New-York tribune., 1911-12-26
THE DRAMA
Otis Skinner in "KiSmet" at the
KniCkerboCker Theatre.


not quite an unexpurgated edition Of an
Arabian Nights Tale. and upon this fact
the projectors OF the entertainment prob
ably rely for much of Its popularity, al
though there are other facts which Will
help to draw as well.
A wonderful person was Hagj the beggar,
and wonderful adventures befell him
twiXt dawn and night What his Arabian
nights were you can only imagine, but
you behold the marvels of one of his
Arabian days. o. There, as the sun rises
he sleeps by tue Mosq' of the Carnen-
ters, as frowsy a beggar as Arab or Dog
of an Infidel ever saw. Come the dwell
ers in Baghded, high and low, and of all
degrees between. Baghdad of the Ara
bian Nights, for 10 no less city are
you transported. The BaGhdad you have
always imagined it TO be. Comes the
Sheikh Jawan. imposing elderly person,
whom Hail the beggar hates-for rea-
sons beyond enumeration. Hail had a
wife and Jawan stole her That is reason
enough. But Hail himself is taken un-
awares on this morning of this day or
days His eyes waken. but his wits sleep.
He does not recognize Jawan. BegGing'
ne also INDUCES in small prophecy, as
thus The stranger having lost a son
shall find him again. For this augury the
Sheikh gives Hail a purse fat with gold
Had Hail the beggar known no troubles
before he could not escape them now.
The gold upsets all his world
Having gold. he will have purple and fine
linen But these gauds he prefers to pilfer
rather than TO purchase. He will present
them 10 his daughter and make rich mar
riage for her. Alas for this estimable and
adventurous parent He forgets the wicked
Wazir. Mansur is the name of this wicked
one. the Wazir Mansur and none so wicked
as he ever made obesance to the Ca1ph
Abdallah. whose name he blessed. Hail
for his thefts is brought before the wicked
Wazir, who promises to spare him If he
will tenderly remove the Caliph from this
vale of tears. Halt undertakes to do all
the Staying that is required, and incident
ally pledges his daughter to the wicked
Wazir. who swears to make her his chiei
wife. But the Caliph Abdallah. whose name
be praised, passing himself along as
gardeners son. has made love 10 the lovely
Marsinah, daughter of Hail, and is beloved
by her. Hat. by way of interlude, makes
love to a charmer who is ALREADY the
Wazir's chief wife. And Hail attempts to
kill the Caliph, but his knife turns against
that potentates coat Of mail. Halt Is
chained in a dungeon. And there behold
his enemy, the Sheikh Jswan. also chained'
Hai, the mighty one, breaks his own
chains. kills Jawan and escapes. He goes
to the harem Of the wicked Wazir, rescues
his daughter Marsinah and browns the
Wazir while that great gentleman is bath
ing. You are to know that the wicked
Wazir is in truth the long lost son of the
Sheikh Jawan. who has also suffered loss
Of life at the hands of the vengeful Halt.
Now. of course, the Calph marries the
daughter of Halt. But the Caliph banishes
his adventurous and risky father-in-law'
whom YOU leave. sleeping. where you
found him, on stone by the Mosque OF
the Carpenters. This time, while he sleeps.
Hail dreams that he will set forth to-
morrow on a pilgrimage to Mecca. But
you leave him at the mosque.
The telling in print is not much. but the
telling on the stage is by a series of master
" pictures. The eyes feast. But the ears
well. Baghdad-on-the-Su as o. Henry
called a certain city, is a quiet village by
comparison with the Baghdad OF Hail and
the wicked Wazir. Noise, blasts of noise,
through scene after scene. Was that famous
"repose" of the Orient about which so
much has been told 10 credulOus Westerns
a dream, too?
Color, riots Of color, masses of humans,
plots. counterpots, killings and every kind
Of adventure: stage pictures most magical,
bewildering, enticing. beyond anything yet
seen, and scenes with punch every al
ternate minute-Broadway will rush at this
play as IT has not rushed at plays these
many years If "Chantecler.' with Maude
Adams. is to hold the stage three seasons,
"Kismet" with Otis Skinner and this fahr
ulous gorgeousness, may be expected TO be
touring the country as late as 1920.
They retain at the Knickerbocker the in
cident which the censor barred from the
London production after the play had run
six months at the Garrick Theatre there.
But if all accounts are veracious, they do
not retain or obtain, al the knickerbocker
the Oriental atmosphere which seems
10 have been so successfully brought into
the production for which oscar Ashe was
responsible. At least no one would think
for the sixteenth part Of a second that the
wicked Wazir is an Oriental. He is quite
obviously and helplessly Mr. Hamilton
Revelle OF Lcndon, an excellent actor In
other parts. but as far removed from the
Wazirs of this world as he is from the
Baghdad of one thousand and one years
ago. And what is said TO this effect OF
him NAV be said Of several others in the
play. They are Of New York or London,
and obviously acting they do not walk
like Orientals or use their hands like
them. or suggest them in any way save in
color or I'm raiment. But a wondrous show
ihey make. none the less and New York,
which cares less about acting than show,
will be content or more than content,
yeraphically happy
That Otis Skinner would succeed as
Hail was conclusion long autici-
pated The righteousness Of the beggar
Hail, the craft Of him, the pompOsity OF
him when he rose to wealth and power
for a few hours, his grief, his resignation,
his recognition Of the hand Of fate, were
revealed with all the skill of This very
skilful enG popular actor
But what a hustle and hustle il all was,
You could not count the adventures 50
fast they flew. nor the crimes that were
committed or planned. The stage crowds
were quite wonderful especially in the
bazaar scene. But after the rush and cX-
element Of the dreamy Orient, Il Ia
Knoblauch. you felt longing to return
10 an express train in the subway during
rush hours for rest.
1t is long since there has been such n
gorgeous appeal 20 the eyes Of the public
OF this sensation loving town. There
must have been a sensation every minute
for three hours. In stage display and
stage management "Kismet" Yields a
stream Of wonders. But I'm Arabia. il is
said. the check Of modesty was some
tir,es yeiIod a thousand wears aoo