The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-05-04
"Experience''
Hobari's Modern "Morai-
ity Play" With Conrad
Nagel in The Role
of Youth

Those who braved the elements
and gathered at the Grand opera
house last evening, probably were
drawn thither more to do honor TO
native son"-Conrad Nagel-who
had been chosen by the producers OF
Experience" to assume the role OF
Youth in what has been heralded as
one of the greatest dramatic produc-
lions ever placed before audiences.
rather than with the certainty or
witnessing supreme excellence IN
one of the two or three So
called morality" plays offered DUR
ing the past few seasons. However
1t may be. appreciation of the ORA
matte and dramatic construction diff
fers as does black from white; and
it may be going contrary to the popu-
lar view to assert that Experiences
would be. more effective II shown as
a motion picture than as a spectacle
calling for speaking parts, and with
actors clothed in variety OF cos
tunes, some Of which could only be
dreamed of as being adornments to
the figures of men and women not
in the ordinary walks of life; cos
tunes to be imagined as being cover
ings for persons SO far UP in the
upper ten or so far down in the
'lower ten thousand as to be be-
yond the educated sight of even the
most ardent disciples of present-day
styles.
George v. Hobart is the author Of
Experience" First, Keokuk had
Maeterlinck's THE Blue Bird"
which was something to be seen,
and seen more than once. In way,
it was morality" play, difficult to
compare with other plays. for there
are no others like it, except, pos
sibly, "Pster Pan" There was a
hiatus in time, and then came Every
woman, a compelling appeal to bet
ter things to be striyen for in the
life Of the sex It's lines were beau
tiful and one left the theater in a
frame Of mind attuned to note
above the ordinary level of emo
tional thought and everyday concep-
ton of human frailty. But Expert
ence' is responsible for no such i'm
questionable effect. Plainly. it is raw
and of the soil. Like the problem"
plays SO popular two or three years
ago, its appeal is to those who de-
light in perturbation OF the under
things of life; and, although, at the
conclusion, virtue triumphs and evil
is blotted out, one questions the
worth of 1t ALL AS a scenic spec
tacle, Experience" excites admira-
ton. Go as far as one will in antici-
patton, stage mechanics and the art
of ensemble always seem to be
little in advance, and this was
demonstrated at last evenings pro-
duction Of Experience" All of the
actors were well drilled and Mr..
Nagel endowed the character of
Youth with measure of boyish en-
thusiasm that was quite contagious
His reception in his home town was
enthusiastically cordial and a
recognition of the splendid manner
in which he acquitted himself.
AS in "Eyerywoman," the charac-
tiers of the play Experience" are,
for the most part, human attributes,
and the performers were ade-
quate in portraying their parts
Much of the responsibility fell upon
the shoulders of Mr.. Nagel, who has
much to expect in return for his
histrionic efforts as
member Of the company. Expert
ence," being largely spectacular
production, the eye is appealed to in
a degree somewhat greater than de-
pendence on appreciation of the art