The sun., 1913-10-01
WAKEFIELD REYIYES
1.-THE AUCTIONEER"
Arthur-klein Play a Series of
Personal Triumphs at
the BelascO. !
VERSION Is MUCH CHANGED
Deeper and Truer in It's PathOs
and SavOrs Less Of Music
Hall Methods.


David Belasco only clutched his pre-
maturely gray left lock twice last night
after the second act OF THE Auctioneei"
at the Belasco Theatre. murmured a few
words of thanks and then stumbled back
ward over a red and gold rep silk chair
In the Lexing ton avenue home Of Simo"
Levi Thus he altogether disappointed
the audience which had compelled David
Warfield to bring him before the foot
lights.
The delighted friends Of him and Mr.
Warield. of fine acting. of the expert
Belasco stagecraft in its best estate-sl
the friends Of the theatre. expressed as
Mr.. Belasco alone in this country Is able
to publish It's best traditions. were dis
satisfied at the way in which the unique
David conducted himself after the close
| of this second act
To have met the high tide OF their en-
thusiasm in the measure the spectators
were exhibiting it Mr. Belasco should have
tugged hard and long at those famous
locks. said much more than his modes,
words OF gratitune and fallen several
time UN Fl every piece Of furniture on th'
stage
Foi the revival of The .Auctioneer"
| was a success from every viewpoint TIL"
| play has been changed since this expert
| medium Of displaying David Warhelds
genius was first appreciated by the Ameri-
| can public. Lee Arthur and Charles
klein's work is assuredlN naive to-day
! Probably it was never much more con
! vincing In its serious moments. Its mu-
| steal intciludes are now. for instance,
| part Of the dramatic action.
Mr. warfed no longer sings his parod
on "A popular religious song. nor does any :
! body dance or line unless the scene is in
/ talx. 81 ~ intp rot a a.
this degree does the second folio OF "Th"
! Auctioneer' defer to the standards that
/ have altered in a decade.
1t was less with the change in the
| scenes Of the drama. however. that the
audience concerned itself last night VI
was the newer phase OF Mr.. warmed :
art that made the deepest impression. He
brought to this character in its earliest
| incarnation something OF the stages he
had left behind him. There was then a
suggestion of the music hall methods bN
| which he used to reveal the racial ira Is
of these types in which he had put so
many tr!umphs TO his credit He had n"'
shaken off the broader strokes of th'
musical stage.
HIS dependence on it's graphic external
symbols appeared vividly when Simon
Levi was first brought TO life behind tn.
footlights.
So the old hodge-podge that The
| Auctioneer" used to be in those daNs
seemed less inconsistent with MI. War
feld's skill than it would in the present
state of his genius.
A deeper and richer vei.i OF humor and
pathos now lies behind every scene
Then his technical resources have led
him to simplify the means by which every
effect IL gained His freedom from
every evidence OF straining after this re-
suit or that has added immeasurably Ia
the naturalness OF his acting.
Mr. Belasco had selected his types WIN
a faithfulness to their originals ina
added TO the values OF the drama. II
was. apart from the performance OF Nv
Warfield and his admirable colleague,
Marie Bates. as whole that the per
formance was to be enjoyed Not de-
tail necessary to the creation OF the right
illusion had been neglected. There was
"A sympathetic and attractive Performance
OF the hoy by George lie Guerre. and
Watson White was a promising repre-
sentative of the small task that fell Ia
him.