Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-04-16
HERoDiAN DRAMAS.
William Faversi,am Learns *Heroo
Was Hero Of Many Plays.

1
when William Favcrsham was IN
In ondon last summer he spent an III
tornoon at the British Museum library
/. nd there he discovered that Herod the
Great. whom he impersonates ~hen ne
rresents stephen Phillips play. mas
heen the subject of at least twenty
I've plays. Stephen Philips had m
/ formed the actor that Herod had been
IA favoritc subject with uranatiSts'
hut Mr. Faversham had no idea of the
number of plays of which he had been
mace the Zero.
A meager list OF Herodian plays Is
TO be found in the famous "BioGraph-
ia Grammatical" published in BIZ VI
the twenty-five discovered at the
British, museum but eight are men
toned in this book. OF the latter the
earliest bears the title Marian, the
Fair Queen Q: the Jewr?. TINS play.
like many oilers. takes its ute from
Herod's Queen Marianne. 1t was
from the pen OF Lacy Elizabeth Ca
rev. and was published in 1913, three
years before the death of Shakes
pears There is no record that it was
over acted. 1t was composed in the
Creei, manner. with chorus. Nine
years later. in 1922. there was acted
at the famous Red Bull theater a PLAY
named "Herod and Artipater with the
DEATH Of the Fair Marianne" 1t was
by Gervasc Fordase and William
sampson. and the story of the drama
was taken from Josephus's ".\ntigui-
ties of the Jews" In 1878. Gfty-onc
wears later, there was acted at the
Dukes theater play named "Herod
and Marianne" Before the close OF
the seventeenth century there vas one
more play from the same source 10
be presented on the London stage. 1t
was "HerCd the Great" by Lord Or
rery. AS ghosts were then in vogue
a brace CT these airy beings appear
to Marianne, and a "whole troup OF
thcEl" to Hcrod.
The eighteenth century was equally
prolific in Herodian dramas. The first
Of these was Elijah Fentons drama,
Marianne" acted at Lincoln'S Inn
Fields in 1923 This drama was also
taken from Josephus, and, it is said
by the chroniclcr, was acted with great
success This drama has Il curious
history When Fcnton showed the
play to the famous Cooley Cibbcr that
worthy informed the dramatist and
With insolcnce, we arc informed. that
he might "cngage himself in some
honest employment" Rejected by
Cihtcr. 1t was produced at the OPP
position house." when we arc told that
the brutal pctulancc Of Cibbcr was
confutcd hy general applause Fran
els Peck's play. "lIcrod the Great,
was published in lao. and in tho liz
brarv at Cambridge Their" is manu-
script play. "iIerod." by William Cod
bingham, dedicated to the poet Sack
vile. Another eighteenth century
plav was Noltairc'a famous drama.
"MHriamnc."
In our day Hcrod is found in but two
dramas. one by stephen Phillips ana
the other by AInelic ItivcS. In the
latter, Hcrod is depicted as n fcroclous
harbarian--a successful warrior and
cunning statesman. note of iicrcc-
ness runs through it all.
II was left for Stephen Phillips I"
,lerict Herod as q lover and as
reasonable man He had tn" benefit
OF historic research. which the an
clients could not have enjoyed. \ big
man was Uerod the Great-aS Mr..
Phillips portrays nina great soldier
and diplomat: but he was alier to
those over whom he ruled. In his
play there is a delicacy of feeling and
some regard to historic facts. All the
old plays we're extremely barbaric.
even terrible.