Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-01
ADJUSTMENTS
New National.

The production Of a play by David Ec-
| laScu in Washington has peculiar local
interest. So much IF the eminent pro-
luccr's career has been identified with
| tho Capital city THAT its playgo"rs have
| learned 10 feel q sympathetic confidence
in all that he undertakes and to extend
him u welcome as "a favorite son as Well
as q national celebrity SO thoroughly
are the chances Of failure through made
qiate presentation eliminated that the
public has learned to accept Belasco
opening on some night Of the Week later
than Monday not as p"stponement.
bat as a guarantee Of thorough crafts
ITanship.
This Bclasco nlay-and il is Eelascn
PLAY. even though its author j Mr. I'd
ward l.ocke-is a departure from the or
binary not only in its topic. hut in its en-
treme simplicity of story The case Of
Becky is devoid Of startling complica-
tions Of plot and even goes 80 far as to
rccite in its own text The story of pr.
Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde "a an antecedcnt
ami similar case.
The principal love element is parental
lu,t. and Il" iirSt act INTRODUCES no in>S-
FERROUS crime Ia maintain suspense and
f"rtify interest in II" character analysis.
THE driti Of popular thought toward
metaphysical speculation Is keenty rec
ogniZcd III tits strange and interesting
III u ma III winch pure anu fbltS StHiiH'iit
i blended with "a biological mystery The
auditor is invited t. study the caS" OF
Becky aS II II. N"r" Il layman present
at the experiments OF q scientist. and tn"
interest in the individual deStnies they
affect becomes less than the interest in
the Investigation Of those things IN
heaven and earth more than are drcamt
Of in mans philosophy The struggle tor
the release OF young girl from the
malignant Spell of a professional hypno-
~ IL carried an hv her father whose
knowledge enables him TO use the same
subtle and inSidious forces AGAINST the
criminal who has unscrupulously abused
his natural gifts. 1t is theme OF faSci-
mating interest and & is presented force
fully as a plain, unvarnished tale. 1t IS
demonstration rather than drama.
The title role gives Miss Frances
starr tho greatest opportunity mat her
already remarkable career has devcl-
oped. Throughout her representation
there is not an artificial or strained
suggestion. She Is gently and Sweetly
human Dorothy. and she does not
eNagSerate the perverS ties of Becky
10 degree that suggests criminal in
stnct The temptations TO overdo are
so completely avoided that they do not
seem 10 exist. and the representation
becomes astonishingly impressive be
cause il Is 80 unaffectedly real Nc
ccpting hypnotism and prenatal 1nftu-
ence as scientific truths-and they are
pretty generally so accepted--the play
becomes log cal and plausible pres
entation of incidents which at hrst &C
pudintance affront credulltN and which
in spite of scholarly research defy hui
man understanding. The sincerity of
Miss starr gives the central role dom
inant personal power 1t is a revela-
tion of delicate but tremendous subtle
ties whose effect is the more compel
ing because there is no obtruSlOn of
art mechanism.
Mr. Locke in the two roles of DR.. En-
orSun and Prof. Balzamo. played by Al
bert BIuning and Charles Dalton. has
drawn "A most effective and ADM able
distinction between the pure scientist and
the meddlesome empirlc. Mr.. Brunlng
makes his character a plain man OF hlgA
morals and intellect. competent to control
his emotions instead of revealing them.
Mr. Datons Balzamo is in vial contrast.
lie is the ruthless mercenary of science.
vigorous Of physique. masterful Of man
ner. with veneer OF culture through
which the famboyant egotism of the
charlatan is constantly glimpSed. He is
the more despicabie a charlatan because
the powers whose uses he has dcoaSed
are genuine.
The irresistible inclination to dis
cuSS the figures in the play as people
and not as stage characters is an evil
dence Of the extraordinary realism
which animates the performance. The
one comedy scene is placed in the
ha nds of Miss Mary Iawton. who real
ICES all its quaint possibilities without
for AN instant carrying il beyond the
bounds Of artistic discretion. Harry
q. Brown and Robert Dempster round
out the east competently.
crudeiy presented The Case Of
Becky would be Il theatric freak
Presented with average efficiency. it
would b. weirdly sensational. As it
is done at the National this week it
becomes mystical revelation Of
breathIess interest.