New-York tribune., 1915-03-24

Nv HECTOR TURNBULL.

BY HECTOR TURNBULL.
Lovers Of Lewis Carroll's two
classics. alice in Wonderland" and
Through the Looking Glass general
ly view with regret any attempt to
translate the fantastic humor and the
iovial burlesques contained in their
pages to a cut and dried stage presen-
tation. The feat has been tried many
times since the volumes were first pub
lishcd in both extravaganza and bur
lesque, but one could hardly imagine
a more tactful and keenly appreciative
dramatization than that made By Alice
Gerstenberg. and given for the hrst
time in this city last night at the
Booth Theatre. This play, which comes
to us from the Fine Arts Theatre, Chi
cago, is made up of bits and scenes
from both books, and the incidents are
so shrewdly chosen and well presented
that the most devoted admirer of the
author. either child or grown-up, could
find no traces of harm done TO his be
loved characters, and only wish that
the play had been longer, so there
could be more.
The brevity of the play, with its
rapidly changing scenes, was perhaps
the secret Of its charm. Alice, looking
exactly as nice and dressed exactly the
same as the Alice OF our imaginatlons
and the pictures in the book, is intro
duced falling asleep in the big arm
chair with her cat purring beside her
She has Just tried hard to understand
the intrcacies of chess game cX-
planned by the Rev. Lewis Carroll, and
the conversation has turned to the
more interesting subject of what mys-
teries lie on the other side of the look
ing glass.
When she falls asleep the White
Queen appears and calls. Alice steps
fearfully through the glass, now bat
p faint mist, and is Immediately
taken in hand by the didactir Red
Queen After being whirled about end
badgered by both royal ladies' she
meets the irresistible society ion, the
White Rabbit. When he droos ris
gloves in his supreme effort not to dis
appoint the duchess, Alice is whirled
into the hall with many doors and
has to drink the magic fluid IN order
TO grow TO a suitable size. IIumpty
Dumpty gives sage advice and Alice
finds herself listening to the uaudlin
songs OF the Mock Turtle by the sea-
shore. There is the dance and the
tales of the Useful Writings and Alice
enters the March Hare's garden in
time for the mad tea party.
Next comes the weird croquet game
with the famingo mallets and the hu-
manly unstable wickets in the Garden
of Flowers. The scene that follows
show the Knave OF Hearts being tried
for the theft of the tarts, and after
Alice has become thoroughly disgust
81 with the woful lack of sense dis
played by the court and jury and has
denounced them all roundly, she finds
herself again in the armchair and just
awake ir time for tea.
Vivian Tobin was wholly delightful
as Alice. Her easy, unconscious,
spirited manner OF playing showed an
ability rare. indeed. in player OF her
years. Such performance would be
highly creditable TO hosts Of actresses
who have maintained that doubtful age
which stamps the "ingenue type" The
Red Queen and the White Queen were
well played by Florence lie Clerq and
BernlCe Golden. lnllTCu lldulcE oI-
dered everybody's head off beautifully
as the Queen of Hearts, and Frederick
Annerly made a most imposing king
Tommy Tobn made the White Rabbit
the ioyous caricature he should be, and
Godfrey Stein wept wonderful tears
as the Mock Trutle before assuming
the lofty tile and manner Of the Mad
Halter.
Every one will love the poor Dor
mouse. for j. Gunnis Davis falls asleep
most admirably and wears a proper air
of detection. Even his poor tummy
sags. Walter Kingsford manages to
achieve staggering effect OF hauteur
by his impersonation Of the Frog Foot
man. which wa also felt. although pro
duced by different methods IN his
hooka smoking caterpillar.
All of the cast, however, played with
spirit and good effect, so that their
work. the strikingly effective scenery
and the interesting musical interpola-
tions bv Eric Delamater combined 70
make the production a wholly delight
ful entertainment. lose Of us who
cannot bear to think of Lewis Car
rolls books as anything short OF
mastery burlesque of the poets and
public personages of his time. need not
shy at this production. As for the
great majority, they will tiLd certain
pleasure in reviving old friendships
and the kiddies will love j.