The Detroit times., 1914-11-10
>: In Local PldyhOuseS /:
,erpo,r opsRA ROUSE.


DETROIT OPERA HOUSE.
"Ben- n-Hur," the Klaw 4 Erlanger
staging OF Gen. Lew Wallace's Ia
NOUS tale OF tho Christ. which has
enjoyed unremitting popularity since
the dawn OF the century, Is again III
the Detroit opera house, more GOT
geous, and n the Monday night audi-
ence may be taken as an indication'
fully as popular as ever.
] Although perhaps the greatest ap-
peal OF Ben-Hur lies in Its magnin'
cence as a stage spectacle, its reisr
Gus significance should not be uhuer'
estimated. The prelude, in when tne
three wise men. Gaspar balthasar
and Melchior, coming from the enus
OF the earth, see blazing forth In the
heavens the star which proclaims the
1 advent OF the Holy Child Is peauu'
{. ful Installation OF the story whicn
4 has thrilled millions. The healing OF
tha iepers on Olivet, In which Ovin'
ity Is symbolized by a beam or hgnt'
I "a another impressive scene. The oe-
vice OF the light indicates the pres
ence OF the Savior without the sacri.
! lege involved in a physicai porua'a'
Fof the Nazarene.
The costumes and scenery are
faithful to the period, and present
wonderful picture OF the times Oh the
Caesars. Armored Roman legionaries'
Arabs OF the desert, Jews, priestesses
OF Apollo-all are seen In the saIo
upon which antiQuarians and students
or classic and Biblical history have
placed their approval. There Is not
a single discordant note In stage set
ting or apparel.
Perhaps the best proof OF Ben.
Hur's appeal, however. may be found
IN the composition OF the audience
which viewed its opening there, Mon
Iday night. BY far the greater portion
was palpably Of the serious-minded
| type. to which the frivolous modern
drama makes little or no appeal and
who 20 to the theater. but seldom
the people whom q modern musicai
comedy makes uncomfortable. Anu
Monday night they filled the house.
Richard Buhler. as Ben-Hur, STANDS
out as an actor OF remarkable Adj
lity. as does also Walter M. Sherwm
as Simonidies, the wise ana CRAFTY
servant OF the house OF Hur. Fred
erick Carlton, as Balthazar, the
Egyptian, Is an impressive hgure.
the best Of all perhaps, is John MI
ton In the character OF MESSIAH.
friend OF Ben-Hur.
Mary Condor. as the mother OF
TIur; Martha Boucher. as Tira, MS
sister. and Alice Haynes az Esther.
daughter of Simonsidies. give credit.
liable performances, as does MAUD
Ream Stover In the part of Amrah.
oARRIck.
A famous American poet once
wrote:
tn. meanest man nan ever saw
N there's ten times better fellers I've
Tn. Blamed old jury sent over the road.
Whether or NOT Bayard WELLER,
author OF within the Law" In De
troit ON its fourth visit, took these
words as his inspiration for the great
est American drama OF crookdom II
Is impossible to say. Regardless OF
whether he did or did not. the fact
remains that those words oner Q
complete summing up OF the entre
argument Of the play.
Some pessimist once declared that
every man IL potential crook; tnAt
given the opportunity, every man
would resort TO crimipality as an
easier method Of making living tnan
by the foreordained Biblical metnoo
OF sweating for It.
Certain 1t Is that anything which
sayors of outwitting the established
order of things In the realm OF what
we call Justice, seems to have pow
erful attraction for many. In add
tion to holding the police and the
modern machinery Of justice up to
ridicule. the play secures great por-
ton OF Its attraction In Immediately
obtaining the sympathies Of the audi.
ence by portraying the underpaid
working girl about to be sent TO PITS
on for q theft she did not commit
and, following hard upon that, It's por'
trayal OF a fight for revenge, 70
venge in which the law. while scrup
ulously obeyed as TO the letter. Is
outraged as to the spirit The oner
ing calls. In turn, upon class preJu
dice, upon the innate hatred for the
arbitrary methods of the police, upon
the sympathies of its audience for Q
person held for a crime OF which nc
or she Is innocent, and finally makes
q mastery appeal to the potential
crookdom" OF every man or woman,
No melodrama OF the ancient type
ever provoked more thrills than
within the Law" Yet there is this
fundamental NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
is written for the sake Of the thrills
alone, while within the Law is q
protest against the ravishing OF the
goddess Of justice by disciples OF
mammon, against corruption Of the
avenues of criminal detection by pow
|er and place.
The company now presenting
within the Law" Is entirely different
from that which brought IL to Detroit
on three previous occasions.
The Mary Turner of Helen Ware
has not yet been forgotten, and, az
the play progressed. many and va
rious were the criticisms, adverse and
otherwise. upon the work OF Clara
Joel. assuming the leading role made
famous by Miss Ware.
Miss Ware was at her best from
curtain 10 curtain. Miss Joel becomes
better as the play progresses. That
is the fundamental difference be
tween the two exponents OF the char
acter OF the down-trodden shopgirl
and scheming CROOK" There is lit
tie other difference. One coming into
the theater In the middle OF the play
would be hard put to II TO make a de