Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-05

n ar arS1 right II rveryshins about tn, the
old Mace is just the same. ana
49, o-s,,orv routine of life, which is SO
comfortable after all. may be resuineu
That rch-hypnotist David Beiasco 10
mood tosether his belongings and lert
~ c,t,. and we may come out OF the
$500 snau woven by THE Case OF
Rocky" without fear OF relapse.
yste Alexander. Belasco has iongeo iof
new worlds 10 conquer Having taheh
,,,s+arful possession of all the mite eA-
,or,ences of humanity, so far as they
can he presented on the stage, ne mas
calmly stepped over the boundaries y
conscious existence and entered upon az
exn,oitation Of the land OF dreams. -
evident that in the presentatloH VI 80
pIay MIR Belasco has decided nrst " "
to please himself. The play py MT
ward Locke provides an ioea Oh
IT. treatment instead OF embellishing ana
e,aho-at,rg n narrows 1t down to the
,oost absolute dependence on stage craft.
!. = demonstration not only of scien-
,,ec theories. but OF certain principles OF
staoe production for which the name or
RAlasco has stood in pre-eminent impor-
tance.
Mr.. Relasco has always stood, first OF
All things. for realism; realism OF acting.
realism or stage setting and reahsin VI
6ction. The strutting poseur mas niue
room in the casts of his dramas. Ane
makeshift stage property Is barred from
80 rrtser SCENE and the speeches of his
make believe people are framed In the
vernacular even TO the inclusion OIL eA
pletiyes which cold and prudish type sun
indicates only by means OF the dasn anu
the exclamation point. Emotlonai ueih-
onstration and the development OF climax
and denouement nave not hitherto oeen
s,Jqhtad for the sake of fine detail In
workmanship. though they have oiteh
he.n suhordinated to it, In The Case OF
Reckv. thev are mere adjuncts. He de-
fies attention to wander. 1t Will De ar
rested by some little touch of truthful
ness which compels the auditor to utter
that homely but high compliment: Tnis
man knows what he is talking about.
Tho literary associate OF Mr., Belasco
,,u,st be content to face subordinaton.
Mr. Locke has done clever things. But
q is impossible to credit Mr.. Locke with
The sunlight that streams through the
windows over the old-fashioned start
case with the old-fashioned barometer
hanging on the wall, with the slight
scholarly bag in the trousers or the
scientists, and with the hundred other
touches which seem so little and yet are
50 much. Good acting goes as a matter
Of course with production under these
auspices 1t is merely question or op-
portunity, the fitness of the individual per-
former having been determined in ad-
vance. Miss Starr does the best work OF
her career; or perhaps 1t seems the best
because the impression 1t makes Is the
latest and most vivid. Mr. Charles Dali
ron rises to an opportunity such as ne
has never had before. in the role or Prof.
Raizamo. 1t is a character OF graphic
fidelity to type, as interesting as 1t Is
unsympathetic. Indeed the appeal to
sympathy throughout the play is slight,
resting solely on the love of a father
whose motive for his momentous expert
ment is divided between love for his
daughter and devotion to scientific ideals.
The play is poignant in its interest. 1t
is not an evenings amusement Or en-
tertainment. 1t is an evenings expert
ence. Its grip is SO tense that the con-
ventional demands for sentimental heroics
and comedy relief are forgotten The
audience, regardless of personal prefer
ences or resentments as to matters of
plot, succumbs to suggestion and remains
throughout the evening passive subject
Of mesmeric skill.
THE Challenge proved a three-hour
revelation OF concentrated maiadroitness
and inefficiency. About all the handicaps
that could have been provided for the
two exceptionally capable players who
appeared most prominently in the cast
were heaped upon them. Any play may
have defects, but none ever had the
searchlight turned on them merciessly
by the stage management. The story OF
the young typographical engineer has in
il some fine character study. but the
method OF presentation is-may we not
soon say was like an effort by some
overcontident amateur to copy Meis-
sonier with a whitewash brush and a
bucket of tar.
OF Forbes Robertson. whose engagement
in this city was curtailed TO accommodate
bookings for the Russian dancers whom
the car 50 generously spares for the
benefit OF American audiences, there is
nothing new 10 be said. 1t is pity that
50 great actor should not have a play
more worthy OF him in it's individual op-
portunity. Yet IL would be as great
pity If SO good play were dependent on
the efforts Of a less proficient artist. 1t
is one OF the few stage creations whose
artistic efficiency is measured by the
moral influence il exerts Yet II is doubt
ful whether the greatest of Hamlets
Should be permanently effaced to make
room even for SO fine and appealing an
inspiration > The Passing OF the Third
Floor Back"
PHILANDER JOHNSON.
AMUSING EPISODES-Charles Cherry
tells number of interesting stories re-
garding funny mishaps on the stage
1T is very curious said he how fire.
queatiy the actor overlooks important de-
tails il his performance. AS a rule they
are not detected by the audience, though
they rarely escape the Iynx-eyed news
PAPER man If he happens 10 be present /
was told Of funny incident when we were
At the Columbia Theater. The actor who
played the Drainman in The Servant In
the House went on one night wearing a
diamond ring.
laughable incident occurred one
night at Hermann's Theater in New