The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1902-03-26
STAR SCORES A REAL SUCCESS
The Offering a Vast Improvement, in the
Estimation Of the Columbia Audience,
Upon "Magda"-Mrs. Campbell SPlen-
did as the Heroine of the Piece.
COLUMBIA-"The Second Mrs. Tan
queray," play in four acts, by Arthur
Wing BinnrO


Mrs. Cortelyon. Theodore Wright
Lady OTrcyed. Lillian LiSle
Mrs Patrick Campbell gave a large au-
dience at the Columbia Theatre last night
her idea of the heroine of Arthur Wing
Pfnero's brilliant play, THE Second Mrs.
Tanqueray."
Mrs. Campbell is the Paula Tanqueray.
having created the part in the original
production made by George Alexander, in
London some years ago, but she has been
preceded in this country in the role by
the domestic Mrs. Madge Kendall. who
gave a distinctly commonplace perform
ance, and the emotional Olga Nethersole,
who made a very interesting. and, withal,
magnificent Paula.
There is no question that the audi
ence at the F Street playhouse last night
though. Mrs. Campbell's Paula a vast i'm
provement upon her Magda of the pre-
vious night. and equally sure is it that
she scored pronounced success in part
that fitted her personality and tempera-
ment most admirably.
Pinero's Brilliant Dialogue.
1t would be hard to imagine any actress
with an average amount of talent failing
to interest an Intelligent audience with
such brilliant dialogue and cleverly de-
vised situations as Pinero has provided
Paula Tanqueray with. But notwithstand-
ing this, the widely advertised Mrs.
Campbell triumphed in much the fashion
that everybody in the gathering wished
81
audience. ard it did its very best to like
the star, and it is worth noting that the
star did all she could to make herself
liked There was considerable applause
during the four acts, and at the con-
clusion of the piece. There was 10 doubt
at any time after the commencement of
the second act of the triumph of Mrs.
Campbell in this Pinero Offering. and one
could hardly refrain from wishing that
her management had seen fit to inaugu-
rate the local engagement with it instead
of "Magda," Notwithstanding that this
latter is -eDuted to be the actress favor
lite nay.
'TThe Second Mrs. Tanqueray" was
turned out by Pinero when the problem
plays were considered the thing in thea
tricals, and it has since stood at the
head of the list of this style of stage lit
time yet. Just whether a man should
marry such a woman as Paula and as
TanQueray knew her to be is the problem
submitted. Doubtless had Paula been
possessed of more docile sort of a tenn
per she would have been able to live
down her lurid past. Or If she had been
wise enough to hold her tongue at criti-
cal moments all would have gone well.
But she was a woman of inordinatc jeal
ousy, and rarely failed to permit an OPP
portunity to pass without exhibiting this
fatal-to ner-weakness. Just as social
recogni inl was about to be hers, Paula |
roundl, 5erates Mrs. Cortelyon. she |
makes = u.-pleasant as well as impossi |
BILE for her stepdaughter to live in the |
same house with her, and she further in |
vites an estrangement with Tanqueray |
by inviting Sir George Orreyed and his |
wife-also the proprietress of beauti- |
full past that was quite as speckled as |
Paulas own-to visit her. AS II all these |
displays of lack of tact and temper were |
not enough, when an old lover appears |
on the scene and wants to marry Tan
querays daughter. she tells her husband |
that she and this sutton for his chld's
hand had actually kept house together
before her past had fully commenced to
be an object Of interest.
Some Fine Elocution.
II is fine bit of character drawing that
Pinero has supplied Mrs. Campbell with.
and this portrayer of perfect ladies with
1asts loses not single point. While
The Second Mrs. Tanqueray" is not the
sort OF play that is good for the Young
Person, as dramatic performance pure
and simple ii Is so UNNECESSARILY su-
oerior to ''Magda" that 1t is an actual
ielight to witness the work OF Mrs. Camp
1ell and her excellent associates.
In the final act last night the star
,aptured the admiration of the audience
by her capital reading of the long speech,
n which she dwells on her possible flu
ure as a woman whose charms have fad
I'd. AS a bit of elocution alone il was
natural, and there was alb
olutely no oyer-cmphasis throughout the
engthy speech.
Herbert Warning is a good Tanqueray
md William Burchill and Miss Lillian
isle as Sir George and Lady Orreyed are
IS vulgar as Pinero evidently intended
hey should be. One OF the best bits OF
citing of the performance is contributed
" George Arliss, as Cayley Drummle. q |
,ood- natured bachelor with a proper APP |
'reciatioG OF humor and possessed of suf-
Client cleyerness to keep his own record |
n the background. Lucie Miner seems |
ated to be east in colorless roles, and in |
The Second Mrs. Tanqueray." as in !
Magda.' she is called upon to portray ]
n embarrassing sort OF young girl, but | !
o her credit it should be said that she |
cts all from the part that is possible.
Tonight Mrs. Campbell will play THE | I
Notorious Mrs. Ebbsmith," and in this I
he may be expected to make as big a
uccess as in The Second Mrs. Tanque- I
ay."