The Washington herald., 1915-12-08
DAVID WARFIELD AND JANE COOPER,
Belasco.

mad with the delay of storms that he
struck a mate to death. and cursed his
Maker
After her first revulsion Of horror and
fear love prevails and Trintie declares
her determine tion to sail with her lover
Of two hundred springtimes and winters.
While she is swooning under the strain
of her uncanny experience the innate no.
bility Of the Inflated seaman at last
| dominates SELF with the result that he
sends the girl, in her unconscious con-
dition, ashore with a message for her
peace and happiness upon her return to
consciousness, and in his triumph over
| self the name OF his Creator comes
back to his lips in a spirit of humility
and prayer.
| The third act is divided into two
scenes. Nine years have elapsed. Trim
tie is safe and happy in her own home
on the outskirts of Amsterdam. the one
| town In which the Dutchman has never
| been able to make port. There is Trim
| ties own fireside: the cat on the chair;
| the bird in the cage: her little son asleep
| And here, like a final benediction upon
her life comes the Flying Dutchma 7. -
enabled at last through lf-abnegation
TO land at Amsterdam, and bid farewell
10 his alter ego-until the next reincar-
nation. when he Is sure that again love
will claim its own.
For" he declares. II leave nothing
here that / shall not find again.
And SO he goes back to his WAITING
snip; rotting and worm-eaten with age;
and the fiEal boatman comes to row
! him to freedom from his curse in a
/ happier existence.
| TO me-" explains Mr.. Belasco. .tbs
! "1ying Dutchman is very simple fel-
I low. but since the legend will not Der
init him TO be reincarnated. he mus,
! stand outside the door OF life.
/ But is he not greater than any tradi-
ton or explanation? Is he not after all
! the expression of the universal longing
| for home -
The universal longing for home, That
and the faith that love can never die
| but must go on living and finding its
own through all eternity-are the
things for which Mr.. Belasco's new play
stands. and his handling Of the theme
is majestic in its beauty; inspirational
in its character: poetic in its expires.
| sion.
The title role furnishes David Warfield
with an unexampled opportunity for
! that poignant pathos of which he is so
capable. I have never seen moro
pathetic picture than this man in the ex-
PLANTATION he offers Trintie in extenuation
of the sin that brought his curse.
The girl shrinks from him. horror
l
Dutchman committed when his crew
mutinied.
. But there was a new baby and he
wanted to go home" comes the simple
explanation in quiet tones.
| Yet the girl shrinks from murder Of a
lfelIow-creature
And thrice-as though the might Of his
love wiped his record clean-Van Der
Decken repeats the reason for his wrong
lsttfs satt It1s
a lump to the throat of those who listen
to its tragedy.
| The creation of this symbolic character
stands equal to any OF the great stage
portraits Mr.. Warfield has given us 1t
sounds the depths of tragic despair and
scales the heights of spiritual exaltation,
with never departure from a thoroughly
human embodiment. From rebellion,
protestation. and bitterness the artist
raises triumphant the soul of the wander
ing Dutchman. and we watch the
resurrection in rapt interest and admira-
ton. leavi- the theater with a deeper
better conception of life and its ultimate
purpose-an impression created by both
the drama and the spirit in which it is
presented.
Visualzing the girl Trintie. Jane
Cooper gives spirituelle performance.
, the beauty of which is enhanced by her
cameo-like features delightfully."- modulat-
| ed voice. and dainty personality.
In the less vital characterizations are
seen a group of capable players. includ-
| ing Marie Bates. Ernest Stallard, William
Boag, Fritz Leiber. Fred Graham. Harold
Russell, Horace Braham, Master Nc
Comber and others.
To the production of his new play Mr..
Belasco has brought his customary ad-
herence to detail: his aesthetic sense Of
beauty in mounting and his genius in
| achieving lovely lighting effects