Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-02
ADJUSTMENTS
New National.

To mildly paraphrase historic utter
ance on the subject, war is very I'M
desirable thing" War as depicted on the
stage of the New National Theater this
week under the title The Littiest Rebel
is pictured in its utmost terror. The cul-
mination of the plot is a big battle scene
with the rattle of artillery, the vicious
slap or bullets into the soft earth, the
dropping of foliage as 1t is moved away
by grapeshot, and the sacrifice OF brave
men who die fighting. 1t is thrilling
scene, worked out with elaborate detail
and much ingenious mechanism. Yet IT Is
by no means the only or even the chleI
starvation, of iron discipline and the
indirect suffering of the blameless are
carefully and effectually presented. with
all It's stalWart and at times almost tragic
interest the play abounds In the dellcate
touches OF sentiment such as distinguished
the work Of Mr. Edward PEBBLE when first
conspicuously made known in The Prince
Chap" The play has heroes in abundance.
One Of them is William Farnum's role of
the Confederate officer whose offense
against military rule is that of penetrat-
ing the Union lines in order to pay the
last tribute to his dead wife and to bring
food to his little daughter. Another is
Dustin Farnum's part of the Union officer
whose love of his own little girl at home
moves him to relax discipline to save the
lives of a little one and her father even
at the risk Of his own life and reputation
Percy Haswell is a heroic lady. gen.
erOus toward distress and loyal to the
cause to which her affections bind her
The aged colored servant played by that
good old minstrel man, George Thatcher,
is another hero sketched in black and
white with fine shadings Of sentiment
But In the midst Of these veteran Celeb
rites In the art Of winning tears or
smiles the one reigning heroic figure Is
the littlest rebel herself. the faxen-
ut 6nvf
cate simplicity of childhood displayed a
strength of character as Arm in quality
as it is ingenious in its manner of ex-
preston. Juliet Shelby is the name of
lished herself as the Alpha of this melo-
drama constellation and the summarizes
who surround her suffer nothing by her
recognition as such. The winsomeness
of clever child is an appeal that no
audience can resist and when play
wright and stage manager combine to
make her the pet of the hour, the newt
able must be accepted. Age and ex-
perience must clear g. pathway Tor the
youthful usurper who, with two embrace
ing arms and kiss compels capitulatiOn.
This young woman reads lines like
veteran actress and carries herself with
the artless grace of one who finds the
atmosphere of the stage as natural to her
as the sky is to bird. The studied ac-
centuations which usually betray the
prodigy are almost entirely absent.
In the war drama the eternal clash OF
love and duty cannot be dispensed with.
but in this case it is not the love OF
man and woman that lays the foundation
for series of interest-compelling events:
1t is the love of father for his child
and the dominating influence is that OF
innocent devotion. The last act is largely
given over to a study Of the characters
tics, both physical and temperamental, of
Gen. Grant. who is depicted as the con-
trolling lever of a relentless war machine
yet not unresponsive to the hand of a
child The role has been studied out with
great care by William b. Mack.
The play handles an enormous amount
of story material. all of which is Well
woven into consistent plot instead of
scattering away as it seems in danger
of doing into episode trifles. The per-
Torrance was in a good state of prepa-
ration, being quite sufficiently advanced
to guard against the bitches which often
destroy the effect of an incident intended
to be taken seriously. The audience re-
ceive1 the production with enthusiastic
applause. There are minor features of
the acting which could be improved and
which doubtless will be. A melodra1na to
be acceptable should run as smoothly as
clockwork.j and with just a little more
regulating and adjustment this one ought
to strike twelve. Experts in military
matters comment on the accuracy i'll
army matters which prevails to an excep-
tiOnaf degree