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Show EXPERIENCE' IT THE ORPHEUM IS S GREAT PLAT There are those among theatre patrons pa-trons who, when an avowed morality-play morality-play comes to town, forego their love of dramatic entertainment through fear that the play may be inspired and uninteresting To the intelligence of these. "Experience," George v. Ho hart's remarkable contribution to the American state literature is a direct challenge. "Experience" was presented pre-sented last night at the Orpheum theatre the-atre and to the audience attending the hours it occupied passed so quickly that it could have well seen the play over again without tirinir. And. it is a morality play in its every line, al-' legorical onlv in that the characiers are given the names of the virtues and vices of man and the temptations that surround him. It is an oppor tunity for "youth" to see what lies before him. in startling realistic guise to hear the voice of "experience" utter words of wisdom, and to benefit thereby "Oppon unity," as she says in the play, ' waits for no man ' and the present opportunity given to the local public to see "Experience" and to drink in its great moral truths, is one which It can well be recommended to accept. Avoiding the melodramatic, the playwright or should he be called the, evangelist for he portrays the pitfalls of life more forefullv than is pos sible to do from the pulpit gives his characters lines to speak and situations situa-tions to act out that are no strain on the intelligence of any auditor or spectator to believe natural There is a tragedy in the play and in it an exposition of the heart lessness and wrong in the douhle standard of moral Ity. This si ene, perhaps, is not the dominant one: but it is food for deep thought It occurs in the sixth episode of the play and "Frailty" a girl of the street, talking to "Youth," a youn-man, youn-man, in the "House of Last Resort " "Youth" is down on his luck and the girl is encouraging him to brace up "You know, it does me a lot of good to talk to you it makes me ashamed of myself for wanting to give up the fight" the boy says, in reply to a bit of her optimism "You re a dead came little sport and I hope you IT come to a turning in your road- and you'll leave all the white lights behind you and you'll go on and on to a little cottage waiting for you in he sunset " To this, indicating that she has' long since accepted the curse of the double standard, yet )s still human enough to suffer in helpless impot' ace she replies; under us burden "Don'l Kid please! I gel dreams like thai sometimes, and 1 dream till my heart aches Rut you know what my name is. una mp worm Knows what my i name is, and there ain'l any man will-I will-I ing to call his w ife 'Frailty ' Later she goes her way. entering again the dark byway of life while I "Youth" profitinc at last by the friend-I friend-I ship of "Experience" and saved from ."(Time.' though he has followed ' Pleasure" the full length of the I " Primrose path." by the "never dying I miracles of a mother's love." is brought up from the depth and into the arms of "Love" again. 'Experience' is a reflection of that period of a young man's life when he accepts the game of battle with the world passes t hi ouch the on tests, beaten or triumphant The different stages ot the contest are shown m ten episodes, each teaching! a moral lesson and each being of dramatic dra-matic value. The episodes aie staged in scenic settings, In which are displayed dis-played the work of a gifted scenic artist. One scene, that the carbarel on 'The Prim rose path" is a rare picture of color and brilliancy and the representation of a modern gambling gamb-ling palace in ' The forndors of Chance." a remarkably interesting set ting. The other scenes while less elaborate are of equal artistic finish. fin-ish. To pretty scenes are enacted by "Youth" and "Love" in the opening episode where they part and youth follows Ambition' out into the world,, leaving his sister "Hope," with his sweetheart These two hold steadfast together, keeping the pretty country homestead in its brightest guise to welcome "Youth's" return On the "Stroot nf .. ... ....... , , , -1 iii. 1 1 1 1 , "Youth" early meets "Experience' who at once becomes his "pal" and soon afterwards, at his request, introduces in-troduces him to "Pleasure," a beautiful beau-tiful and handsomely gowned woman "Pleasure" at once captivates the boy: ! and held by her spell, he refuses to listen to the voice of "Opportunil v" and "Ambition" leaves htm. lie accepts ac-cepts the invitation of 1 Pleasure" to meet her on the "Primrose Path" and "Experience" accompanies him. The ' Primrose Path" leads them into the KOlden cabaret and herein. "Youth" meets "Song." "Beauty." "Slander, 1 Frivolity' "Fashion." Excitement " "Decit." "Pride," "Sport," "Style "Snob." "Conceit." "Blueblood " "Travel." "Gush, and 'Drivel." All hae their part in his education and in answer to "asides" concerning them. "Youth" draws from "Experience" "Experi-ence" bits of rare wisdom Describing 'Pleasure" at her invitation, in-vitation, the sage says: "In the light of ages I think, saving your presence dear lady, I think " Pleasure" is but the strain of last night's wine spill Sk. ' 1 ed upon the table cloth. She Is but 8 snowftake falling into the ocean. '"Pleasure, my boy, is the last faint crimson flush which a setting sun has left to die alone in a cold gray day." Later, he says, when "Youth' asks if had heard a remark made by 'Slander," "The wise man is deal when Slander talks She is the snake in Society's garden and her poison fangs are forever fatal to the innocent." inno-cent." 'Die conclusion of the scene finds "Youth" alseep in the aims of "Intox ieation," after having been shown by "Wealth" to throw his money away and escaping the allurements of "P. is sion," whom "Experience" calls iho Queen Regenl of Hell. ' Next comes the gambling room scene in "The Corridors of Chance," in which a groups of gambling surround sur-round a big roulette i.ible and card tables In these groups are "Good Nature1 "Superstition," "System," "Stupid, ' "Temptation," "Caution,1 "Venture," "Despair" ' Chance," "Careless," "Care-less," ' Thoughtless,' a routette dealer, deal-er, a "stool pigeon" and a waiter." "Youth" is introduced to "Chance and thus into the gambling game. He wins a large sum of money and then loses both his winning and original capital. rhe following scene is "The strept of disillusion" where he finds, as "Experience" "Ex-perience" put it, that "fair weather friends have no use for you when there's a storm in your soul." On this street, the boy meeis "Work" and spurns al first his close acquaintanceship, acquaintance-ship, but later seeks him. In "the house of last resort," he earns his first money i as a waiter, and meets the denizens of the lower world fit society. "Makeshift," "Rogue." "Dissolute," "Dis-solute," ' Sneak," Illiterate," "In-efty" "In-efty" ;ind. in this instance. "Law " and "Grouch" His conversation with dolence," ' Rascal," "Frailty," "Pov-' "Pov-' Frailty" is the one bright spot in his life during this episode and Incidentally In-cidentally that dialogue is the most vibrant bit of heart interest In the play. The "fair-weather" friends of "Youth" come into the "Mouse of Last Resort" as a slumming partv. 'Frailty' -teals the pocket of "Wealth" in payment for a kiss and in attempting attempt-ing to protect her, "Youth" narrowly escapes the hand of the "Uaw" and losses his employment. When he walks with '"Experience " Still his good friend, down the "Street of Remorse" and meets "Delusion ' a kocalne fiend He follows "Delusion" pinto the "House of Lost Souls" and is ihero introduced lo "Habit," Degradation" Degrad-ation" and "Crime" This scene e the most dramatic of the pla After partaking of a "shot" of co ca ne, Youth" follows "Crime" to ' obtain more of Ihe drug. lie happens however, to pass through "The Street of Forgotten Hays." and is saved bv the memory of "Love" and his dead mother He commands "Crime" to eave him and then takes up his journey to "The Land where the Dreamer awakens" and there is welcomed wel-comed by his sweetheart Ixive " So nearly perfect is (lie company gen at Orpheum thertre last n,ht aal ..one 01- ,he value of the splendid uies of Mr, Hobart s play were lost to the audience. In view or ih , portame 0f their roles and the ex-ceptiona ex-ceptiona excellence of their readine and acting, however, several nW hers of the large cat'deserp, mention Nagel, in the role of "Youth Played fine abilities as a juvenile being ; equai to all the changes of mood 'V 1 role made subject Edmund Elton as "Ehcperlence tag also the stage director W; s balance iu.H of ,hr. f..)sf "CM pretaUon - rhe penned philosophy f the playwright gave it its deeneat meaning and. with the finished act ng 01 8 master player, ,,lad! acter vital with life. Several of hlJ preachments fairly electrified thf faience and proved him well fi to head the admirable BMtTciSH abi5rLaJ Y?Uth'" played lie ofmood to which thUhU& Blueblood." "Despair" and "Pov-erty, "Pov-erty, is consecutive scenes nro ' ' haracter actor of snlenrii i rmed a 1 aiakeua char JSS?!V,d "f splendid t;,..m. u ' ' "''"r ssr, ?'S?r?; ' tured readers that has been heard la local stage, a beautiful woman 8 finished actress, made "Pleasure' wonderfully tempting creature Sh-1 shared first honors among the ladiri with Florence Flynn, wh'se charact ization of "Frailty" won not onlv pWi but respect from the audience. Others Oth-ers whose work was exceptionally e cellent were George Perry a "Grouch." Albert Gran as "Wsalifc "'Kdward Silton as "Delusion." -kM Thorn as "Work." John Harringtol as "Chance." Edna Fenton as "Lve and Duncan as "Ambition." |