Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-02-17
"RlCHELIEU" OPENS
MANTELL REPERTOIRE
Bulwer-Lytton's Drama Well
Acted and Warmly AppIauded
by Crowded House

The elder Bulwcr -Lyttons blank
verse drama. "Richelieu. last night
opened Mr.. N1antelps fortnight of stand
nrd and classic repertoire at the Broad.
where an audience that packed the house
witnessed a very well acted perform
ance, warmly s0plauded the star and
his chief associates, reveled in the
insty romantic situations and were
thrilled by the swelling speeches. The
picce is so Fat" in Electrically effective
scenes and ringing elocutiopary lines
that it can still. after the lapse OF three
quarters of century. not merely grin
an adience momentariy. but leave a
more permanent impression. 1t is the
last OF the neo classic school to sur
viye the tests of theatrical time. even
Delavigne's Louise Nj having this
season disappeared from Mr.. Mantel
repertoire.
''Richelieu" is. of course, highly
artificial in structure and STACY il
characterization, but it is fabricated
consciously and adroitlv. with n very
definite intention to effective points,
The blank verse is sheerly rhetorical.
without tho suffusion OF poetic purple
of the Elizabethans on whom Bulwer
modelled his drama, but it is fluent,
metrical and impresSively couched in
a'poetic diction.'' Buwer had no
dramatic vision seen through ''the
poets eye in a fine frenzy rolling, but
he had a decidedly sharp and sure sense
Of the theatre. and So his "Ri"holieu.
desnite its artificialtics and it's lack of
authentic inspiration. still has power
to hold the stage and win applause.
A goodly and deserved share of the
applause was bestowed on the acting.
Mr.. Mantcl elects to enfgure and in
i, y
as an aged man but also as dccreplt
one. with sudden flashes of olden vigor
and glows of pristine vjvacitv to encr-
rize his waning vitality and totterinS
mower under the onslaughtS Of consnira- e
tors and the moody vacillatious of the
weak Louis NH. In makeup and ac-
ton his Richcliou is n man on whom at
least the psalmist's threescOre and ten
wears impose heavy burden, although
the great Cardinal was actually only
fifty seven at the time of his death
DESPITE the decrcpitude of his concep-
ton Mr.. Mantell made his prince of
the church an impressive temporal
fgure and at times Significant splr
itual one. He launched the curse of
Rome in one of Bulwer' most ceie-
brated passages, in fearscmo way.
Also he injected touches of humor. grim
at times out lpOltT III HIS SUM SUI luS VI
the romance OF Adrian and Julie. till
his Cardinal seemed very human and
very. believable.
Mr.. Mantcll's voice maintains its
varied tonal color and its fiexibility.
He read his verse without ranting or
n,outhins and with 4 nicely proper
toned intonation that gave it a modern
sound. Fritz Lciber. who made Adrian
a gallant and chivalrous hero. also had
the quality of living speech in his de-
livery. Most of the associated players
adopted the measured delivery of old
fashioned stage convention in their
readings. Genevieve Hamper as Julie,
Guy Iiudsley as Francois and Henry
'Buckler as Friar Joseph. the Cardinal $
familiar. gave appropriate impersona-
tions.