The times., 1898-12-20
AT THE THEATERS.
Lafayette-"rhe Second Mrs. Tanquer

Art-high art-generally counts for very
little on raw, rainy night Just before
Christmas In the city of Washington
there are just two things that can fill
a theater such an evening-OlSa
Nethersole or miracle. Miss Neither
sole having been present at the Lafayette
Square and the house not having been
sufficiently crowded to lead one into the
belief that both factors were at work, it
is perhaps only fair to dislodge the su-
perstitious theory and say that the Eng
lish actress drew an excellent audience
yesternight with her production of
Pinero's Second Mrs. ~Tanqueray."
The play was first done here about
four years ago by Mrs. Kendall Then it
left vivid impression, If not altogether
a pleasing one. Often Pinero impresses
without pleasing and sometimes he does
neither, but in 1.-THE Second Mrs. Tan
queray'' he causes one TO remember, If
nothing more. There is in the play all the
keen understanding of character and
all the sharpness of drawing for which
the great London author is noted. Be
sides these predominant qualities there is
vast range of opportunity, some degree
of dramatic strength and no end of witty
conversation. But Pinero never tells "a
story without asking question after it,
and he usually winds up by answering
that question himself In the present p
sentation he requests a reply to his
query-"Can woman who has led a
wicked life turn about and reform ?''-and
then he turns about himself and replies
t1N..t oh
sure to end in suffering and shame and
often in suicide. Perhaps the playwright
is correct in his diagnosis and perhaps
he is not, but there is no doubt that he is
convincing.
After all. the piece is not so much a
problem as one might think and it is a
great deal more physical than psychologi-
cal Its heroine is essentially a human
woman. and IL is because of this fact that
audiences invariably feel sorry when she
fails to take advantage of the chance her
husband has held out to her. In watch
ing the caprices and oddities of that hui
manity one forgets that the effort is mere
ly a dramatized sermon, that it Is more
than half verbal. and that there are other
defects in point of construction He only
remembers that Mrs, Tanqueray and
''The Second Mrs. Tanqueray" are i'm
pressive.
Olga Nethersole is a better actress than
Mrs. Kendall. and is therefore nearer per-
feet in the exacting title role. Miss Meth
ersole has been often morally bad in her
plays of late-she is bad in Carmen" and
Camille and in o,.er things-but she
Is always convincingly so. Being bad
with Miss Nethersole doesn't mean smok
ing a cigarette, sitting on table and
talking while the orchestra plays the
,i,i, firs4
about her art that she is able to decide
one regarding her character by the slight
est movement or the lightest word. and
the spectator understands her in this
drama as he might understand no one else.
She is more real than realistic. and yet
her Mrs. Tanqueray is as much between
the two as is her Camille, which. 1t Will be
remembered, was no nearer the one thah
it was to the other. Miss Nethersole is
a consummate actress and she really eX-
cells in her present effort.
The supporting company is very Eng
lish and very good, albeit that ii does not
always know its lines perfectly. 7. B.
Thalberg is the leading man. and he will
be an excellent one when he learns how
to walk. He has a fine voice and acts
intelligently w. Graham Browne and
Hamilton Revelle both made favorable
impressions, while \. S. Homewood .cX-
aggerates in an attempt to enunciate
clearly with his voice and expressions but
still manages to get through difheuit
talky part very well. One of the best
character portrayals of the evening was
the old doctor Of Fred Thorne, to which
Leonard Outram and Charles Wellesley
afforded very able seconds. Good people
supremely good people-are always unin-
teresting and tiresome on the stage and
off, so that in calling Madge Mcintosh
wearying one may only be accusing her OF
being faithful to her role. Cicely Richards
and Miss Emmerson did we'll with smaller
opportunities. Carmen" will be acted to-
night.