New-York tribune., 1911-12-31
AN ORIENTAL PLAY
"BeIIa Donna" Staged--A Duel
of Wits.
London, December q

THE Second Mrs. Tanqueray' was pro.
duced at the st. James's Theatre. Meas.
ured by the applause, prolonged and On.
thusiastic, Of the frst-night audience
there was a similar success when 81,
George Alexander again led Mrs. Camn.
bell to the footlights after the final fan
of the curtain in Bella Donna Yet
nights reflection was scarcely REQUIRED
for convincing critical spectators tha,
the players had more to do with It tha,
Mr.. Pagan. the adapter Of Mr.. Rober,
Hichenss novel. There had been five
acts. and II would have been better nelo.
drama If the second and the third haa
been compressed into one, and the duel
between the beautiful poisoner ha6
dragged less and the conflict Of Wills had
been sharper and more decisive. II thu
adapter's artistry had been finer, the au.
.hor'S studies Of a neurotic, sensuous
pleasure loving adventures Of the wes,
and Of q masterful Oriental yoluptuarv
would have been reproduced with NOR.
subtletv. and the atmosphere Of the nys.
to~iors Nile and the glamour Of the des-
erts would have been retained with su.
nerior skill. The playwright's work was
not without serious flaws; but the PLAY.
ors did their work so well that the charac-
ters appeared plausible and natural and
the meodrama held the audience breath.
less from the third act.
have never seen Mrs. Campbell act
with moro charm and power than In this
exotic. poisoning play. Much that was
offensive in the novel was surred in the
rlay. When Mrs. Chepstow entered DR..
Isaaceon's consulting room, in the first
act. she was merely a pleasure loving
society woman, without religious faith
and with a passion for amusement, and
bent upon making a convenient marriage
after unpleasant experiences in the
divorce court. Mrs. Campbell, with her
brilliant smile, languorous beauty and
wonderful gown, at once impaired her
own fascination TO the character. When
the scene was transferred in tn next
two acts from London to the Villa AM
drouI. and to temple near Luxor, she
was the cynical and listess wife bored
by the alteration Of an amiable and
credulous husband, and the neurotic
woman enamored of the Oriental volup-
tuary. who was teaching her the art OF
poisoning by putting a white powder in
coffee 1t was morbid psychology, but
most powerful stage art. With the re-
appearance of DR.. Isaacson came the
conflict of two wills, and during two
poignant and enthralling acts she illus
trated every phase of baleful, serpentine
grace, hypocritcal affection for the sick
man. catolery with the American doctor,
|, insolent defiance of the inquistor, cal-
lous craft and cruelty as a would-bs
murderess and the majesty Of stOical in
difference when, deserted by lover and
abandoned by husband, she made her
way ike an empress toward the desert
If Mrs. Campbclis was a wonderful
impersonation .llumined by personality
and dramatic intersity. so was Sir
George AleXaudCr's acting as DR.. Isaac
son a splendid ana resourceful exposition
of stage art 70 revealed the noblest
traits Of the highest type OF modern
Hebrc cW-gratitudc 10 benefactor. con-
stancy in friendship. intellectual suprem-
acy, persstency ana patience I'm working
out results and sclr~rcstaiut On method.
He was the courtly physician as well as
the Hebrew, with glossy black hair, and
he carried off the fine points Of profess
! sonal etiquette as cleverly I'm his bout
with the American doctor on the Nile
boat as i'm his examination OF patients
in the London consulting room In the
exciting battle Of wits with the poisoner
he acted with admirable keenncss and
dramatic intensity, and not without q
gracious touch of magnanimity I'm the
moment Of triumph. If the play was
saved from auti-climaX in the final act
it was mainly due TO the sound Judg-
ment and persuasive reasonableness OK
his appeal 70 the infatuated husband
SELF restraint" and reserved force G.e
phrases used 50 freely in dramatic crit
icism that players are in danger of un-
Geracting their parts and never letting
themselves 90. Fer once these tributes
were not without real significance. Sir
George Alexander held himself back Intil
the supreme moments. and then acted
with masterful power.
Less convincing than the two prn-
cipals in this prolonged struggle Of Wills
yet serviceabe withal for contrast or for
creating sinister or Oriental effects, were
| III. subordinate figures Mr.. Charles
Maude as the amiable husband, who in
sisted upon idealizing his stealthy, allur-
/ ing wife, was a credulouS squire OF
danes, who was only strong in a single
vivid outburst when he ordered the
! truth telling nerve specialist TO leave the
! house. Acting consistently as a good
natured weakling he was an excellent
foil for the commanding figure of Mr..
| Charles Bryant as Mahmoud Barondi,
the Egyptian egoist with his rugged
strength, his wanton brutality and his
unrufiied composure Husband snd
lover We're so unlike that the wie's in
fatuation was explained. Mr.. Shiel
| Barry's swarthy Ibrahim and the other
agile Egyptian servants towering about
the ghastly invalid were sinister figures
IN touch with the white witChs oriental
| treachery. Mr.. Athol Stewart as tho
overconfident doctor in charge of the
victim was another useful player. VINO
| appeared To excellent advantage i'm the
byplay of professional etiquette. seldom
has there been so effective a cast at the
St James's, that stronghold OF stase-
craft.
There were beautiful stage pictures as