The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1910-11-04

want this big musical comedy, this
city and territory will see show
worth while. It will be a delightful
treat in the kind of an attraction that
Norfolk most likes.
"The Genius" is comedy by Will
liam and Cecil De Mile and with ten
tinkling musical numbers supplied by
Poul Rubens. The play Is staged by
William Post Dances were arranged
by Harry Pilcer. A great many things
have been accomplished in the build.
ing and presentation Of "The Gen
ius." Primarily, one is taken into
the thoughtlcss, cheerful, generous at
mospherc of that country of which
Prague is the capital; that country
where hearts beat true and hands
grasp irm-thc golden, infectious land
of Bohemia. The treatment of the
theme is magnetic, seeming to pre-
sent an old story in brighter, more
graceful cOlors, with that story al
ready firmly intrenched in the heart
of that great army where the watch
word is goodlellowship. Again, 1t is n
sharp, pointed satire on several things,
and principally on that class which
thinks in solitude of the earthly and
physical, and parades to the world the
spiritual, the ethereal and falsely tenn
peramental, when, if asked to tell just
what it all meant, they would, in plain
words, be cup against it."
As play, it is one of the brightest
and happiest natured offerings of the
1910 season. 1t is also one of the
most gracefully and symmetrcally
touched stage pictures where real hon
est living is the subject of the por-
trait and the colors of sweet, tender
sentiment are used in the drawing.
1t is not seriously drawn, never for
o moment heavy or problematic; there
is not note to jar or any angle to
mar the smoothness. But there are
lines that rub out the wrinkles for the
timebeing, situations that find laugh
giving way to happily steady inter.
est, and the simplest, truest little
touches of heart interest here and
there to make the blend as symmetri
cal as it is satisfactory. In word ii
is the sort of play that makes one
forget about time passing and feel a
sort of mingled surprise and regret
when, at the end, glance at the
watch reveals what the hour really
is 1t is the sort of play built TO put
people in a good humor and to con,
vince one that clean, wholesome pro.
duction can be just as popular as the
| other kind; a play that one is ready
to accept as real.
The story of the play is of a young
fellow-an every day sort of good
fellow-with big heart, a good-sized
bank account and little love for the ar
tistic, strictly construed. He thinks
he loves q girl whose only thought IN
| life is of genius and the temperament
| al. He conceives the happy idea OF
paying a little coterie of artists-a
| musician, painter and a sculptor
to let him pose as a genius, put his
name to all their works, and then
when he has become famous, as his
| position will make him, to let them
| reap the benefit. The plan succeeds
and too well, for not only does he be-
come famous, but he falls in love
with the beautiful model in the studio
and also wins the other girls love
when he least wants it. How he fin
| ally gets the girl of his heart is pref
| tilV told giving n conventional but
| happy ending to the play.