The Washington herald., 1913-12-30
BELASCO.
"The Great Adventure"

THE Great Adventure" could have beer
written only by Arnold Bennett or his
elder brother, Bernard Shaw. The touch
is, indeed, more that of Shaw than oi
the Bennett of "Milestones;" SO much
more that it is hardly too much to say
that not since Man and Superman" have
We been offered such pungent satire such
brilliant dialogue, and such delightfully."-
whimsical farce-comedy as in this drama
tiZed form OF the authors own novel,
Buried Alive
The fantastic idea upon which the play
is built is by no means Arnold Bennett
own invention. 1t has been used in one
earlier play this season, and Mr.. Sothern
contributes a list of others in which II
has appeared. In the brilliant and facIle
mind Of this English literary genius, how
ever, 1t is recast and put forth in the
plot Of a comedy which is highly original.
and delightful the more because the
author seems to be amusing himself with
his extravagant fancy quite as much as
he is amusing his audience. 1t is true
he almost dares the charge of having
been a little spoiled by a too adoring
public. Granting, however, the initial
improbability that the doctor would have
insisted upon mistaking the dead servant
for liam Carve, the artist, the audience
is not only easily led but actually revels
in its own acceptance of the complications
that follow
1t is not the complications however.
that the amusing Mr.. Bennett so vastly.
He is enjoying the great joke on the Brit
ish public, which has buried a common
and rather scoundrelly manservant in
the sacred halls of Westminster Abbey.
They profess to be honoring a great ar
tist. but Carve knows it is because the
artist made a philanthropic bequest in
his will. Later. when entangled as a
witness in lawsuit to prove his own
Identity, Carve RACES and the author
laughs in brilliant irony at the futiIity
OF art and the stupidity of the British
public which would make a man prove
by the mOles on hts neck how good his
pictures are. These last two acts are
10 be counted among the moust ludicrous
high comedy scenes in all stage litera-
ture.
The literary distinction of the play is
well matched by the distinction of the
production-a fact guaranteed by the
name of its producer. 1t is an object
lesson in both stagecraft and business
policy TO observe the methods of Win
throp Ames, who comedies so little to
the supposed demands Of the crowd, yet
always fills his theaters. An accident to
the curtain in the first act and one un-
fortunate exception in the cast. obviously
an emergency fill-in, were the sole de-
fractions frohl performance which was
otherwise admirable from beginning TO
end, and was addressed throughout to
people OF intelligence and taste.
For the performance of Lyn Harding
and Miss Janet Beecher in the two prin-
cipal roles OF The Great Adventure"
the only adequate comparison that comes
to mind is the delightful performance OF
Leo Ditrichstein and Miss BeeCher IN
The Concert" The passive, unresisting
sensitive nature of the artist, the nervous
and mannerisms, and, on the
other hand, the impersOnal, detached at
titude with which he regards his own
fortunes, are portrayed by Mr..
Harding with fine intelligence and per-
feet finish, and with judicious farcical
suggestion. Miss Beecher, as the prac-
tical-minded, middle-Class. lovable Put
Tey widow, achieves a convincing char
aCterization which is keyed exactly t.
the satirical, whimsical mood Of the play
and deftly played both for strong con-
trast TO Mr.. Harding's Carve and 10
bring out the psychological values Of the
situations. In a supporting cast of al
most even excellence, the more prOmi-
nent parts were admirably played by
Frank Goldsmith, Rupert Lumley, Edgar
Kent Walter Creighton, Edward Con-
nelly Miss Edyth Latimer. Miss Ina
Rorke, Cyril biddulph, and Erskholme
Give.