Daily Arizona silver belt., 1910-02-26

u mas been suggested Dy some cfltlcS that there is danger of elaboration in the modern system of mounting plays but so long as manager ap- breaches q great dramatic theme with
 the reverent regard for the author, a
 we'll balanced idea of the purpose of
 scenic decoration, he cannot go far
 wrong in availing himself of all the artistic and mechanical appliances of the day to enhance the truthfulness and
 reality of his work. MT. Sanford Dodge,
 who will appear at DreaQland on Thurs
 day evening, March 3, has not only the factulty of poetic appreciation of
 high dramatic themes, but he has a
 painstaking capacity for beginning at
 the beginning of things. It is several
 years now since he first played "The Gladiator" and his success has been
 beyond his greatest anticipation. He
 thought of it, talked of it, and the sea
 son before he produced it he made
 special trip to Rome and the surround ing country, that he might become thor
 oughly imbued with the atmosphere.
 There he travelled among the old ruins
 examining everything that he might find that would inspire him with the life and fire of those old days of suf- fering. While there he made designs for the scenery used in his present pro
 duction, his artists following his direc-
 tions absolutely. The life and costumes
 of the old Romans he studied, so that iii "The Gladiator' the American stage has a picture of Rome as it was almost
 two thousand years ago.
 As regards ''The Gladiator few
 words regarding the plots and counter
 plots upon which this play is founded
 may be of interest, but at best, such explanations can only convey vague and. unsatisfactory idea of all the won derful scenes and the beautiful story
 and the unexcelled dictiOn of the best
 of all plays "Nero, the Gladiator
 Early in the Christian era Faustina was the empress of Rome while the
 cameron was in the field with his armies fighting the Gauls and Goths. Faus-
 tina, as was common at that perlod, hao
 other lovers besides her husband.
 At the time that the incidents of the play transpired it was Flavius whom
 she favored, young Roman noble and an officer who is in Rome by the i'm | perial command of the empress. flaV- l ius however, meets young and beau
 tiful slave girl called Neodamia. With
 whom he falls desperately in love. me | empress hearing of this becomes ln- | sanelv jealous and resolves to have the slave girl killed. To this end she calls | in the services of the famous gladiator from Thrace. who goes by the name of | x,rhnSn famp has hppM Iauded from one pat ot the empire | to the other as the 'peefless anu | the "invulnerable.
 She promises Nero his freedom If he will kill this girl, and the gladiator con sents as bv earning his freedom he can return to Thrace and find his own daughter whom he has not seen for
 fifteen years. He meets the girl in garden intending to put her to death, | hut he finds her so young and so beau tiful. so innocent and trusting, that lie sends word to the empress that Ire pre-
 fers his bondage rather than kill the girl. Meanwhile preparations are being
 made by Flavius to wed the girl. The
 Pagan temple of Juno is prepared in
 all it's splendor. The incense is burn ing on the altars. The guests are as
 sembled and Flavius is leading his
 bride to the altar, where the nuptial
 knot is to be tied, when suddenly there is a halt in the proceedings. Neodamia
 refuses to approach the altar. She is
 asked to explain when she overthrows the burning incense and declares her self a christian. A follower of Christ
 the lowly Nazarene. This declaration
 means death and she is east into the
 dungeons with other Christian martyrs,
 there to await the day when she shall
 be given to the gladiators or thrown
 to the lions or tigers for the amusement
 of the noble Roman pOpulace.