The Washington herald., 1914-12-06

Ne" 1oFhb dec. 5.-Are the MOrInons II
Utah still practicing polygamy secretly
put generally? In New York's always
redulous theatrical circles it Is told with
considerable awe that while Mr. Harvey
O'Higgins and Harriet Ford are the
pstensible authors Of the just produced
'Polygamy," they are dividing the royal
hes, present and prospective, with some
mysterious person who has supplied them
with the facts on which the play is based.
II this is true, the acknowledged au-
thoAs are having money taken away from
them like candy from a kid There's
nothing in the play that, so far as facts
go, has not been exploited time after
time in the many exposures" OF Nor
monism. The records in the Reed Smoot
case before Congress would easily have
supplied everything except the senti-
mental interest and that could very
ssadily have been inferred from that COM
monplace material The sufferings Of
women caused by Mormon polygamy and
depicted in the play, have been told over
and over again in every accusing book
and tract leveled at Mormonism. and the
plas was comprehensively reviewed in
these columns some weeks ago when it
had its premiere performance in Wash
ington.
Practically all the honors of The
Garden OF Paradise" go to Mr.. Joseph
Urban, who has come over from Boston
to show New York some of the stage
wonders that are the outgrowth Of the
European revolution in the matter of
stage settings. Mr. Edward Sheldon made
his spectacular and poetic play from
Hans Christian Andersens fairy tale,
THE Little Mermaid" The play itself
becomes, particularly in view of the gen.
eral bad reading Of the company. a libret-
to on which are strung the remarkable
succession Of scenic effects. Mr. Sheldon
like this before he discovers that he is
not a universal genius in the art of
playwriting and learns how to use his
undoubted talents in the special lines
for which he is fitted
The tale is of a little mermaid who
rescues a shipwrecked king and brings
him to shore, only to fall in love with
him. She makes a fatal bargain with a
witch to remove her fshiness and make
her a human girl. so that she may follow
up the object of her affections He has
fallen in love with a neighboring queen,
and the little mermaid, finally thrown
over, has to redeem her bargain by be-
coming some kind OF a sea monster in
the service OF the witch. The story is
told in nine scenes, all of them extremely
beautiful stage pictures
Two of the scenes are laid under the
sea; gauze curtain, waving plants
and extreme care in the lighting effects
producing an entirely new Illusion with
devices that are not altogether new. Some
Of the characters, denizens OF the deep
walk on the bottom of the sea and others
float and come and go suspended by
wires from the flies. We have had
aquatic effects before on something the
same lines, but none quite so beautiful
Where Mr.. Urban exceIs is in the
land scenes, which are planned after
the new European idea of breaking up
the monotonous levels and surfaces
familiar in conventional stage settings.
He comes boldly to the curtain line
were only indicated and then well up
stage or at the sides. Much of the
action occurs on platforms at various
levels, all apparently solidiy built and
broken by other architectural and
sculptural accessories. The extreme
back wall OF the stage is covered by a
cloth curved and colored to represent
and infinite vista Of sky or sea, or
both combined. In the open we see
this through columns and arches. in
interiors through openings that are
evidently through solid walls.
In wall decorations we have bold
effects in primitive colors that recall
some Of the scenes in Reinhardt's pro-
duction of "SumUrun." which created a
here couple of seasons ago.
The costumes are made to harmoniZe.
or. more frequently. contrast with the
or the plain white Of the solid
hut simple architectural masses. The
lighting is also unusual and handled to
produce results as unexpected as they
are novel. The total result is a series
Of stage pictures in which the group
ing of the figures, often in clear pro-
file. is made to At the beautiful back
grounds and bring out what is most
effective in both the animate and in
Mr.. Urban has been wise enough
not to go to the extremes that have
the stage work Of some
~ the European leaders in the present
effort to get away from the old con-
of the stage. There is
nothing in the settings of The Garden
IF Paradise" to suggest that it is
and nothing that is be-
yond the comprehension Of the most !
average theatergoer. Every one must
acknowledge the beauty of the results
and that they are different. although |
It might tax the ability Of the ordi- |