Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1911-01-03
THE PLAY WELL PLAYED
1.-The Climax" Well Presented AT
The Colonial Theatre BY
Good Company
A CHARMING MELODY.DRAMA
Full OF Heart Interest And Sweet Songs
A Touch OF Mental Sugges ton
-PathOs And HumOr Com.
mingled

Seldom does one see a play of such
delicious heart interest as The eli.
max" given yesterday afternoon and
night at the Colonial Theatre before
large and ppreciative audiences.
THE Climax" is charming mel
ody drama, and reminds one of ''The
Music Master" 1t abounds in re-
freshing humor absorbing romance
and exquisite melodies, all of which
are entwined about the play. There
is a certain irresistible charm about
the play, and a qaintness that one
cannot forget and there is food for
thought in the Iquestion of mental
suggestion to which the story of the
play gives rise.
"The Climax" has for its basic
principle a new theme newly con-
structed, and of new ideas such as
plays are rarely made of. 1t springs
from life and from melody, life un.
like that of the idealist and the icon
oclast, but real lifelike that with
which we come in contact daily, and
not the fanciful puppets of construc-
tion that belong to stage mechanisms
There are but four characters in
the play. There is Luigi Golfanti a
poor kindly old Italian singing mas
ter, Latin Won Barwig. with mix
ture of gentleness and irascibility
in his nature and his quaint aloof
ness from the principal things of
life.
A second character is Pietro, his
son, swarthy, hot. tempered and
sometimes a morose young COM
poser. The third, whose fate gives
the play its propulsive force in
Adelina Won Hagen, old Luigi Col
fant's pupil from a Western town,
possessed with golden ambitions to
become great operatic celebrity,
and the fourth is John Raymond, a
young doctor, who loves Adelina but
hates the life she is preparing to
enter
The story of the play is an unusual
one, the principal expedient in the
action being mental suggestion.
The play tells of a young woman,
Adelina Won Hagen, who comes to
New York from the Middle West to
study music and to develop her voice
as a singer. She resides in the
household of her instructor, Luigi
Golfanti, and his son. Pietro. a prom
ising musician, falls in love with her.
She is also beloved by John Ray
mond, a doctor of medicine, a former
sweetheart, who follows her from
her home.
A minor operation becomes neces-
sary to relieve throat afiliction. 1t
is performed. and Adelina is left in
the care of DR.. Raymond.
The girl has rejected both suitors
in order to follow that delightful
will-o-the wispa stage career. The
doctor mentally suggests to her that
the operation may not succeed, and if
it does not, asks her to become his
wife. As her voice fails to respond
to sfter the operation, she accepts the
Doctors suggestion as an accomplish
ed fact, and promises to marry him.
On their bridal morning the doctor,
afflicted with remorse, confesses his
perfidy; Adelina RECEIVERS her voice
and the dotor withdraws, leaving her
singing the song his rival, Pietro,
has written to her 1.-The Song of a
Soul.
The play grips you every minute,
and underneath it all is the sweet
music written by Joseph Carl Breil.
The cast is one of exceptional merit.
Miss Ann Swinburne sings very
sweetly and possesses a beautiful
soprano voice. She plays the role of
Adelina with charm and sincerity,
and heightens the effect of natural
ness throughout.
Howard Eange is a tender and
human teacher and is most accept.
able in this role. 1t must be said
of Mr.. Lange that he gives a beau
tiful Characterization of the old
music master. 1t is sympathetic
it is tender, and it is lovable. 1t is
a real delight to study Mr.. Lange's
byplay; never gesture out of
place, and a voice so full and rich
of tone that even his speaking
voice makes music. He is delight.
full.
Corine Christi plays the part OF
the petulant boy cleverly. The play
abounds IN touches of humor as well
as pathos and the audience felt that