouslv poetic and ideal and something
should De- sacrificed elsewhere IN the play
so as 10 allow this third act 10 remain
untouched Mrs Carter does no better
acting-probably never has done any bet
ter-than in the scene with the little
child. Il IS SO real and beautifully true
a note that there IS nothing that so makes
for the success OF :he whole play as
this scene
T. is curious 10 note how this play Of
Mr.. Longs fits Mrs. Carter. No one VINO
sees il who has known Of her best work
in the past but must recognize how close
" certain scenes approximate others N
other piays. Her deserticn by Prince Bella
and her struggles 20 keep him-what Is
this but Zaza and her fight for her
lover all over again?
Mr. Longs play. too. Is deserving OF the
highest praise. Il IS tense. dramatic. vital,
and its lines are filed with high thoughts
and poetry. It IS true that he has gar
nered his material from many sources.
but II has all been fitted together with
the hand and heart OF true poet and
the result IS q drama ~ great beauty
and appeal
The production Of ''Kasss marks Mrs
Leslie Carriers return 10 the stage as an
actress-manager. It is plainly evident
from what source she has drawn her in
spiration- She has learned well the lesson
Of artistic thoroughness. and the attention
to detail in the wonderful production she
has given her play is hardly less re-
rnarkable than the gorgeous magnifcence
Of it. which has plainly taken little
thought OF the cost. so long as the idea
vas carried out The one mistake was
in overlooking the play, a mistake due
probably 10 too great anxiety for artistic
thoroughness. a mistake that her former
manager would have saved her from
But. az least. by this production Mrs
Leslie Carter has demonstrated the fact
that she has the power 10 walk alone
She has ventured largely and. II We mis-
take not. she has won as she deserved
70 do.