The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1926-10-15
1.-THE MIRACLE" .TRTUMPHS IN
PHILADELPHIA

After months of preparation there
was revealed at the Metropolitan
Opera House in Philadelphia, the
! most gorgeous spectacle of theatre
that has ever been produced in this
vicinity. Morris Costs production
of Max Reinhardt's 1.-The Miracle"
which is playing five weeks en-
gagement in Philadelphia, has over
whelmed the expectations of even
those who heedlessly and carelessly
believe every word that is printed.
Awed by the atmosphere of rev.
erent beauty one by one the first
night audience filed down the aisle
of the Gothic cathedral into which
the theatre has been transformed
and took their places in silence.
No ASBESTOS curtain was there to
cover the stage setting, no bright,
yellowish light reflected from the
usual gilt of the decorations, marred
the dim glow of the gray light
seeping in through the multicolored
prisms of the sixty foot rose
windows.
And then the play began. A lone
sacristan shuffied across the stone
blocks of the stage, wound a great
clock with a chain to the accom-
paniment of screeching. The chants
of choir somewhere in the heights
of the theatre are heard, and slowly
down the aisles passes procession OF
| White Nuns and Black Nuns, OF
Peasants and Artisans, of Beggars
and Rich Men, Cripples and the
Manned come to seek solace and
healing in the Cathedral of the
Wonder Working Madonna. And as
background to the action of the
entire spectacle these professions
move constantly down the aisles,
through the cloisters at the sides
and in the nave.
Through three hours of almost
unbelievable beauty the adventures
of the Nun Megildis are unfolded in
as imposing a manner as ever was
conceived. Lured by the call of the
life outside the cloisters she leaves
her post as sacristan. And then a
miracle is wrought. The wonder
working statue of the Madonna
comes to life, and for seven years
she takes the place of the errant
Megildis. While the Nun endures
suffering, hardship and pangs out in
the great wide world.
AooOp, tho action iC the
beautiful, wondrous music of the
three composers who have COLA
borated to make every n e,
every chord fit the action of
the play Engelbert Humperdinck,
the great operate composer, wrote
the music which is used in the first
and third act. The late Friedrich
Schirmer, known as Humperdinck'
most talented pupil, wrote music for
the entire second act of the American
musical director for the last twenty
five years of Max Reinhardts
theatres and now musical director
of 1.-THE Miracle composed the
Gloria sung in the finale of the
last act.
1t is only natural that in such a
setting only the best acting would be
allowed. And, indeed, the task that
was set before Lady Diana Manners
is to be belittled neither in its de-
scription, nor in its outcome. Her
Madonna was indeed of the heavens.
Grace of movement combined with
an ethereal facial expression made
spectators doubt that she was flesh
and blood. Iris Tree, the Nun
Megildis, changed from saint to
j. child. At times girl of sixteen,
carefree, happy, then child of ten
romping and dancing with the other
children to the tune of the Piper,
, then again mother, burdened with
anxiety for her infant, this daughter
of the great Sir Herbert Beerbohm-
Tree, revealed herself as a worthy
bearer of the name of her illustrious
; father and mother.
Mariska Aldrich, a stately and
kindly Abbess; Mikhail Dalmatoff, a
MAD emperor, stricken WIN grleI
and remorse at the murder of his
own son; Schuyler Ladd as the
Prince; Lionel Braham as the Rob
Der Count; Orville Caldwell as the
stately Knight were each a revela-
ton in themselves. In less stupen-
dous production each would have
been hailed separately as superb.
Separate mention must be made of
the grim, striking Shadow of Death
as interpreted by Luis Rainier, one of
the outstanding members of Max
Reinhardt's Deutsches Theater en-
semble. Fritz FIELDS Piper was the
embodiment of evil and demoniaeal
playfulness.
During the week Elinor Patterson,
daughter of the publisher of The