The Washington times., 1914-11-03
COLUMBIA.

Unable to determine whether the VS.
/ uaiization of grand jury Indictment
against Mormonism or just daring
dramatic sermon had been offered it.
very much startled audience filed silent
ly out of the Columbia Theater after the
first production of Harriet Ford and
Harvey O'Higgins' newest effort. 70
lygamy.' If the theory is correct lhdI
the theater is part of the public forum
where unpleasant features of natlohaI
life should be presented. in the pur-
suance of Shakespeare 8 theory that
the play is the thing to the final tWlsI
TO the conscience, the authors nave
brought "Folygamy'' to the right place.
If this theory is not correct, then the
information upon which the play is
based had better have been incorporated
in an information and presented to the
Attorney General who has at his COM
mand under laws well known to be
existent on the statute books. the legal
machinery necessary to bring about re-
forms claimed to be necessary. "PolyG-
amy" is purely and simply a violent
arraignment by no stretch OF the imagi-
nation could II be called entertainment.
And. If the Mormon church is the po-
Utica! power the play represents, its pre-
sentation in Washington is likely to be
its last on the stage.
1t seems to have been the purpose of
the authors to compress into the four
acts of their play as complete story
as was consistent with liberal dramatic
license of all the charges that have
been brought against the Mormon
Church, though the greatest of them
which furnished the title, Is made the
dominant feature.
A happy Mormon home is shown In
the first act-a home where husband
and wife and two children live in
monogamic peace. The first disturbinS
element introduced is a brother of the
wife, who had refused to subscribe to
all the tenets of the church. The bit
terness of this brothers attitude has
been increased by the fact that the
woman he loved had been forced into
a celestial" marriage with an aged
elder, now dead. A quilting party in
the first act, attended by six women
outside of the immediate family Of the
hostess, who were the wives of but
two men, brought out the big evil
sought TO be exposed. that polygamy
still exists. The fact that the hostess,
though born in the church and pre-
sumed to be fully conscious or what II
means, subscribes to the theory, but not
the practice, is developed in the gossip
about the quilting frame and strong
minded guest hurries to report the de-
feCtion to the elders.
he husband and wife are nailed be-
fore the council in the second act-a
scene, by the way, which purports to
show the interior of the famous Nor
mon council chamber. hitherto unpro-
Jared by Gentle eyes. The matter OF
the second marriage and their helpless
ness is presented to them IN SUCH way
by the prophet and the elders that the
curtain falls on their acceptance of the
principle. The marriage takes place,
and the second wife proves to be the
old sweetheart Of the first wife's brother.
The realization Of this fact increases
the bitterness of the four persons
most vitally concerned and the final
curtain shows them starting the apos-I
tate brother to Washington to place the
facts of the existence Of polygamy be-
fore the proper authorities-the money
for the journey and for the fight that
is to be conducted being furnished by
the same strong minded lady who had
deemed 1t her duty to file the first in
timation with elders which brought
al out all the complications that make
the play.
Briefly put-that is the play. The actors
and actresses who present the various
parts have been most carefully selected.
Chrystal Herne has the emotional part
of the young wife. She gives a most
forceful and sympathetic Interpretation
of the authors lines. The only fault
that might be found with her concep-
ton of the character is that she makes
the woman rather too young to be the
mother of children twelve and fourteen
years of age. William B. Mack gives
a striking Characterization of the broth
er-the apostate-who has lost every
thing but his self-respect through the
Vaccinations of the church, and Is fast
losing that through copious use of the
intoXicants which the church feels au-
thorized to sell. but declines to let its
disciples imbibe.
Rosalind Ivan, a most capable actress,
makes a vivid picture OF the crushed.
hopeless woman, who has found herself
at the mercy of the church. and is forced
into two repulsive marriages. Ramsey
Wallace. as the husband involved in all
the difficulty Is fairly convincing. The
fifth important character. that Of the
hardened woman who has secretly re-
belled against polygamy, though out
wardly recOnciled to 1t, and defending
it even to the length of involving the
central figures in all their troubles, is
in the very able hands of Mary Shaw.
The other members Of the cast were
we'll equipped for their work, although
il seems that the rehearsals that the
play had undergone were not sufficient
TO give all the company sufficient ia
with the services of the prompter dur
ing last nights performance. The pro-
duction was all that could be desired
in point of setting.
In consideration Of the play mention
should be made of the fact that Har-
vey O'Higgins was the editor Of the ex-
pose Of Mormonism published under the
of ex-senator Frank Cannon,
Of Utah, and that the basic ideas Of the
play he has made in collaboration with
Mrs. Ford. were furnished him by Sena- 1
for Cannon.
With this material. Mrs. Ford ard Mr. !
O O'Higgins have constructed a play !
which, though bold. is never vulgar; |
while frank. is not indeliCate. In this |
1t least, the authors have accomplished |
a most difficult feat. None Of the re- !
sentiment that might be felt against the |
production OF such play is at any mo- |
nent felt against the way IT has been !
!: ritten and produced.
GARDNER MACK. !