Evening star., 1928-05-06
RI PHH.ANDER JOHNSON.

the Walter Hampden ell
gagement was necessarily
"CaponSacchi," whose ia
NOUS origin gave it an intense in
terest for those willing to take
their theater seriously. The play
Is a uarvelouSly revealing inter-
pretation. While benefiting bril-
Iantly by the diction of the poet,
It paints the characters from
Browning's The Ring and the
Book" with such intense human
ity and shows situations in pic
lures OF such unhes:tating horror
that all the arts Of melodrama it
self appeared to have been uti-
IZed. The effect is so proportion
ate that the stroke Of the theateT
becomes the more artistic because
of its boldness. The traits Of each
character are magnified into what
seems, for the moment. a super
humanity. Each role responds 70
the stimulation of events with
such direct accuracy that it be-
comes a reflection of undiSguised
nature. basing its action on hu-
man impulse stripped Of hypoc-
risy.
Guido is most villainous Of VII
lains.
Caponsacchi is most sanity of
saints.
Pompelia. made vital and vivid
by beautiful Edith Barrett, sweeps
the audience into fullest SYM
pathy with the attitude Of the
priest as he adores her innocence
and pities her telpleSsnesS.
The role Of Pope Innocent XII,
enacted by Stanley Hewlett, re-
nected great intensity OF feeling,
as grave moral responsibility
for decision, involving life anu
death. was met with so much dig
nifty and poise.
The working out of the play
sn1Dloys the technique OF the the
ater in infinite detail. Both pro-
logue and epilogue are used with
great artistic responsibility. The
action on occasion reVerts from
the present scene for an explana-
tory course OF narrative, intenEi~
fying the interest as the earlier
theme lis resumed. The rareSt
skill has been employed in fash
ioninF the drama TO beautiful
completion. Browning's poem
may be said 10 resemble the block
of finest marble which holds with
in it a perfect statue. awaiting
oriy the cunning hands Of those
who carve and polish.
The balcony scene in Romeo
and Juliet" was very long consld-
cred the utmost possibility IN ex~
preston OF its kind. Then came
''Cyrano de Bergerac," and Ros-
tand was credited by many STU
dents as having produced a bal
cony scene that eclipsed the art
of Shakespeare himself. It re-
mained for "Caponsacchi' 70 in
terpret, in a still more wonderful
way, the emotions Of the boy and
girl lovers, capable Of ideaiisn.
which wise and wicked Old heads
had lOng ceased ~ comprehend.
she st the window and he stand
ing below In reverence. The scene
strives for no artiflce in action CT
situations. II ls disclosed with
such rare beauty as TO place II
higher IN recollection than any
Ike IL that has been before
The type u character is not un~
Ike Romeo as 1t moves through
the story ~ an ardent boylsh love
which leads 10 tragedy. II Is.
however, far more delicate af5
ethereal, ss it matches the charac~
ter u Pompiiia in refinement of
Eoul greater than that VI Juliet
herself.
84z
Tne cezterity with which COM
fcy Ia employed is one ri the ad~
H4tfabie points. both in writing
auc representation. The gayety
which cannot be repressed as 1T
echoes the rhythm of the youthful
heartbeat affords q glimpse into
The nature VI the man whose hui
man impulses, clean and bnOyant,
could not be- suppressed even by
the severe garD If the priest. Mr..
HampdeD III usually associated
with austeritieg, YET Gcaram0uche
himself could not have been more
gracefully merry than Cap0nv
aaeeili disguised for bit of
elognlng among the carnival
Thongs. The close friend Cont
vino though faf and old shared
these prank. by his loyal and