OCR Text |
Show MBS. CABTEH'S NEW PLAY. Is "Adrea" in Danger of Being-Damned Being-Damned by Too Much PraiseP Is "Adrca" a caso of being damned by too much praise? Suppose a now Shakespeare, Shakes-peare, a new Sarah Slddons wero to arlso In a njght, could moro commendatory Phrases be found for them than those con-ferrred con-ferrred on Mrs. Lesllo Carter and this play by John Luther Long and David Belasco? Be-lasco? The English language has been put to many severe tests, but it is a question If over before Its adjectival range has been stretched to thc limit which many have thought necessary to do Justlco to tho actress and the collaborators, says William Bullock In tho New York Press unless Mr. Belasco is a sadly deceived man he must feel that ho has been accorded accord-ed moro than his deserts. Not only has he ETr Ulmcd an ln,valablo contributor to American dramatic literature, but he has been placed on a pedestal as the ono p layw-rlght on this side of tho Atlantic n haVqua,?d tne wonderful w'ork of Dumas n giving us "Camlllc." True, tho application of a play of "Camillo's" tragic significance has not been mado dl- HCt-,USthc lntent 18 al1 the mo?e man 3 feat In strong insinuation. And what of Mrs. Carter? The extremes of laudatorv expression have been all too scant ?5r pra so of her. Were wo to Uiko tho gen-bent gen-bent of comment on tho actress at iti face valuo sho would stand as the twent -eth century Slddons. and she would k,, conceded as more Intense than Rachel i tM hCvf ,'S .bolmd. to b0 a reaction from ' this hysteria, and t will not work tc tho, beaeliLiJf Mrs. Caxlscar t jJS oMS.I j of tio play. Surely there is a limit of reason rea-son which In filling to thc work of all thrco principals In this production. It Is not friendship, and neither Is It sane admiration, ad-miration, to indulge, a verbal frenzy because be-cause a plnycri shows advancement over previous effort; and It seems like, madness to attrlbulo genius to olther Mr. Belasco or Mr. Long. William Winter has said that tho scrlbo's opinions should bo to himself alone, but it cannot bo that ho places hla ban on an amazing exception llko this. Tho present situation is undoubtedly tho sensation of tho theatric scnaon, and wonder won-der springs as to what will bo said of tho actress when she comes to us again ln a now, role and perchance shows more power In riper maturity. Only ono attl-tudo attl-tudo will bo possible to playgoers going to tho Belasco theater Expectation will bo at the highest pitch. Tho rlso of tho curtain cur-tain will be awaited with moro or lias owe. A performance surpasulng that of all contemporary American actresses will bo demanded of Mrs. Carter. Belasco and Long will be called on to substantiate tho belief In their having written a masterpiece-. And what will be tho result? Mr3. Carter will be appreciated as a trage-dlonno trage-dlonno of exceptional worth, and llkowisa she will bo applauded for saving the playwrights play-wrights from the blight of mediocrity. Still sho herself will not rise to tho towering tower-ing point of anticipation ln tho public mind, and tho wholo performance must Inevitably In-evitably fall short of tho exceeding excol-lenco excol-lenco that has been credited to It. |