Evening star., 1920-12-06
ADJUSTMENTS
BELASC0-"The Lady of the
Lamp"

1t is not spectacular wonder of
musical comedy, but a fascinating
Chinese Romeo and Juliet tragedy
designed the scenery for and pre-
sented with his own incidental music
to very large audience at the
Shubert-Belasco, Theater last night
with resplendent glow of colors that
made the eyes water. It is "un-
usual" as claimed by Mr.. Carroll,
because although realistic dream
story, 1t; has not had its counter
part since the days of George c.
which probably surpassed it in the
beauty of ifs poetic conception and
diction. and .salso because the dream
in which 1t vas conceived was SUPER
induced by the opium pipe. which,
perhaps. may be Questioned as sin
posed effortssof the modern blue laws
promoters.
Yet. withaA IT. is Interesting. ex-
cellent entertainment and will un-
doubted1y proveFa drawing card te.
Washingto1 theater-goers. as it long
was to the entsrtainment hunter ir
tHmed and staged and in every detai'
an impressive cast presented an eff.
fective performance.
PrecededA and followed by a rather
perfunct4ry discussion as to the
merits demerits of opium as a
creature comfort, as compared with
the substituted that have been en-
balmed by the eighteenth amendment
TO the Constitution, the play proceeds
to It's purpose of putting the Chinese
contention to the test by indulging
dreamer. who still wears his overseas @
Identification tag riveted to his wrist.
In "a try at the pipe" under proper
supervision. At once, the carved
image OF a young woman above the
couch in which he reclines, who is
supposed to represent "the lady Of
the lamp" the SOUL of opium. is
ylvified in the visible form. Of Eileen
Wilson. and, with a sort Of magical
veil transports the sleeper to the gar
his couch a sort Of imperial throne
and himself transformed into the i'm
per1al Parsonage. with imperial Off
GERS and attendants all chosen from
is ms arcfe OF friends in, New York.
a fiery demand from the fiehtine
Manchu emperor of the north for gold
and silver tribute and q lily from
the garden" of the peace2iovine em-
peror OF the south. The demand is
-
with the imperial pen, but the deliv-
cry OF ''the lily" is deferred until the
rising OF the moon from behind the
yellow hills. But "the lily" proves to
pc the young. innocent and wondrous-
" beautiful daughter of the rich man
DARN Lao Tzu Chung. who so fasci-
mates the whilom emperor of the
south that he resolves not to give her
np. but TO- make her his empress, re-
s,snns the Manchu with all the power
tya
Chung. The young dauehiep M ha9 ibt fht
Princess T.fen Tao, finds the words oi
tne emperor 80 delightful that ever
sne NAG eaten honey to the full
from this point to the climax of the
cream. when the young princess life
is crushed out while imprisoned in
Inc palanQuin in which she was to he
conveyed to the, Manchu emperor
most wonderful love story the world
has ever known," there are thrills
some of them blood -curdiing, surprises
and incidents of the tensest interest,"
untli young White awakens from his
dream. i'll and confused, in the New,
York room where it started. and a re-.
incarnation Of T'ien Tao Is found in
the daughter OF a dinner guest Of his
host Chinese gentleman.
The comedy is furnished by the droI,
JSSeicHS VI oldulcy BaFFaff a
rather likable ypunE friend of White
VINO. In the dream, as minister al
state, becomes an exotic creature 1ikt
unto the hero of The Yellow Jacket y
9nd also BY the 'dazed condition n,
White, both as emperor and after.
Waro. wnich causes him to people his
dream with characters created by his
own friends and acquaintances.
A notable bit of acting is furnished
by Henry Herbert as the Manchu
II
William Raymond. both as the youne
friend of White snd as the C6inese
minister OF state. is also good. while
Eileen Wilson's portraiture OF the
anfortunte young princess is yery
delightful Brandon Hurst. is also
good az the Chinese gentleman who
makes the dream possible and as q
doctor and phifosopher at the court
Of the Emperor of the South. A
haunting melody" the Princess
T'ien Taos love song, which runs
through the music Of the play, 10 a
strong reminder OF The Darling OF
11>Sz