ARTISTRY IN WALKER'S "BOOK OF JOB"

Nothing finer in the combining of all theatre arts has been seen in Boston this year than the impressive "Book of Job" done by Stuart Walker and his company and brought here under the auspices of the Wellesley Club of Boston. The play is being repeated in a series of daytime performances; the first and second yesterday and Monday; today's at the Plymouth Theatre at 3, and at the Wilbur again on Friday at 3 and Saturday morning at 10.30. The Wellesley Endowment Fund should profit heavily as its reward in giving the city this rare opportunity.

From the great human Bible poem, questionably dramatic, though mightily poetic, Stuart Walker has fashioned a stageable dialogue, shaped it into ordered climaxes, and presented it in a visible form of the greatest beauty. A dual prologue sets forth the circum- stances. Job himself, on his ash-heap, discloses the tortures of his body and mind, and listens to the pronouncements of his miserable comforters. Eilhu comes at last with youthful words of sympathy; the Voice of the Whirlwind makes known its will, and the Epilogue relates of Job's reward. That is all; no action, only dialogue in long and little divided recitation. Yet it is so built for contrast and emphasis, so perfectly tuned, set in such a superb harmony of color, light, and gesture, that it carries the audience in inspired suspense through on unbroken hour and a half.

Mr. George Sommes, as Job, uses a trained voice, feeling gesture, and deeply thoughtful modulations, to bring subtle variety of mood and thought into an almost motionless stage-picture. Scene follows scene with scarcely a change of position, each motion of arm or body being made to serve for deepest significance. The three misunderstanding friends, and Eilhu too, are individualized and play their parts each in perfect key; this must be, or the play would never carry. The lighting, mechanically perfect, seems to grow from the characters themselves, shifting with their mood, and always throwing the picture into the most appropriate emphasis. The simple costumes are perfect foils for the light; incidental music and even off-stage devices for thunder, all play in the closest and most unobtrusive harmony. And the Bible story, growing visual before the eyes of the audience, takes on a human touch and significant beauty that even its perfection of written language cannot give it