Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-06
ADJUSTMENTS
National.

With a cast Of but five characters,
Langdon Mccormick. whose three-act
| drama, THE Storm" was presented for
the first time to the public. at the Ma
tional Theater yesterday, has produced
| a play OF great strength and interest.
| even though there may be a divergence
of opinion as to its morals and climax.
1t deals with the elemental passion OF
humanity through two men, one repre-
senting the untutored man of nature and
the other the product OF civilization. with
simple girl of the far northwest whose
innocence has been so well guarded py
her father throughout her life that man
to her Is an unknown quantity, as the ar
bitter of the argument.
To one who followed closely the lines
and action of the play its contention
seemed to tend to the barbaric, notwith-
standing slight concession TO the con-
ventional in the climax, which did not
measure up to the standard OF the re-
mainder OF the play. The love which ele-
Yates and OF which the poets have sung
their sweetest melodies had no place In
the drama. A fierce contention for the
bodily possession OF an innocent girl, IN
| snowbound cabin in the far north. by
two men. both declaring their love Tor
her, the one using the articles and ar
guments Of the civilized man, the other
the brute force and persistence OF the
man who looked only TO instinct for the
perfectly revealed to hiu In the great
silence OF virgin country, yet both tend
Ing irresistibly to the same end. makes
the plot OF the story and the incentive for
every situation. While the play may be
said to belong to the class that includes
The Barrier THE Wolf and similar
productions. yet 1t is unique in its way
and OF impressive strength wfthal.
Murfel Starr as Mannette Packard, the
girl of the play. gave a splendid interpre-
tation OF the role, which throughout was
difficult and exacting. AS a character
portrayal her work will stand as a chef
d'oeuvre OF artistic excellence. Robert
T. Haines. as Burr winton, the primal
man. who was deaf to the arguments OF
civilization and knew only that he loved
the girl because he wanted her with an
unutterable longing that would not brook
resistance. was forceful. consistent and
effective in every demand. His interpre-
tation gained in strength by its quiet
methods even throughout the most in
tense situations. So. too, may be said
OF Conway Tearle's portrayal of David
Stewart. the man Of the east. who. with
all its traditions of the higher and better
life and love, fell a victim to the bar
barism of nature and developed 1.-THE
yellow streak" in his eagerness to pos
sess the girl Mannette. Passion uncon-
trolled and untempered was the keynote
of both roles, and II was presented in its
deepest Intensity with consummate skill
and effectiveness. Noah Berry, jr., gave
Indian. and Morris Burr was good in the
role OF Jacques Packard, father of Man
nette. although his dialect and his re-
vival from the dead faint resulting from
gunshot wound, will doubtless improve
with rehearsal.
The play is magnif1cently mounted. The
forest scene in the first act and the great
snow storm which closes the act, are
among the most impressive and realistic
scenes of their kind ever shown in a
play. The remaining two acts take
place in the log cabin Of Burr Winton.
The scenery was painted by Ernest Al
bert. and the scenery and mechanical
effects were built by Burney Mcdonald
The play is laid In the far northwest, on
the border line Of British Columbia. and
runs for about two and a half hours.
Marc klaw Of the firm OF Klaw &
Erlanger came to Washington to witness
the initial performances of the play and
with Langdon Mccormick. the author,
and Thomas w. Ryley, the producer,
was an interested spectator both at the
afternoon matinee and the evening per-
Torrance.