The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-03-28
ADJUSTMENTS.
Acn ID my = "'Fhe Daughter of
Heaven"
Itaby."
CoIOnini--Na
Empirc-Mininturc Musical Comedy
A Wonderful Spectacle

Wonderful Spectacle.
"a, Ihe very apogee OF the spec
stands The Daughter OF Heaven" All
that the skill Of the carpenter. the
science of the. electrician. the art Of
The painter. tho patience OF the do
signer, and the mcticulously pains
taking care OF the coStunler. which is
AKIN To genius. could suggest: all that
could be. ana was, suggested by me
chanics. artists and artisans purchased
with lavish hand. and all put to-
getheT, made harmonious. presented,
and managed by masters Of stage
crait-all this is To be found in the
magnificent spectacle blazing under
the banner of the Liebler Company at
or the book. however. which has
been dressed and illustra ted with such
splendor, IL is impossible 10 speak with
even mild enthusiasm Indeed. save
in one sccne--thc last of the seven
there is little either Of poetry or of
true dramatic force in the lines that
of exquisite pictures into the sem
blance of sustained story. Whether
this ~, be due TO their lack in the original
OF Pierre Lott and Judith Gautier or
10 their loss through the adaptations
by George Egerton. it is impossible
TO say. There remains, however, the
certainty that ,his pictorial drama is
almost wholly pictorial. almost cX-
clusively a feast for the eyes.
The story itself is conventional with
only It's setting and its conclusion out
Of the ordinary.
Assume that IN China there, exist
two distinct empires: one ruled by the
Emperor of China from his capital OF
Pckin, a Manchu. one of the few mouu-
ments OF the nn-conquerine Tartar
hordcs that once swept the world: the
other yielding suZeranty only To their
ancient dynasty OF Ming, represented
by woman. the Daughter of Heaven.
who sits in regency until the manhood
of her little son. the Son OF Spring
inspire the still conQuerine Manclu
with, dream OF securing for himself
Il Il. .I.t
turtles OF his hereditary enemies. and
of seating her beside him OH tlic throne
of reunited land. and let him set
out to win her from her very court
Ia the romantic aspect of vassal
governor Of province.
Follow the traditional course and
each al the moment of their first meet
ing. But remember that from her
revered ancestors has come sibilantly
down through the centuries hatred Of
the Tartar uSurper. so that. even at
the last. between herself and death she
cannot suffer tho touch Of his dcfiing
hand.
Picture the discovery Of the Manchu
rs an impostor. and his hurried de-
parture from the Ming court and then,
love or ancestral pride. overwhclm
again the doomed race of Ming and
their Daughter by the might of the
Manchu arms Cast her devoted sol
diers upon their pyre, and let her es-
cape. only to fall into the hands OF
the Emperor.
Shift then the scene to the EN-
pcror's Palace Of Pekin. and hear him
beg the captive TO share his Peacock
Throne But again remember the age
old detestation Of the Manchu, and
try to understand the dauntless spirit
that inspires her TO beg. and obtain.
from him. generous and kingly. the
Draught of Great Deliverance. so that
she may lie among the tomhs OF her
dead. unsullied by love unworthy of
her race And when death is near to
her. seek to feel. with her, that moth
ing OF mortal pride. even OF the blood
pride OF an ancient dynasty. matters
and enter into her human longing to
spend the few seconds remaining to
her in his arms.
Try to, seek to- Imagine project
yourself. make every effort to enter
into the imagined processes of tho
Oriental mind as depicted Ivy most
apparently Occidental actors. You NAV
succeed; the chances are probably n
Hundred to one that YOU will not. in
which ratio are the Probabilities that
YOU VIII be able to see" the play as
IL play cannot.
But. whether you regard the nlav aa
moonshiue. mcdiocrity, or a marvelous
" rkounted melodrama, you Viii razc
In wonder at the Incredible bcau,v NJ
the stage and costumes
In an Interior you will Sc" great
lacqucred chairs. huge bronze ponps.
in an exterior. your cyc will he 6nthed
in delight by The sunlit sheen or n
garden. wherein stalk pcacocks- and