The Washington herald., 1910-02-08
THE BELASC0.


Theater by Nine. Nazimova of Brandon
Tynan's play. The Passion Flower was
the very evident fact that the actress is
furnished with a made-to-order role,
which gives opportunity for the display
Of every mood Of her many-sided art.
The play itself is entirely subservient
10 the leading role. Without NazimOva,
the play could not hope for classification
other than conventional mediocrity; but
this wonderful woman injects into II the
very breath of life and renders it inter
esting, and indeed at times makes II
pulsate with big. gripping moments
The authorship OF the play is enjoyed by
Mr.. lyman, who for three years has
been NaZimova's leading man. and this
fully accounts for the fitness OF her role.
or at least for the fact that she is put
through all Of her splendid PAGES within
the action of one drama.
Possibly a season or two of Ibsen has
had its effect on the author Certainly
one would not accuse him of not having
had Nora in mind I'm constructing the
part of Vivien Rodman for Nazimova-
at least so far as the first act is con-
cerned. Vivien is the same pouting, care
Free adorable chfld-wife in The Passion
Flower" with the same fondness for ex-
travagances and qualification of vanity.
only in this play all these things are mag
niled. Nora was for macaroons; Vivien
is for balls costing thousands OF dollars.
Perhaps this is how Ibsen would have
written had he endeavored TO picture
l.
the New York type. Mr.. lyman has at
tempted to Ibsenize the American idea of
extravaganza and the headlong struggle
for supremacy at any cost, but he has
failed. except in the instance Of the re-
markable Nazimova role. TO lend color
of naturalness to his characters, which
for the most part tend toward staginess
and seem created for purely perfunctory
purposes.
John Rodman. president Of the Peoples
Bank, has dreamed a dream of Utopia,
and seeks 10 help the poor by becoming
their banker but as the play opens ne is
threatened with a financial crash, due TO
a panic in which other banking institu-
tons are involved. A business enemy, one
Jordan. seems to have It in for Rodman,
and the money powers are crushing him
10 the wall, on the one hand, and the
poor depositors are clamoring for their
money, on the other. There is a run on
the bank, and Rodman is breasting the
storm as best he can
In the home Vivien is planning the most
reckless extravagances. To show that
their credit is good, she plans great
bali, and Is needless of her husbands
warning that this display will work on
the minds Of those who are causing the
run on the bank. Then, too. in her i'm
pulsive way. Vivien-one almost says
Nora, SO similar is the situauon-has
given her note for the purchase Of a seat
on the stock exchange for a young pro-
tege Of hers in whom her interest IS
purely motherly.
The meeting Of this note vaguely per-
plexes her, and Blackmar, the district
attorney. whose interest in Vivien is not
SO purely platonic as young Appleton's
cOntrives 10 get the note into the hands
of Jordan. the husbands enemy Black
mars price is. Of course. Vivien's love
In the midst of the grand fete. the
crash comes. and the depositors threaten
to mob ROdmans house, but this is
averted, and Vivien makes two discOv
cries. one that her young friend Appleton
has transferred his adolescent affection.
10 the more material charms OF a buxon
widow, and that Blackmar, not 10 bell,
his name is bent on blackmail, To keel
the knowledge of the note for the stool
exchange seat from her husband il
Vivien's anxiety. The fear that he vii
suspect a liaison which does not exist anC
make scandal possesses her. The matter
IS cleared up at the end, however. anC
ends satisfactorily for the characters. bu
not altogether so for the audience, fO
some Of the characters are allowed L
slip away without explanation, and some
fragments OF plot remain TO be unraveled
One might point out many instance.
where the authors motive is not cleal
or where matter IS introduced to furnish
certain effects and disposed of illogicaIly
or not at all. but it Is sufficient to say
that the play. as a whole. is not techni
cally good. 1t seems a mixture Of hall
a dozen other plays. and possesses M
element Of originality except those fur
nished by the lines. In many cases thes,
are witty and clever though they havt
little or no bearing on the main story
On the other hand, in spite Of its cru
dities Of workmanship, the play canno
fail to interest, because in the principa
role there is a picture Of a soul at work.
a gradual transformation from lightnes.
and careless happiness to the depths O.
doubt. despair, and terror. These era
datious are accomplished by Nazimovi
IL Ill Ff1E.a L
She can change from grave to gay. from
laughter to tears in the shortest possibl,
fraction of time. She can be klttenish OF
majestic; roguish o. tragic The moods
are ever-changing, and to watch her i
a rare delight. In all her moods she f
deliciously feminine, and this probably
embodies the principal charm Of III,
emotional actress.
Mr. lyman plays the leading male role
and does it In the same way that he doe
all his parts; that is TO say. he overdoe
it. It is strange that so long an associa
ton with an artist like Nazimova sbouI,
not have taught this actor repression
one feels that he Is earnest and a stu
dent, that he strives to be effective an,
just fails to reach the mark Il is tru
that he has been confined 10 roles Fl
which he must perpetually convey III
impression Of mental anguish. but tbi
does not excuse the tendency TO stilte
delivery and the abuse Of mannerisms
The company includes Henry Kol
ker, as q villain who rolled his eve
and his rs: Mr.. Sidney Bracy. as Harr
Appleton; Miss Zeffie Tilbury, as Mrs
ChattertOn. Miss Grace Reals as NJ,
Katherine Stockton, and Miss Grace 9Th
bons. as Mrs. TelfOrd Cotton Some n
these as society folk furnished a con