Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-01-23

a BOLD experiment was made IN
~ the writing and representation
"a of Margaret Schiller. 1t
Il u touched upon new nerve OF
popular interest and one of
pecuIisr constituencies 1t was many
wears after the civil war that strife.
whose incidents were warm in the
public mind. considered avail
able for the purposes of the theater.
Margaret Schiller" takes up the dis
cussion of a war that is before the gaze
of a profoundly agitated world. 1t was
n courageous enterprise for dramatist
even of Hall Gaines intrepid mentality.
To represent the relationship of two
families of opposed patriot sentiment
without arousing cheers or Kisses for
reasons entirely apart from the play it
self was the task the dramatlst set
himself He worked out his problem
with remarkable skill. 1t may be
doubted whether he felt confident of an
instantaneous. smashing success for
the play. viewed purely as popular
entertainment. 1t offered the tempta-
ton of hazard: the JOY of the difficult:
the defiance of routine and the appeal
to the limited circle of technical APP
prec!ation.
Traditional elements of appeal are
looked for in vain. There is no eternal
triangle: no jealous suspicion of do
nestle life: no flag waving in safe he
roles over an issue whose final decision
has passed into history. There is no
lover no sweetheart: not even comic
parsonage to interject some ray of di-
version into the somber intensity of
immutable moral purpose. Margaret
Schiller proceeds on her way to mar
tyrdom through the action of the play
in as relentless march that of the
prisoner to the scaffold. In the crafts
manship of plot Mr.. Caine has shown
his usual facility of incident and sus-
pense. Whether in the expression of
his idea he has wrought with sufficient
poetic dignity to secure to the play
recognition as work of standard val
ue is a question that must be answered
by the public taste, whose conclusions
are arrived at quite independently
either of preliminary announcements or
subsequent reviews.
The play as it was shown Monday
night abruptly defied the frank demand
of the American temperament for de-
nouement which suggests a future of
well earned reward for high-minded
fortitude. The death of e. Margaret
seemed an answer to the can of inevi-
table Fate as the play was then given.
Yet an effort to satisfy the sympathies
of an audience is under serious consid-
Grafton and an ending which summons
-
hope has been constructed. Should it
maintain itself logical and consist
ent part of the story, it will be a tri-
umph of authorship deserving to rank
with the composition of the play itself.
constituted the stellar feature of the
Winter Garden presentation. Support
ing it We're the usual dazzling Winter
Garden array of costumes and enter
tanners. not forgetting the spectators
themselves who merged into the revel-
ries with enthusiastic good humor.
The drama of current thought, the
drama that accepts suggestions of
tioual interest from the first page of
the newspaper as well as from the di-
vorce reports and comic section, was
brought forward only tentatively by
Margaret Schiller" The essential ele-
rient Of popular interest was after all the
playing of Miss Ferguson. upon whose
wonderful ar; and personality there is
no need TO heap further adjectives
Possibly the new play. THE Greatest
may go farther in the development of
the theater as factor in topical dis
cussion. The fact that participation in
current discussion was the function
winch frst developed a theater makes
the present evolution, so apparently in
progress. d reversion to type 1t re-
manned. last week. for the moving pic
tGre 10 come forward without reserve
a. = deiuoast ra lion for the purposes of
prppa ganda. the Battle Cry of Peoce"
asserted positive plea for prepared
mss ia terms which struck straight for
t.. emotions without labofious over
a-CeiN IN dai.i.uce VITA considerations
- arg ana ethics. VI saying precisely
what vas meant the moves have Beat
:ae regular theatcs TO II by several
laps.
Tue changes ln progress offcr some
tI.Hs OF MEDICATION @. the o.G-;inle
gentleman VINO was rallied because
vnen lie attended grand opera he
dozed until the ballet came on Now
II - the ballet first, and With the new
Russian organization nov creating a !
s#nca:iUu in New iorh, and booked |
tor Washington. il - oS.1et all the |
urIe. TIL. colossal dreams OF she most
lavish WaEuerian enthusiast are sur
o.Ssed by the productions OF the Dia-
shIisT Bale; Russo. The custom OF |
Europe was followed last Sunday night
vh-a = repetition generate" was given
fore aU Invitation audience as a pre- |
Nia.ua'y to t.e regular season. Tales |
o. :he orient are unfo!ded amid scenes
o. Iarbaric splendor by an army of
t'aioed people sufficient in numbers TO
a. the house should they take il in |
ai.:d 20 exchange places with the audi |