Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-22
Relasco.

There were pieces of eight and noggins
of rum and cutlass. pig stickers,
coracles, mainsails, sea boots and a
at the Belasco Theater last evening in
the dramatic presentation of Robert
Louis Stevensons Treasure Island -
There were the Benbow Inn and
Flint's ship. Capt. Billy Bones and
Black Dog. the jolly Roger and the in
imitable Long John Silver, who was dep
posed by being tipped the black spot
c'what FOOLS gone and cut a BibleD.
Those old friends dear to many a boy
and girl who read Treasure Island
when they could hear the surf booming
and the old parrot talking. all came to
life across the footlights last night. II
was like having the wish of ones child
hood come true-that the printed peonje
could step from the printed page and
enact the tragedy of Capt. F1int's hoard
of golden moidores and doubIoons be-
fore ones eyes. And so. with the actors
to do this very thing, and with the
words ready made by Stevenson himself
1t would seem that the greatest task 10.
the production is to preserve the shirt
of the tale. get the local color and b,va
Lo.lg John Silver in the right sort nt
a cove" VI
The task has been well nerforn.d
The horror of little Jim Hawkins ~ ",
told in the opening chapters Of ths
tale, is presented as forcefulIy as ome
would wish in the first act, where CAM
Biiiy Zones dies. just in time to esca ne
the oVerhauling OF blind Pew and his
precious gang of cut-throat nir.t
who drop in by dark of fog and .ncbor =
in kits Hole. The character or Rora.
ho' minstrel parsonage bby any means
be IL said for the benefit OF those Who
have never read the book. is a horrifv,
ing one. With mahogany-hued face
and his roars for rum, he puts into fb .
opening quarter hour all that Steven
son meant when he said: "Bv his owp
account he must have lived he ,;tn
among some of the wick eldest men tha +
God ever allowed upon the .ea Hsrrv
ingram is the actor who turns himself
i :, Iapt. Bones. and a fine bit of work
IT Is. bringing applause for the con.
vincing manner in which he does his
bit OF bullying and bringing and DYING
Long John Silver. the great chsrac
Ter re- OF the story. is acted by George
Fawcett. man of two legs who so
successfully conceals one Of them a,
to rival the original one-IeReed OLD
buccaneer. AS Jim says: Hes the
one ,iessedest pirate of the lot" And
so he was. Mr.. Fawcett knows Johr
Silver well. and presents him finely firs,
as cozening innkeeper then a de.
signing villain, then a bloody nirate
ana then an almost beaten pirate
within half a plank of death-anS
what's worse. of torture.
As the tale turns partly on the wa,
John silver has to jump from one side
TO the other, Mr.. Fawcett has comedy.
Cd a character who does This to per.
lection. Much of the time he carrie.
ms ms real ,,, live parrot. Capt. Flint" OF
his shoulders. but to the disappoint.
Inent or many. Capt. Flint" has moi
learned his lines. and never once doe.
ne scream Pieces of eight. Pieces o.
elSht. however, parrots are not al
ways good actors except for costum,
parts.
There might be more of n fight in tn.
stocka1e, but. on the other hand. tn,
play might give little boys a nightmar,
II there were more backsword and pis
toi work than there is. Also, mother,
who stop their ears when guns go of
may like to learn that the shooting il
Treasure Island" though frequent Il
not so loud as IL might be. Those VIII,
remember the remarkable story OF jim
Hawkins aboard the floating Hispaniols
and his experience with Israel Hands
who chases the boy to the masthead
only to be shot. will be interested t,
know that the episode makes one who'll
scene in the play. and a rather storm!
scene IL is.
Ben Gum, marooned on the islan'
for three years, and still the comedian
OF the whole story. also comes to lit