Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-05-07
ADJUSTMENTS
Relasco,

-ovsr the Hills" in which David
Bslasco presented Frances Starr at the
Bslasco Theater last night, is described
a. . fantasy play. The announcement
at once points the way out for those
accustomed to make measurements and
take rsckonings to ascertain whether
a course Of thought 10 logically pur-
sued It 10 no place for the analyst
who deals in materialistfc quantities.
It Is a drama of the superpsychio
metaphysical subconscious type. Even
more descriptive adjectives could be
employed: as many. in fact, az Polo
MUS himself used in announcing the
players to Hamlet; and with about az
much actual enlightenment.
The play is by Hutcheson Boyd, but
the methods Of Belasco that they over
whelm the impression of creative re-
sponsibility The literary and poetic
art is subordinated to the pictorial eff
feet of which he Is so distinctively .
master Historically considered, the
play has little to boast. Efforts to
round out periods are in evidence,
but they are obvious and labored.
Rhetoric Is not Indispensable. Some
times 1T IL seriously in the way. But
of terse. simple, even colloquial direct
ness should prevail. This element of
directness is supplied in tho character
OF Gideon" the intensely unpleasant
vein Of comedy introduced by Arthur
Hohl. q rural specimen of bumptious
young business man. The main story
does not depend on these. nor on the
role Of Selma, tho broken-spirited wife
OF Gideon. NOR on Eve. the girl who
marry another. The main story is a
little ghost story. told with the warm
kihdliness OF fairy tale. Instead Of q
fairy godmother. the orphan boys real
protect her son, not only in his
physical comfort and security, but in
the enjoyment Of pleasures that child
mood holds SO dear and that maturity
20 soon forgets.
The suggestion Of sentiment is so
poWerful that the human side Of the
story Is subordinated. The theme is
superhuman. Supreme affection brings
the parent back to earth to cherish
ana protect the child. and to clear
the scenes Of youth. The return is not
faltering and incomplete as with Peter
Grim. but real and physical: not stop
ping At the subtle influence Of unseen
csress Ran as you may that it is
abSurdly impossible, you cannot deny
that deep abiding wish that IT might
De true. Frances Starr plays tho role
o1 tuo hCtn6r with D0dUtl1Ul QlCt1OQ
ana graciousness of personality. Her
speeches are long and numerous, but
she 'sustains them with appealing SYM
pathy. Ramsey Wallace plays the role
OF Boy exceedingly we'll.
To this topic of fantasy. as fantastic
In a serious vein as Peter Pan" is in
Its humor, Mr.. Belasco brings his great
resources as a master realist. No
stroke Of stagecraft is absent that
might help to lull the reason and con-
vince the Imagination. II seeing is
believing" then every word of what
Mr.. Boyd has told US is uncompromis-
1agly true. Humble as the subject is,
the farmhouse, interior and exterior, Is
made a revelation of superb pictorial
stagecraft, which eliminates in the
third act, where the top of = hill, white
with quartz and overgrown with flow
ers. 10 depicted at daybreak. 1t is a
strange play; contemptuously defiant
of common sense in the conventional
acceptance Of the term. In the use Of
the ghost, Boyd and Belasco have OUT
0hakespeared Shakespeare. But 1t is a
sweet, appealing ghost and a benefi-
cent one. The succession OF Incident
is slower than it should be, and than
IL probably will be after this week.
In the event of the plays permanent
success Broadway will surely hear once
more the oft-repeated protest. nobody
but Belasco could have put 1t across"
T.