Omaha daily bee., 1909-11-21

- WIZ q 80 @AAeh So
H8llUAY this country tomorrow night at
BfH4db the Hackett theater in New
York. George Arliss is then to appear In
the title role Of "Septimus.' a play made
from the novel by william ]. Locke. The
play had its real premiere a few days ago
ia Montreal and was extremely successful
there.
Mr.. Arliss is well known to Omaha as
n member Of Mrs. Fiske's Manhattan com
pany and he is recognized the country
over as one Of the best actors on the stage
Today. He has long been playing charac-
ters whose manners were better than their
morals, and in "Septimus'' he is due for a
little moral regeneration Long ago he
was Cayley Drummle, when Mrs. Patrick
Campbell was playing Paula Tanqueray,
and since then he has a long line Of roues
TO his credit. Notable as his performance
as the master cynic of them all in Molnar's
Satanic play and In which Mr.. Arliss first
became a star, yet 1t Is doubtful IL he
did more finished work In The Devil'
than as the dissipated youth in Leah
Keschna," in which he was last seen in
this part Of the world. Mr.. Arliss is an
Englishman, one Of the many finished
actors who have come across the water
and gained fame and wealth here.
The play in which he is to appear will
be Of interest because, as those who have
read "]Septimus' are well aware, there
are not only some dramatic situations in
the book, but some quite unusual charac-
tiers, and, most unusual Of all, the title
role,
II is to be hoped that a better play has
been made from this novel than was done
from THE Morals Of Marcus Ordeyne,"
the play itself being called simply
'The Morals of Marcus The novel
was recognized by the discriminating
as ono Of the best in recent years,
though, perhaps, not quite up to the same
high mark as The Beloved Vagabond."
But the play in which Marie Doro starred
was a said affair. Whatever was least
worth while in the novel was retained and
the original left out. The saddest thing
was what was done to the character Of
Judith. In the book she was an original
woman, drawn with amazing skill; on the
stage, the most conventional type posi-
BILE, and the fact that 1t was poorly acted
did not help matters.
q one of Locke's early novels, Idols"
written in a more melodramatic vein than
his later works, but a story of astonish-
ing power nevertheless. has been recently
put on the stage-or at least a part of it
has. There was enough material in the
story for three or four plays.
Mr.. L~ocke-praise be!-shows no signs
Of writing himself out and his new story,
'Simon, the Jester" now running serially
in a magazine, gives promise in the open
ing chapters of being as remarkable a
creation as any he has achieved.
A player not long ago in Omaha, and
rather more intelligent and better educated
than most Of his brethren, remarked to a
friend:
II prefer to associate when off the
stage with other people than actors,
because as a rule one cannot learn any
thing from actors. Too many of us, for
Instance, never read anything in a news
paper except the dramatic reviews, and
with this result only; If the reviewer says
they are bad, they don't believe him; and
If he says they are good, it is something
they fully realized before
The remark is quoted not to slur players,
but to illustrate a condition which obtains
not exclusively among actors, assuming for
arguments sake that It does exist with
them,
Your theater manager is occasionally
akin. If a current attraction is praised he
thinks rather well of the review which
says so, and he is never then heard to talk
of "one mans" opinion. When the contrary
is the case the manager is more likely to
be heard urging play-goers to max up
their own mind"
The condition is not an extraordinary
one and always will exist. Were Charles
Lamb, Hazlltt, Leasing or Saint Beuve to
return to earth and their new readers were
to know how authoritatively they spoke
and wrote, those who did not agree with
thom In a particular judgment would be
likely to say that it was Leasing or Sainte
Beuve or Hazliett who was wrong.
For with all OF us there is an element
Of pride and vanity involved. We like this
or that, and we say so. Comes someone
else and asserts, You are wrong, So and
S0 is a very poor actor" or Such and
Sue. is a faulty play and though he ad-
duce reason after reason and pile dramatic
Pelion upon theatric Ossa, we are tena-
cious Of our own view and loath to admit
We are wrong.
II one can in turn give reasons for his
own judgment his attitude is, Of course
more Justifiable, but the usual recourse Is
to the statement, II do not know much
about plays, but l know what I like"
This is, OF course, to be delivered EN-,
phatically, with an air OF finallty and
sometimes il ends the debate.
The opponent has the privilege, neverthe-
less, Of pointing out that one who did no,
know what he liked or disliked would be
I'm a very bad way, a candidate for treat
ment by the alienist. Since the knowlng
what one likes is a universal state OF minI
among the mentally normal, Il Is not a
particularly cogent and conclusive arEu,
mont as TO the merits Of a given play oi
player.
What the statement sometimes means q
this; II enjoyed It and ] do not want any
one to tell me that 1 enjoyed somethiuS
which ought not to be enjoyed. You re,
fleet Oh my ability to judge things anC
sting my pride"
.
In the vaudeville world there Is as mucl
f~rultless gossip about changes and combi
nations as there is in the dull winter tim,
OF trades OF and changes among the bal
players. Mr.. Beck is to invade the east
He Is not, He is TO form an alliance viii
William Norris. He will do no such thing
Percy Williams and the Keiths are L
make a foray upon Chicago and have I
theatsr there. They will not leave tn,
east. For every rumor there IS a promp
denial and so far as actual news Is con
cerned the mountains are again I'm travail
and a mouse is once more born.
What has happened. and which seems L
have been the occasion OF all the talk, 1
that Martin Beck had an interest in a new
ehaatarf which will Ia aractad IN Nav Knrl