The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-19
AT THE THEATRES.
The NationaI-"The Gay Lord auex

Last night, at the National Theatre,
John Hare and company of English play
ers. including Miss Irene vanbrugh. pre-
scented the most brilliant play that has
! been seen on a Washington stage for a
long time-"The Gay Lord Quex." II is
from the pen of Arthur Wing Pinero. un-
doubtedly the best writer of smart dia-
logue and the cleverest constructor oil
telling dramatic scenes of the day. A
large and distinguished audience accord
ed to Mr.. Hare and his associates re-
ception of unwonted cordially.
THE Gay Lord Quex' Is anything but
moral entertainment and, unlike almost
every other play of its type, possesses
absolutely no moral lesson whatever. II
is Of no value except as an exhibition of
skillful play construction. 1t deals with
a contest Of wit, not wholly free from
passion, between an emotional hussy,
whose single claim to respect is her IN
bounded good humor and her personal
cleanliness. and a man of the world who
has had his ell of rios and license, but is
still alert in the employment of the black
guard and libertine's arts. when they are
useful to him; and 1t ends in a triumph
for the one who is morally the least
worthy.
Even in 1.-THE Second Mrs. Tanqueray,
that clever and powerful and much mis-
understood play of this same Pinero
which set That's in a modern environment
and showed how surviving Puritanism,
without seeming to be aware of her ex-
istenee, summarily disposed of her, there
was something to make ordinary folk
ha6 tnar xr.hfI in 1f he
Wells" everybody's susceptibllities were
gently touched. But there cannot be dis
cerned in "The Gay Lord Quex" any per-
sonase with whom one can sympathize.
no one deed that appears as really noble.
The life portrayed is one of idleness and
vanity; lust and enHui; the salacious
French novel and the dangerous laison
are the pastimes of its characters.
In The Gay Lord Quex'' will be found
new comedy of weight, distinction, style.
verify. and brilliant effect. The sort of
stagecraft displayed in its third act is
only Just now exhibited by Mr.. Pinero. No
other contemporary maker of plays is his
equal From the first to the last it in
terests by its denotement of recognizable
human traits. revealed in understandable
conditions. Its passages of banter fairly
sctntillate, and ye- with it all there Is
not a eagle speech Of forced wit or a
superfluous epigram.
The marquis who gives the play its
| title is a fashionable rake of a little past
middle life. who has fallen in love with
young girl-one Muriel Eden-whoss
| foster sister conducts a manicuring es-
adjustment. She Is Sophy Fullgarney
and she objects to the marquis and sets
about to prevent his marriage with Muriei
| She has heard too much about him from
| her friends in the great guild of ladies'
maids to respect him. Did he not Iiss
one Smith. maid to Lady Humphrey. and
give her tip with the words, There's
a little something for yourself. my dear.
| All Sophy's endeavors to WOO Quex from
the narrow path of virtue which he las
steadfastly Travelled since falling in love
with Muriel prove futile. Sophy, hear
| ing that Quex is about to pay last visit
| to the apartment Of the Duchess Of
| Strood, with whom he formerly had ar
attachment. obtains permission from ths
| Duchess to act as her maid for the single
night. The lights in the apartment have
! been turned low, the Marquis has re-
turned some trinkets of the old love, and
| is about to depart when he learns that
| the manicure girl is in the vicinity, and
| his suspicious are corroborated by the
| sudden opening of a door which causes
her to lurch into the room. She quickly
runs down a corridor. however, and es-
| capes.
This serves to give the dramatist a
splendid chance for his famous third scene
which for audacity has never been excelled
on a local stage.
| Guex sends the duchess from the room
rings for the maid and locks every door
| except the one leading to Sophy's room
which he stands behind as she responds
| to the ring. AS soon as the girl enters
the room Quex locks the door and con-
fronts her. and the desperate game be-
| tween them is begun. SOphy, on diseov-
ering that she is alone with Quex, is at
first frightened. then naughty. After re-
fusing a fortune for her silence she starts
| to go to her room, but finds the door
| locked. The other doors are in turn tried
with like result. Quex is unrufied and
asks what the good people will think OF
her in the morning. girl of her class
| found with a man Of his reputation. She
announces that she has already confessed
! her plan to her foster sister and car
counter his move. But Quex has a story
which he claims will discredit any that
| she might tell. He also reminds her that
her attire is strong evidence against her
| She threatens to scream and he suggests
| that she pull the bell rope. She flies to it.
but does not dare. All the while Quex is
quietly reading, on the sofa. Sophy means
and pleads and finally announces that she
promising letter from her to him as a
safeguard and then gives her the key.
| She is about to leave the room when she
turns and declares that she will not go
| that it's nothing more than selling her
sister to the marquis. She pulls the bell
rope and awaits the coming of the SER
wants to raise what Quex terms "a hula
baloo." The spirit of the girl charms
Duck and he hands the letter to her and
| lets her go.
or course. the play ends, rather salts
factorily. with Quex winning Muriel and
Sophy taking up with a palmist, whose
office is next to her own.
The acting OF Mr.. Hare is a positive de-
light. and as a character study his Mar
ouis of Duck is iawless. He brings to the
role the polished and varied diction, the
air of perfect breeding. the grace and out
ward semblanee of dignity. required to
make il a masterpiece OF mimic art. Such
Characterization is rarely seen, and as a
study for dramatic students and model
for young actors it is unsurpassed Sec
ondary only in so far as the programme
is concerned, is Miss Irene Vanbrugh, the
Sophy Fullgarney of the piece. Her i'm
nersonatlon is truthful, consistent, and
brilliantly effective. The coquetry of the
cockney manicurist. the malice, the rage.
the ioy in triumph. the detection in de-
font are all showed with lifelike faith
fuIness. and the actress triumphs over
every requirement of the difficult and eX-
acting part Gilbert Hare's Frame is a
huoyant unetuous. aud quite picturesque
creation, while Miss Ada Farrar, as the
Duchess of Strood, is handsome. distin-
guished, and possessed Of good deal OF
humor. Miss Louise Noodle showed the
Countess of owbridge to be charming old
English gentIewoman. Miss Mary May
- 70 , conventional Nuriel although