The Washington herald., 1912-07-21
Hypnotfsm in Drama.

Charles Ram Kennedy, the man who
wrote The Servant in the House and
The Winter Feast" has Just finished a
new play which he calls THE Crystal
Gazers-" An important episode in the
story occurs when the principal feminine
character induces a state of self-hyp-
nosis by gazing steadily at a large crys-
tai globe which she had picked up dur
ing a tour Of India, and which is q val
ued objet dart in her New York home.
This is the most recent introduction of
hypnotism into stage stories. and It
shows the tendency of the new school
of dramatists to delve into one of the
most interesting phases CT psychology.
Kennedy, Augustus Thomas. and Charles
Klein, author of THE Third Degree"
which will be seen at Polls Theater this
week, are three of the most advanced
dramatic authors in American, and all
three have based big plays on stories
concerning hypnotism.
But long before Augustus Thomas
wrote THE Witching Hour" hypnotism
figured in one of the most popular plays
ever seen in Washington. 1t was the
dramatization of Du Maurier's famous
novel. "Trilby" This was the play that
made Wilton Lackaye, a washingtonian.
koluOuS. SNciy PidyS SocE EcucuuDtEs
Lackaye's striking impersonation of
Svengali, the grotesque figure Of the
Quarter Latin who. by a few passes
with his hands, could plunge Trilby into
hypnotic state during which her sing
ing was the admiration of Paris. That
story by Du Maurier dealt with hypno-
tism fankly and openly.
By far the most effective use of hyp-
notism In a modern play is Charles
ylofr tv,t~ - ,v,&o
Degree" At the beginning Of the second
act, young Jeffries, who is suspected by
the police Of having murdered Under
wood is shown in a state Of collapse
resulting from a grueling cross-examina-
ton by brutal captain OF police. Dazed
and bewildered by the ordeal, his mind
dominated by the stronger VIII power of
his tormentor, the boy nevertheless con-
tinues to declare his innocence. Sud
denly the captain flashes before his eyes
the revolver used by the suicide to kill
himself. '"rbis is the gun with which
you shot Underwood" shouts the po-
liceman. As he does so, he moves the
weapon lapldly before the boys eyes
There is Il strong Write light overhead.
an. its rays dance and sparkle on the
polished pistol barrel.
The young man gazes intentIy at the
flashing revolver. His eyes. follow It's
every movement Gr&dually state OF
hypnosis is induced. and, parrot-like.
young Jeffries repeats in hollow, unnat-
ural tones the words OF the confession
which the captain Of police wishes him
to make. Still under his captors hyp-
motto influence, he signs the confession
that will send him tor thesdeath chair
These are the facts deduced by the
big lawyer who Is engaged to derend
the boy. and. by a strategy. he gets the
captain to submit. to a test OF hypnotic
strength. and masters his will power Just
as the policeman crushed the powers OF
mental resistance manifested by the sus-
pect- On the testimony of witnesses OF
the mental duel between himself and the
captain OF police. Brewster. the lawyer.
obtains an acquittal for his young
client.
1t is a keenly interesting demcnstra-
tion Of The possibilities of hypnotism.
and one OF the cleyerest situations IN
Charles Klein's absorbingiy interesting
drama built on the inquisitoriaI ordeal
which. In the, vernacular of the police, is
always referred to as the third degree