Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-11

VHE clarion note of Chanteeler
was heard far in advance of
the arrival of this strange hero
of poetic fancy on the scene.
The work had been widely cir
culated in print. and its presentation be-
fore audiences familiar with its beauties
as a work of literature was an even more
trying ordeal than that of the perform
ance of Juliet In which Miss Adams ap-
peared some years ago. 1t was the ordeal
of the preconceived idea; the effort to
make a single standard satisfy the vary
ing mental pictures of multitude of in
dividuals.
The interest Washington displayed in
this production was remarkable, in view
of the length of time it has been &C
CessbIe to view without extraordinary
travel and the not invariably enthusi-
astic reports of its reception elsewhere.
AS a reading with illustration of a great
literary work il must claim close atten-
ton. AS a popular entertainment it is
curiosity. A continue. conflict of ideas is
In progress through the strong, clear
current of dramatic interest One that is
most apparent is no doubt justly placed
at the door of the actor-instinct, which
regards any play, however great a
masterpiece, as important first of all for
its opportunities to score personal hit.
Identity must be recognized. Only the
subordinates in the cast were required to
mask themselves completely as the crea-
lures they represented. The Leading
roles displayed the faces of the players,
and each, like one of the puzzle pictures
which change before the eye. resembled |
at one time a fowl and the next moment
a human being. With ali the pains that
had been taken to secure stage effect
that would show the bisness of barnyard
things as compared with the creatures
who customarily nhabit it. the full
stature of humanity was continually sug-
gested and the result was mere dispro-
portion.
The reading of the lines was scarcely /,
more conscientious than the pictorial |
presentation. The French stage turns to
the poetic drama as means of preserv- i
ing the purity of the language. of which |
the people who speak it so proud. |
The American stage has no such ideal !
and in the case of too many players it |
tolerates the delusion that any method |
of enumeration which differs from simple, |
clean-cut speech is indicative either of
current smartness or intellectual refine |
ment Much of the recitation of lines in |
"Chantecler'' proceeded through a car
mage of mutilated vowels and tortured
consonants
note of affeetatioa- is sounded i'm the
title of the pay as presented here, for in
stead of frankly translatng it into Eng
liSh &C sbar irIn ole
the original word, a middle form of pro-
nunciaton of much phonetic elegance is
arbitrarily selected
In the ranks of theatric stardom girls
will be boys and boys will be girls. So
long as Miss Adams was 10 pay the role
Of the proud and courageous male fowl,
a management that was evidently sparing
no expense might have secured Mr.. Julian
Eltinge to play the hen pheasant.
The objections which come to attention
in the performance of the play but serve
to increase the triumph of such an en-
gagement it had in Washington 1t is a |
work of too much greatness of soul and |
fneness of thought 10 fail of enjoyment |
and appreciation because of a lack of |
conscientious detail in it's presentation.
AS Man Thinks is characteristic /
of Augustus Thomas: which is eauiva-
lent TO saying il is a good play Mr.. |
Ihomas Is one of the few playwrights |
oy Whom audiences will permit them |
serves TO De sermonized. He turns to |
social problems for his themes but |
he does not use his gifts to distort
the evidence in order to make a case. |
he
in soundins the basest depths of which |
human character might be canable
Ills people move among the influences
OF iaxlty in moral code. of prejudice
ana injustice which are to be found
IN this and in every other time of
which any record has been kent Ru,
they move like human beings neitbar
monsters of vice nor demi-sod of vir
Tue ana forgiveness. He also commit
menus MS audience to the extent of
credltinS his audience with the ability
70 comprehend words Of more than
t"o syhaoies where he has a though,
TO convey requiring their use.
PHILANDER JOHNSON
IL hiSERERE- In front of a tba.,o
stood the Regular Playgoer. deem In
thought The audience was conin,
A'onA TIE ioopy 10 the sidewalk and |
making for cars. cabs. automobiIes
restaurants and home
Il would bet you So" said q fr;aa,
you are pondering over whether or No.
you go TO the club and have an hour
an quiet corner with some friands
or whether you will HE yourself To . |
so-caied palm room, where an AIsatian !
oicnestra, whose members were born in |
Ireece and Italy, plays a Succession NJ |
musical avalanches.' "a
1ou would lose" replied the r.
was wondering what good old Verdi
would DO II he could go with me to a
round or musical speciality acts in. the
vaudeville houses. / imagine that bv
tne Tune he had heard his 'Miserere'
played thirty or forty different WAYS by
as many performers in a single week
ne would use the recall on II Troya-
tore 1t Is my honest opinion, based
on an accurate count and careful OBJ
Eervation. that more musical acrobats
are performing on III Miserere' than any
other musical composition. This famous
tower scene. as we all know, was writ
ten principally for a grand tenor voice
and a grand soprano voice, supplemented
by the chorus work, while the instru-
mental part was made for an orchestra
i doubt seriously that Verdi ever in.
tended the soprano part to be captured
by an oboe player. Nor did he ever
write the tenor part with the idea in
mind that it would be just the thing
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