Evening star., 1919-03-16

ne tense lIIpTeSSlou CEedlcu
by - Rurgomaster of Bel
gium," at it's opening per-
formance on Mon8ax A:EAt
does not mellow in S..sonec-
tion. 1t stands forth with vivid
ness of actual beholding. Such things
were done. The Stacker. or the con-
scientious objector. might easily wish
into oblivion. Perhaps it would be no
more than due those of such mind to
be required to see this representation.
which goes beyond drama and even
poetry and crystallizes into hard, un-
compromising verify. The lack of an
American drama has often been as
serted and deplored. There has been
no need for an American drama until
recently as an aggressive national-
istic influence. If drama of this type
isTneeded. this Maeterlinck play may
"aFlys be taken into our thoughtful
pathy with our national needs and
ideals, as close as if it had been
written by an American for Ameri-
can attention. 1t tells clearly, sue
cnct1y and with neither excess nor
p.Illia ton. why America as a people
seem most worth while to this young
republic are shown in the honest
clean living of the burgomasters s
home. The things which demolish
that home and which threatened
every other home like it are portray
ed with a vividness which would be
beautiful if art could by sheer crafts
manship and truth render beautiful
thing OF utter horror.
s. So So
IL would be interesting to know
" hat the Walter Reed boys who. as
guests of the management. occupied
the inc.:.anine floor on Monday night.
Mere thinking. They were not the
laughing group that thoughtful kindness
has so often assembled for entertainment
of a lighter caliber. They were interested
lighter caliber. They were interested
lutte silence. There were no boyish
pranks and little innocent Interrupt
tions. unless perchance the slight hiss
which greeted the field gray uniform
of the German troops had its begin
ming there. If SO. they were entitled
to it.
A play of the more usual type, as well
presented as this was. would call for
resplendent praises for the actors. The
thought overwhelmS the mechanism of
it's expression. The consummate artistry
Win Wnlcn Il. INdl SWete poTtEdyS tHS
burgomaster causes the fact that it is
art to be forgotten. He is the bur-
gomaster, and every speech comes not
from the voice and mind of the PLAYER,
but from the heart. No actor since Da-
vid Warfield played 1.-THE Music Master
has touched the synpathies so directly
and so sincerely. Miss Irby Marshall. as
the .burgomaster's daughter, was called
upoh for a demonstration of emotional
acting which. if the play were designed
to exploit a star of that type, would set
the columns of theatrical comment ring
ing with acclaim. The structure of the
play revealed her in gradual, uninter-
fupted crescendo, with a storm of i'm
paSsioned agony as the climax and the
finale of the play. Her performance
was a revelation of emotional greatness
such as the stage so depleted of legiti-
mate tragedy affords but few opportuni-
and Intelligent study, the cast being one
to which the stock phrase well bal
anced' may be applied with loftier sig
rificance than is possible half dozen
times in . decade of playgoing.
= y =
The Audiences at the National Theater
entertained Raymond Hitchcock very
highly throughout the week. He shook
hands with everybody and confided his
personal views on more or less abstruSe
topics with amiable and ingenious
franlness Nobody took offense. What
would be the use? 1t was all done in
the name of merriment, a name which
the public in these stressful times cher
ishes and surrounds with special immu-
mites. Mr.. Hitchcock has the magic OF
laughter at his command and buoyantly
defes tlas ordinary rules Of conventional
demeanor PaILANDFR JOHNSON.