The Washington herald., 1915-11-28
the Vile Getting close to Degeneracy.

New York, Nov. 2T-The real trag-
edy Of Romeo and Juliet" often lies
In the way the play is murdered by
those who try to act 1t. The latest
execution OF this sort has just been
carried out at the Forty-fourth Street
Theater in an attempt to make q
Shakespearean star of young woman
whose wisdom can be measured In the
first place by the fact that she chose
for a stage name such a remarkable
combination as Khyva St. Adams. Her
real name is Saenger and she Is the
daughter of a well-known teacher OF
singing who has achieved a handsome
competency by coaching grand opera
stars and by expert instruction of
operatic aspirants.
In the Hobbies II was limited about
on the evening of the first perform
ance that it had cost twenty thousand
dollars simply to mount the piece.
This seemed entirely credible, for seen
cry and costumes were evidently new
and artistically designed. The light
ing effects were good. there was gem
erous supply of picturesQuely attired
supernumeraries, special attention had
been paid to the incidental music by
an augmented orchestra and there had
been no stinting in the disbursement
of money. There was no reason to
doubt that twenty thousand dollars
had been spent on the material side
before the rising of the curtain. But.
alas, not twenty thousand dollars had
been spent on the training Of the ac-
tors or anything like that sum. The
result made one feel that IL the
amount had been spent on the lust item
the result would have been mere bril-
liant with the performance of the play
In bare walls and in ordinary costumes.
Remarkable Romeo.
One never knows exactly what Is
back of undertakings like this produc-
ton of Romeo and Juliet" In this
case the motive was evidently TO give
an inexperienced and practically un-
known young woman a public appear
ance in a role where youth and per-
sonal loveliness count for much, but
whose real portrayal makes heavy
dra1ghts o. the genius and exper-
fence of the greatest artists. Devoted
relatives and friends may be willing
to stand the cost of such an expert
ment, but IL is always a mistaken
kindness to the ambitious aspirant.
Even with every equipment that ma
ture can give there is but one road
to achievement on the stage and that
is through work and experience.
Money cannot buy it. although IT may
help in the way of securing the no.
greatness
Khyva St Adams is a tall, dark
eyed. slender girl. rather pretty and
unquestionably young. In looks she
was quite sufficiently a Juliet, and
was in no way ridiculous. She simply
got nowhere near interpreting the
part, which was quite to be expected.
OF the real reading Of the lines, and
of the Interpretation of the emotion
of Juliet by look, tone. gesture and
the thousand things that come with
study and experience, as we'll as by
having lived. she had no knowledge.
In the cast were some experienced
actors in Shakesperean roles, such as
Fuller Mellish as Friar Laurence. Ffol-
hot Paget as the nurse. Rowland
Blackstone as Peter and Frederick
Lewis as Mercutio. Even they seemed
to have been deadened by lack of in
spiration, and their performances we're
commonplace.
George Relph as Romeo was the dis
tinctive feature of the production.
Khyva St Adams was at least inof-
fensive, and had her youth and beauty
to help her out. Mr.. Relph certainly
made his Romeo noticeable, and most
Iy by the eXecrable reading of his
lines There was not much to cavil at
in his looks as the youthful Romeo,
but he attacked the part with the idea
that no word or line must lack the
emphasis of a pause. This, naturally, (
attracted notice to what he was say
ing but, to put IL mildly, slowed up
the scenes where he was a lover full
of passion or distraught with grief
or rage. He was also statuesque in
passages that called for eloquence
Of body as well as speech, so that