The Washington times., 1915-03-23
BELASCO.

1t appears to have been left for oliver
Morosco to discover the fourth dramatic
dimension and to give, with the height
Of originality the breadth of theme and
extreme depth of sentiment, a spirit OF
undying novelty to his productions that
present them with new high lights every
time they come before an audience.
At least this would seem to have been
demonstrated to one OF the largest audi
enees Of the season at the Belasco Thea
ter last evening at the presentation for
tho second time here. and in its fourth
year on the stage, Of Richard Walton
Tully's THE Bird of Paradise"
There was something else demonstrat-
ed to the big audience also And this,
| too, Is a noticeable Morosco habit. This
season THE Bird of Paradise" Is
Leonore Ulrich. A season or two ago
1t was Bessie Barriscale and before that
Laurette Taylor. In each case it has
| seemed to be the leading woman as
| much as the play that made 1t such n
beautiful poetic drama And the i'm
! portance of each of the young women
who have played the part has been in
no way dimmed by the attainments Of
| the others.
!
peculiar feat of sending eight people out
into the world to play Peg OMy
Heart" in such a way that almost
i everyone familiar with the theater feels
that he will not have seen al, Of Peg
! until he sees all OF them play it-so he
| has done with The Bird of Paradise.
| TO the average, jadcd theatergoer,
uron whose mind has been imposed the
heavy burden of watching crime and
| sex and vice utilize real literary ano
| acting ability that could have been well
| devoted to some other purpose. the dell.
cate romance of The Bird Of Paradise
! comes with a freshness and purity
that cannot but be pleasing. The play
ihe story of which Is too familiar nov
to repeat. has it's sex philosophy-lots OF
II. It has dramatic tensity and its grea
TO most of those who saw her last
night the introduction of Miss liirich
Is one of the really big things that have
happcned in the theater here this sea
son. A personality of great charm, ar
ability to give a correct reading of th'
difficult lines of her part, and with this
the art to present all the lights anc
shades of the complex character OF th'
Hawaiian girl registers so completely
in the minds of those that saw her tina
| Miss I;lrich's future appearances here
in whatever she may elect to appear
will be sure to attract an audience
, | That by the way, being one or I'M
highest developments of the art Of tn
player. A.,
The company which surrounds tn
leading woman Is as carefully balance
} as arc most of the Morosco organtza
tions. William Desmond. long-tim
leading man for his manager at n
; Burbank Theater in Los Angeles.
, the Paul Wilson this year. Mr. oes
mond Is quite able to give the best sor
5 of character study and he makes WI
o son a very human person. paVi
Hartford. as Ten Thousand Dollar
a Dean, May Mckay Lane as Mrs
Sysonby, Mary Grey as Diana. Robef
Morris as Captain Hatch and job
: Burton as. Sysonby are some OF thos
G who gained prominence in big cas-
by the way in which they presentc
p their various characters.
q The production that has been give
The Bird of Paradise this year. pre-
q sents tho same complete scenic spectacl
a and the combination of sensuo'
Hawaiian atmosphere and music this
D, was notable in the original productio
: intensified, perhaps. by the new "
tercst that has been added In the II
o tcrpretation of the story by the new 81
OF thoroughly capable players.
GARDNER MACK.