Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-26


blaze forth, she places Bacon in the
background along with a troop of other
tntellects to cloud the title to the work OF
genius Great literary productions arise
rather from the needs and suggestions OF
the time than from the command
ing power Of any one mind, much as
greatness of generalship must depend on
the events which set the worlds stage
for the proper presentation of a military
star. The greatest poems have been spon-
taneous outgrowths. whose worth the
booksellers were incompetent to calculate
and was therefore disregarded Master
pieces are not made to order. Within
recent observation a single production has
often told the story of life's inspiration
After writing "Cavalleria Rusticana" Mas
cagni dropped from art to career OF
commercial pickering. Charles Ram
Kennedy declared that 1.-The Servant IN
the House. was but one of a series of
great plays which he had in contempla-
ton, but Ii has proved his one great play,
and great enough at that to represent a
career enough for any single poets tai
ents Even in lighter things, DuMaurier
waited till he was well into the snowy
years to produce the exquisite literary
mosaic which would cause his name to be
universally spoken. When taste and
thought are ready for some big thing, it
arrives and the medium of its expression
cannot be foretold.
The influences which led to the creation
of the modern morality play EVERY
woman" are easy to trace. A society of
students of the early English drama had
brought to light "Everyman." a powerful
though terrible reminder of mans weak
nesses and his obligations. 1t was q
striking form and appealed alike to stu
dents and to people casually interested In
the stage. "Eyeryman" was only an incl
dent. The tendency of the drama has
been consistently toward topics and char
acters OF current interest. The discussion
OF the man and the woman has, in keep
ing with the spirit of q time that demands
practical reasoning, been bereft of its
old-time romance, and the dramatist has
observed but scant chivalrouS restraint in
discussing the manners and motives OF
the once long suffering and always ire
proachable heroine of the play. The
woman with past formerly had nothing
to look for in the final act save a re-
pudiation to which death would bring
some share of pity though not of justif-
cation. The woman with a past of late
has sought not only sympathy but vindi-
cation, and some of the younger play
wrights have Quixotica!ly sought to ide-
alize her to an absurd degree. Steadily
the theater has fostered a more generous
standard for estimation of blame that is
to be meted out to fault or folly, and in
Everywoman" the idea is finally crystal
.nzed into ideal form. 1t does not seek to
palliate by sophistry or to overwhelm by
rhetoric. 1t simply tries to explain
Both the form and the substance of
EveryWoman" were anticipated as
surely as the banking clouds presage
the shower. But like the electric flash
across the sky 1t chose its own I'M
mapped and irresistible course, disdaining
both Ajax and the lightning rod 1t
came In spite Of the protests of the
Managers Bluff and Stuff in real life. that
the public must be approached on the
lowest intellectual levels. 1t did not find
expression from the pen of the prac-
teal playwright, who has toiled to mas
ter the technique Of the stage, and who
writes dramas by formula. 1t was what
the New Theater was apparently hunger
ing for. a work of native genius worthy
OF the highest resources of the stage; yet
1t found its production at the hands of
q professional Snowman. who, despite the
brilliance OF some Of his artistic achieve
ments. has never pretended to devote
either his time or his bank account ex-
olusively to philanthropy or the nine
muses.. 1t came into existence because
h was due In the world of thought, just
as a seed germ blossoms into luxuriance
because soil and climate call 1t forth.
The writing Of 'Everywoman' was a
wonderwork; and so was the casting of
it It presents one Of the few instances
where the selection Of players Tor SUI
perfcial characteristics rather than for
mind and temperament was justifiable.
1t was not designed to shelter the per-
sonal success; 1t is a great assemblage
OF what the theater in it's trade parlance
calls character bits" The players were,
without exception. finely imbued with the
allegorical idealism Of the play. Had
Laura Nelson Hall undertaken to emo
uonalize her role to degree OF acute
intensity she would have been no longer
Everywoman. but the exceptional woman,
a personality instead Of a type. H.
Cooper Cliff. a fine actor. might have
made Nobody anything from q cheap
buffoon to the reincarnated Dante that
his appearance suggested. Only rare
artistic taste combined with superb tech
meal training made 1t possible to pre-
serve the even symmetry of the role and
prevent II from becoming either gro
tssque or gruesome. 1t is seldom that
performance thus combines the graces
Of the skilled and sympathetic reader with
the poise Of the proficient player. Yet
Cliff suffered the common fate, or. IL
you will. attained the common glory. and
became a harmonious note in creation
which by a little selfish obtrusion ne
might have dominated.
The 'Maestro's Masterpiece" was de-
light to musicians, though not a pow
erful attraction to the average amuse-
ment seeker. 1t is peculiar form Of
entertainment resembling n Climax.
Its central idea, that OF IT, relentless
father who finds his reInorse soothed by
the discovery Of his grandchild. Is del
icately beautiful, but 1t Is entirely subor-
dinated to the medium OF expression.
The vocal artists assembled in the per-
Torrance are SO exceptionally proficient
that the interest In the play is forgotten
in the enjoyment OF their work. The
story and the display Of scenic beauty
do not prevent the production from be-
ing a concert, rather than q play. It is
one OF the novelties which, instead Of