New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-19
King Argimenes and the
Unknown Warrior"
Well Given
ANOTHER STIRRING
STORY FOR STAGE
Stuart Walkers Company
at Its Best in New
Production
BY HAYWOOD BROUN

Warrior" q mighty play, was well
given By Stuart Walker's company at
the Princess Theatre yesterday after
noon. 1t was the first performance in
America Of one Of the best and brayest
Of the Dunssny plays. The lrishmsn
has flung back 10 the stage departed
shades of red and purple. But for him
the theatre would have no use for cloth
Of gold, unless it were 20 deck, in
part, the mermaids In the big song hit
Of some second act Dunsany is dis
posed to dispute Ziegfeld's right TO ali
the colors.
He is poet and humorist, but he
bursts into the theatre by right OF a
much more potent title. Dunsany is
the master story teller. Possibly the
poetic strain is not a dead loss; he
might have called his play "The King
Who Came Back" When the play be-
gins Argmenes Is slave, gnawing
bone during a brief respite allowed TO
the toilers. Zarb, fellow slave, thinks
Argimones is 70 be envied because he
was once a king. The only memory
which Zarb treasures in the year in
which he contrived to escape a single
flogging. Memories do not comfort
Argimenes. at is very terrible 10 have
been king"
Yet the two men find that they have
n hope in common. Zarb tells Argi-
menes a secret. "The Kings great dog
is i'll and like to die. They will throw
him 70 us. We shall have beautiful
bones then
A bell tolls and the slaves return TO
their digging The spade of Argimenes
touches metal. tic stoops and scOoping
away the earth lifts great green
sword Of bronze. The god OF Arg
menes was broken when his kingdom
fell, but he prays to the soul OF the
unknown warrior whose weapon he has
found. As soon as possible he seeks
out Zarb and asks him if the slaves will
follow him into revolt. Zarb replies
that slaves will never follow man
who looks like a slave.
III / had o sword would they follow
me-" asks Argimenes. "a beautiful
sword Of bronze,'
Zsrb signs. II wish ! could think
Of things like that" he says. at is
because you were once king that you
can think OF sword of bronze. |
tried 70 hope once that | should some
day fight the guards, but ! couldn't
picture sword. couldn't imagine
it.; | could only picture whips
Argimencs tells him that he has
found sword. Then he bides his
time and in a nugky twilight crecps
toward the guards, who are throwing
dice. The stage is left 10 the slaves,
but with their eyes VIC have no difficult
~ in following Argimenes as he sneaks
upon the soldiers.
This is the way the stage directions
of Dunsany describe this most grip
ping scene: "They continue 10 gaze
into the gathering darkness. They
raise themselves on their knees and
crane their necks. Nobody speaks.
Then from their lips and from others
farther off goes up long, deep 'Oh"
II is like the sound which goes w
from the grandstand when n horse
falls at fence, or, in England, like
the first exclamation OF the crowd At
a great cricket match when man IS
caught in the slips"
1t is even more like the gasp of
the man who has filed a straight flush
for the first time in his life. There
is no doubt about it; Argimcnes has
killed the captain of the guard.
The second act is in the throne hall
Of King Dsrnisk. There is laughter
and talk back and forth between the
king and his queens about arbors and
iris flowers and a slavebuilt garden
which shall be greater than that OF
Babylon. A prophet who is called TO
entertain the court predicts disaster,
but none heeds him except one queen,
who remarks that though he may be
8 clever man she does not like the way
he does his hair.
The King and the Queen pass out 70
the chamber of banquets, and soon the
wine song browns out the chant Of the
low born, which rises from the slave
fields. The stage is deserted save Tor
one soldier. who guards the idol H.
luriel. In upon him burst Argimenes
and his rabble. The guard is slain and
Illuriel is thrown down and broken
into seven pieces.
The King, too, is killed. and then
Areimenes, seiZing Ii strip OF gold cloth
and winding it over his rags, sscends
the throne. lie marks upon the plan
Of the garden that was TO have been
greater than that Of Babylon the spot
where he delved for three years, and
says:
an Unknown Warrior. And let the
sword be laid on its altar evermore,
that the god of the Warrior, wandering
by night Of men do walk by night
from across the grave may see his
sword again. And let the slaves be
allowed to pray there and those that
are oppressed; nevertheless the noble
and the mighty shall not fail to repair
there, too, that the Unknown warrior
shall not lack due reverence
At this moment there comes into tho
room a servant, who is ignorant OF all
,Sst has taken place. 1.-THE Kings dog
is dead" he announces. Argimenes
forgets his strip Of gold cloth, his
crown and his newly won kingdom.
Doyyn from the throne he dashes aud
ioins his rabble in a savage, hungry cry
Of "Bones!" Then he remembers again.
lie losses his shaggy hair from out his
owes and adjusts the bit Of snimmer1ng
sfufT about his shoulders. He mounts
the throne and is once more. King.
Craciously ne turns 20 the servant OF
The Kings dog and scays; "Let him be
buried with the late King"
Rut Zarb finds it harder 70 slip from
slave psychology. The hope engendered
hv tho illness OF the Kings dog was
zoo 6rmly fixed In his mind 70 be dis
iced SO lightly. Majesty he
, n,riY in protest, and the curtain
falls. -, a.. ,-. of
A -,,;,nenes with great power. klo-
n,,eertlv ne pictures the return OF the
49, soul into the body OF the slave.
H. tbe reading edition of Dunsany no