The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-05-01
ADJUSTMENTS
Acndemy-Otia skinner In "Kismeto
bijou-Grnycc Scott Company In
"Ihelma."
Lyric-Kcith vaudeville, mntinee
and night.
CoiOnial--TnudcviiIe and pictures.
Grcnt Actor In Grcnt Part.

and night.
CoioninI--vnudcviiIe and pictures.
Grcnt Actor In Grent Part.
SUCH fantastic tale of love. In
trigue and tragedy as IS wildly I'M
folded In Edward Kuoblauch's Oricn-
tai drama. "kismct," which was pre-
scented by Otis Skinner FOR the iirst of
four performances ut the Academy Of
Music lnst night could DO found else
where only within the pages of the
Thousand ana one Nights" Not in
the carefully edited Arabian Nights"
with which children and adults are
alike familiar. but In the Thousand
ana one Nights" known to the COM
patative few chiefly through the un-
eXpurSatcd translation of Sir Rich
ard Burton.
For, though freed from tie brutal
coarsencss of most of Scheherezade's
stories to the king who had Il pretty
taste in numbering wives. the play
marches through many Of the scenes
OF burning Oriental love. kindled in an
instant by the sight of IA lovely ng-
ure with yelled face. or by the alim
1.-THE appearance OF n handsome man.
passing beneath :: luttic.d window
let 1t * taken from no one OF these
stories: Incidents from several may
readily be observation-disclosures is, for
instance. a, Caiiph, who, Lille Haroun
wauders unknown, unrecognixed about
the streets OF Baghdad, until he sees
the one destined for him. when In the
twinkiing of an eye love springs into
being, full-armed and all conquering
So also. the dialogue might have
been taken almost literally from one
or dozen of the tales In the love
scenes. IN particular, the very words
spoke" follow the Imagery, the
hgures. employed by the pri.ces ana
lovely women who people these an
Client stories; the likening OF wo-
man TO the moon, TO pomegranatcs:
Inc adoring contemplation 80 man
by woman, who glorifics him with.
MY lord, the smell of musk is sweet
upon thee" arc all instinct with the
spirit OF the undy!ng tales.
Again. tho swaggeripg. sinking.
braggart. courageous heggar. who
dares all. fears all. and who is the
central iigure OF the play. is an
epitome OF many similar characters
runs the recognition of. and the pas
sive submission to, fate. destiny-to
/"kismct."
"Kismet" it is that is accented. II
not exalted in this strange play, and
Otis Skinner Is It's prophet. II there
Is man IN America other than he.
who could play this part. none OF us
knows him.
Nj. knoblauch and the producers con-
Jointly have presented coiorful,
changing, wonderfully alive portrait
OF what ina gination permits one to
believe was Stored Ba ghdad l,001 years
ago; there are from one to four or FIVE
clinaXes in each 80 the ton scenes OF
The play; there are many-hucd crowds
OF people quarrcling. crying, hawking
ana fighting in the streets Of the city:
there are trousercd women lolling on
cushions In the harcm of the Wazir:
there is a dancing girl, whose nudity
Is scarcely more than bangle deckcd
and there are hundreds of mechanical
devices for the furthering of the IL
luslon.
But the great art OF Otis Skinner
dominates ii all: dominates II so COM
pietely that 1t sinks within itself the
personality of Otis Skinner thing
that WAS always beyond Richard Mans
neld-leaVing In its stead the ingrat-
lat!ng, Rabelaisian scoundrel, Hail. the
heggar. and the fate that PLAYED win
MN. so that. for more than three
hours last night, one sat and lived
with Hail his day OF days"
Long and intricate as the story is
involved. as are most Oriental stories.
IN Pct and counterpart, IL tells onlv
the Iale OF day, from dawn till dari.
hnt II leads the ragged bcggar. snor-
ing on the steps of the Mosque OF the
=, 60 Suuucn ElChcS, NOR,
suuucn poverty. to Impending dcnth
10 the commission of two murders
one OF them masterpiece of THRILLING
effectiveness, when he browns his
enemy In the harem's poland bocl,
10 the mosque again
1t lfts him to the divan OF Tho
aZlr; drags him 10 the dewan OF mo
CaHph lures him TO the zenana and
'htows him into the prison OF the ruler
OF the city. II makes him = ioyiol
falstan' FOSTERING Pantagrucl :,
mefrHMaker ruilian and n treachrr
GUS murderer. And. at the end when
ne has passed through peril of tor
lure ana death. banished by order of
the Cahph from Baghdad. forbidden Ia
see ms beloved daughter again, he re-
turns 10 his stone by the Mosque of
the Carpenters, and, awaiting the
GAVIN. SHORES peacefully again
IL Is humorous, dramatic and fra pic
and from it otis Skinner extracts Tho
iast possible bit Of humor, drama and
tragedy There are others in the com
pany, most Of them mediocre in their
attachments. but none OF them mat
tcrs-Otis Skinner is Hail
kiSmet' will be seen AGAIN ~
night. Tomorrow night and tomorrow
afternoon. II is one of the finest plavs
and one Of the finest performances of
the decade
Douglas Gordon.