Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-06-20
CONCERNING
THE BOOK OF JOB
By WALTER D. HICKMAN.

The thunder roared out of the Heavens.
A voice in the whlrlwind spoke
Job lifted his arms toward the voice
and whispered his faith.
Darkness then covered the Murat sta ge
and lights appeared over the heads of the
two narrators. Judith Lowry and Eliza
beth Patterson spoke the lines which
brought to an end a performance OF
The Book Of Job" by the Stuart Walker
Players at the Murat yesterday afternoon.
Slowly the big curtain came down.
The house lights went up. Men and wO-
men without applsuding walked from
the theater in serious thought. 0ccas-
sionally some one would whisper.
Wasn't it beautifuI?" or Too beautiful
for words"
That tribute Of a great IndianaT oils
audience to Mr.. Stuart Walker. who pro-
duced this beautiful sermon taken from
the very pages of the Bible. has never
been equaled in this city. The sight of
members of the audience. an audience
which filed every seat in the big house,
on leaving the NIurat yesterday will lin
ger with the writer as the finest tribute
ever naid 70 Mr.. Walker for bringing to
Indianapolis in the summer time perform
ances Of spiritual worth and beauty.
Sometimes we may fail to express our
individual joy Of the artistic efforts Of
hesitate in saying that Mr.. Walkers pre-
sentation Of THE Book of Job" yester-
day afternoon at the Murat is the pro-
ducers finest achievement on the stage
In the hands of Mr.. Walker, the char
acters Of the Bible came to life; the
words and passages take on anew mean
ing: the suffering of Job reaches the
heart Of men and women-in other words.
Mr.. Walker has visualized the Bible with
tender reverence and with love. The
Bible is spiritual poetry and the stage
presentation Of this section of the Divine
Book is safely done by Mr.. Walker and
his associates.
Although this IS the first time have
seen ''The Book of Job it has been pre-
sented on three occasions during other
seasons in Indianapolis. 1t is not neces-
sarv that I enter into a discussion of
this work. I will concern myself with
the work of those who appeared.
Judith Lowry and Elizabeth Patterson
were the narratOrs. The first spoken
word of the afternoon was uttered by
Judith Lowry. and who also uttered the
last word. Her voice whispered the less
tragic part of the story Then Eliza
beth Patterson. speaking from a nook
uttered the more dramatic passages in q
voice full of dramatic fervor.
Then darkness came. A light shot from
above and Job in his misery and doubt
was revealed IN forlorn attitude in the
presence OF his three comforters-Eliphaz
Bildad and Zophar. To George Gaul as
Job falls the credit Of a masterful per
Torrance. which for spiritual beauty and
intensity of feeling, has never been
equaled during my experience Of over
fifteen years in handling the stage.
GaETs voice seemed to reflect the doubt
and the despair OF Job. Every word
was uttered clearly and yet the whole
resembled beautiful music-at times
tender and then~as If a pipe organ were
bursting with fury and hate. Mr.. Gaurs
Job will stand as his crc~ning effort or
the AIurat stage. The work OF this fine
actor viii hnger in the memory OF those
who were able to get into the Murat
yesterday as the inspired dramatic
treat of the season,
George Somnes, John Wray aud Aldrich
Bowker were the three comforters and
each read his lines with perfect under
standing. L. Estrange Millman as Elihu
met effectively his big opportunity al
the close OF his argument with Job.
II was a great privilege to hear and
see this performance yesterday afternoon
which was given under the auspices OF
the Indianapolis League OF Women
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