The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-03-31
|LAURELS TO THE
ST. PATRICK
PLAYERS
BY FRANK BAER.

r
mystical grandeur as the great
est of dramatic themes" demands
and interpreted by a cast that
grasped the spirit Of the ages,
1.-THE Holy City," as presented
last night at the National by the
st. Patrick Players, stands as q
monument to the Lenten season
a tribute, indeed, to the endeavors
Of the Reverend Francis J.
Hurney and those associated with
him in the production.
There is about this st. Patrick
Players mounting Of the Ben.
nett-Alcine version Of a tale, told
and fe-told a thousand times,
varied and vigorous touches Of
fineness. 1t has a wealth of
Oriental color and design; it has
oracular beauty: it possesses con-
trast of a true dramatic type; its
line of action is compelling and
direct; it mixes the great love
and contumely Of those whose
high places were endangered by
His spiritual philosophic science.
And the deliberateness Of the
staging of the Biblical spectacle
makes Of 1.-THE Holy CITY," the
glorious masque of mankind's
coming of spiritual age that has
inspired poets and composers
from the days of st. Matthew to
those of Jules Massenet and
Gabriel Miro.
To begin to pay salutation
where salutation is due is a diff
flcult duty, for the play is or
dered in dramatic sequence by
a cast of $50. Helen O'Neill is
the tragic Elizabeth, mother of
John the Baptist, finely done by
Denis Connell. Airing Alcine is
the stalwart Marius, defiant,
handsome, the lover of Salome,
interpreted by Estelle Murray
with all the catfish deception the
character has come to possess in
successive readings. Arthur
Whites Herod has the right shad.
ing of regal righteousness; his
reading of the role is superb, and
contrasts ably to the haughtiness
injected into the brilliant Hero
dias of Aileen Mize. Malchus,
done by Orme Libby and Caiphas,
the High Priest of Maurice Jarvis,
are two difficult pieces of vii
lianry made to live through the
well-etched lines and gestures of
these two players. Luke Fegan,
with fine vocal display, is the
stately, but forgiving Nicodemus.
Ralph O'Brien's Andrew con-
vinces. ConneIIs Plate has all
the egotistical vices missing in
his John, and Mary Haltigan's
Magda1ene emphasizes the fate
Of woman caught in the whirl-
pool of desire. Miss Haltigan is
a lovely vision in white. one you'll
remember long and tenderly.
There are scores of lay figures
in addition to long line of speak.
ing personages. Too, "The Holy
City, has haIf-hundred chanters,
and a full ballet, utilized in the
palace scenes when Herod de-
sires relaxation from affairs OF
state. Throughout the action in
cidental music. excepted from
Massenet's MARY Magdalene"
enhances the nuances of mood.
and the costumes, appointments
and simplicity of settings combine
to give "The Holy City" dis
tinction Of a very high and un-
mistakable order. These assist
ing players contribute much to
the glory of the production; they
build beautiful tableau effects
and Alcine has grouped these
figures in excellent taste.
Nohing as impressive in funda-
mentals as 1.-THE Holy City" has
been done in Washington for
many months. It has magic of a
kind Morris Gest put into 1.-THE
Miracle" but yet the gentle and
golden simplicity of the produc-
ton, freeing it from stilted osten-
tation, raises it to a level of
serious splendor. as it brings to
life a spirit all-pervading, omni-
potent and redolent with the. es-
sence of life above and apart
from the way of all flesh.
With a final flourish, extend
congratulations to the Reverend
Francis J. Hurney and his group
Of associates.
"Mary Magdalene' will be
played tonight, Thursday and
both Saturday performances by
Marjorie JOesting, and the We'd
nosdaV afternoon will have Esther.