The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-10-24
Birth of a Nation
Tells Story Of
Reconstruction DAYS

THE Births Of Nation the mas
sfruction. concerning which 30 much
has been said and written during the
hast months will begin a weeks en-
gagement at the ,4Academ of Music to-
morrow night. II will be seen here
exactly rs 1t. is being presented In
New York. Boston. Philadelptia. Chi
cago and other large cities. with q
symphony orchestra OF thirty. and
elaborate stage effects. The services
OF fifty people are employed in each
presentation.
Altogether. eleven performances
will be given during the local en-
gaEement OF the spectacle. Except
tomorrow. when tho whole day will
be spent in installing the production
and rehearsing local musicians with
the companys orchestra matinee
will be given every day at 2.30. The
evening performances Will begin at
$50. and, owing TO the length Of the
overwhelmingly thre hours-all the
performances are started promptly on
ttEne.
The company coming to the Acad-
envy Is the one which opened its your
70 = week OF capacity business at the
Colonial Theater. Norfolk, three weeks
aro. 1t is the only one on tour. the
seven others presenting the spectacle
being installed for indefinite runs in
m many large cities in different aec-
tons OF the country.
Put Him In Hall OF Fame.
So wonderful has been Mr.. Griffith's
achievement In visualizing the story OF
the Houth's reconseruction thatcritics
have installed him in the Hall of
Fame as the creator Of new art.
For meny years American dra-
matists wrote able plays OF particular
States. cities or localities. ranging
from Alabama to THE Henrtstta."
and from Way Down East" to "The
Great Divide But no one man
seemed To grasp the whole spirit and
genius Of America until David Wark
Griffith picked suggestion for MS
therne cut Of Dixon's The Leopard
SLots" anG THE Clansman, and
started to ceyeiop it.
a remarkable thing about MI
(;rIffftn's plan is that w IS texeept
for leaders and ttties) did not enter
.Y.t.1 ii Perhaps wcrea Ia cra'npea
rather than afe ed lTes.oHs fietioalAts
and efasnatai.. AT any tala, lie RS
placed speech BY music. ana the Old
fasniansa Stage action ami scenery by
the f,scGogga szsa action Of thousands
1 ar Biaypss the great oas-of Il aors..
ga hfdef. ne STAGED the great bat
tsts struneies and critical ern1' OF
vs. ~ ..adey natural coa5tfiuas a.
n,.arsy ~ possible similar To tbs orig
inal
Nnse aud S.upendous Art.
The result OF Griftith's efforts is
nssw and stIpen1ous art for which
no raqna4e names has been found
.~e4r H. Birth OF a Nation. com hines
ssectan4e romance. domestic drama,
comedy tragedy. music and mechan-
zeal effects into a harmonious en-
safnhse tina. captivates equally the eye
III ana TIE ear. In a presentation last
\ ing two hours and forty-five minutes.
IN eptosnixes the life OF a nation. This
ssssf~ sws.fseSfsing the ofd art could never
f'-s 'rhe obsolete so-caIled stage
.unitfes' are thrown to the winds. and
III min carries the magnificent story
irpB the iutrodnction Of African
1 slavery right down through Civil war
ard Reconstruction days 10 the final
real nnion OF South aud North In
ii I'M bends Of love and peace
Ia Among the distinguished actors IN
B xifK cast are Henry b, WaithaH. Lii
NsSfiMn Essh. Mae Marsh. Miriam Cooper.
s ary Alden Josephine crowell Ralph
n eWt& Joseph Henabery. Raoul Walsh,
eno1A Ertsp. Howard Gaye, George
" nan. Walter Lsng, Elmer CHI
~ M Robert Harron. Eighteen
M people 3.oee hcrsee and no
$50 sOenno W0nt u he
~ IT, ~ nnNOtaican III On ss