Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1922-01-28
PRICE. FIVE CENTS
"lh,lN y MARVEL IN FANTASTIC
TRAGEDY, 1.-THE EMPEROR
JONES'"

II was related among The ancicn.
GREEKS that u man named promrIbru.
80 provoked the gotls by his unholv M,
bltion to he their equal that they chain
"t NM TO 4 "0"::y ci.::: ..i.,, ,,.t, = WI
'oie TO kna~ ctcrnally at his heart.
ihc Emperor jones'" playing this
week at the Shubcrt-Michigan tlrotn,,
the tragedy OF Il Negro who aSpircJ 20
equal the rascality taught him bv
"hltc"' has some Of the grandeur. the
heroic proportions and pathos OF that
Hellenic legend.
1t is weird and ghchtIy play: not :,
peasant one, yet one tremendously
worth seeing. Oncctsccn It will not w.
forgotten easily. It's settings are doro
with high artistry by Clcon Throrh
morton OF the Provincetown Plnycry
VINO arc presenting it. It's protagonist
Brutus Jones is acted marvclouSlv bv
rolorcd man. Charles 8. Gilpiu
me picture OF that superstition tor
turcd black man is fairly burned, scar.
ed as with Il hot iron upon the brain,
or his audience. Whether it penefratcs
10 thelr hearts probably depeftfs ON
their Individual racial viewpoints.
The play is by Eugene O'Neill. ono
OF AmerlcaE foremost serious play.
"rlght*. In larger sense, It is not
the tragedy Of Brustus Jones alone Dn,
part OF the tragedy his race in America
shatched but recently from SavcEcry ON
~ TO he nodded by mal.treatment.
The story in brief.
brutnS Jones. an exporter on n Phil
man car, who killed Il fellow Negro FIR
SNORING loaded dice; an cX.convi.i,
VINO Killed white guard for beat in.
nun; escaped from prison. has found
ms way to a West Indian island. Thsr.,
after brief partnership with a rec
Ea"" British trader 10y playing upon
tAr &uperSttut:un OF The n.i,i,,.s u,. =
made himself emperor
"''% robbed the natives to the At.
most Planning getaway with wealth,
F'heh he sees them ready 60 REBEL H..
overStaNS his time. ana is forced i
flee their wrath through Il black for
est. In tire forest. such bits e civi,;xa.
ton MS he has picked up in the I'n;tr.,
States fall away from him as his merry.
"$ are proved upon Ivy the prtmi,;y,.
tcrrorS OF thr night by the iur.as.A,
beat ing or the tom-tum drum which in
dicat"s that he is being hunted Cor
death; Ivy ghosts OF the men ne hn>; Xii,
Wlrirh u" In; h""N t"1' III .l,iiGhooN
Ivy dreaming himself IN III" hold Of :,
%inN" Suin: Tx seeing Il wii"u Gu.,r,
with an H'li"Itor "ri
Thc bullets with which hv un. l,ar
CT his revolver 10 rcN,l his iUr.A.nY.
are ali Fired AZ ph0nlvms.. tie u,n1mr:
lost in his ir"ntic flight and run in n
Cirrl" back to Tire mu2Zlv$ OF his Dursu
"rS rifles. II" is slain with >il,,r bul-
lets, having impressed unun The n..t'v.
cS that lchdcn ones will not harm him
This bare outline or the story will
scarcely Indicate the tense drama in
the play. The house is darkencd from
the time his flight begins: all The
scenes thereafter are in scmi-light or
darkness: the monotonouS beat OF the
tom-t0m sounds throughout The air is
charged with suspense.
bad as he is, Jones holds tho symNa
thy OF those who behold his suffcrings
He is so much better than the dcSpica-
Bile white trader played admirably by
Cecil ClOvclly. Flashes OF the h(lno,
which have lighIened the darkest dav.,
Of Negro life make Jones humanity al
pealing. Gilpin plays practically the cr
, tire drama alone.
a curtain raiser, the Province.
town Players give comedy in two
scenes, "SuDprces"d D"sires.' based OF
the recent rage OF pSychoannlysis, very
amusing.
n"trot journal. january 12.l