The Washington times., 1903-12-22
MERELY MARY ANN"
APLAY OF PURE HUNOR
ZangwilPs New Drama a
Delightful Prose Idyl.
PRESENTED WITH FINE SKILL
Eleanor Robson and Edwin Arden the
Chief Figures in an Enact
ment of Rare Charm.

A delicate and sincere play Merely !
Mary Ann" gave deep pleasure at the ;
National Theater last night to an au-
dience appropriate both in size and in
telligence to such an offering. The play /
is the work of Israel Zangwill, and rs a |
fine example Of pure and gentle humor /
il served moreover, to reintroduce to I
the Capital Eleanor Robson, a young
actress in whom beauty of countenance |
is secondary to a rarer beauty of ma
ture, and Edwin Arden. a young actor
of manifest ability and proven serious
ness Of artistic purpose. together with
a group of subsidiary actors admirably
suited TO their roles.
Mr.. Zangwill's later play-he was also
the author Of THE Children of the
Ghetto'-bids fair. in consequence. to
intensity the Christmas spirit in Wash
ington rather than to rival IT, The story
out of which his play is built is an idyl
which deals with the flowers of humble
aspirations and the wide horizons of
human desires rather than the briar
hedges and opulent harvest fields of
which most poets have sung. All the
year round such a story must sound
the finer chords I'm our hearts, but at
Christmas, when theswhole world rings
with benevolence and charity and kind
ness. it makes the best music of all.
A Wild Flower in the City.
This will surprise no one who was
touched by the real spirit of THE Chill
rem Of the Ghetto There was a play
so confidently built of fine thoughts
and so responsive 20 the most artistic
impulses of a fine mind that it assured
for the future many more endeavors to
teach the beauty Of pure thoughts, how
ever humble in their origin, and the
value Of high ideals. however obscure
and misunderstood In that earlier day
the playwright painted with his stage
brushes a picture OF arbitrary racial
laws standing against the truant fancies
of youth and love. Today he has ex-
pressed in another form this thought of
the poet Swain:
4 The sweetest bird builds near the ground.
The loveliest flower springs low;
And we must stoop for happiness
II we It's worth would know.
This loveliest flower grew into the
strength of unconscious innocence in
the heather of a farm not far from
London. where it took on the grace of
wild fern and caught the fragrance of
dialect which suggests a landscape
OF broad fields and tiny streams with
their banks. In London It was thrust
into a box garden. where its grace and
its dialect and the inviting pictures il
limned were almost wasted and lost
But they were not lost at all Instead
they awoke in the breast Of one who At
first scorned the box garden the finer
sensibilities which were being benumbed
in the great city. II is this awaken
ing with the full growth of this wild
flower which makes up the glory
Acted With Great Ability.
A play written in such a spirit play
which parallels in human life the silent
hunger Of the plant for sunlight. re-
quires everywhere the most sympathetic
development Last night il bore the
tool-marks OF the artist at every point.
II was, first. kept true to the author S
text. Ii was. next. framed in settings
which REINFORCED the text and the act
ing And, last, it was acted with such
perception. ability. restraint, and regard
for every important detail. that the
deeper meaning in the idyl became clear
TO every mind in the audience. and the
beauty Of, its pictures bright TO every
eye.
Miss Robson is the hower-a harebeIl
maybe. or a wood anemone The char
acter is closely akin to her character
as audrey and il depends for it's charm
ana ifiEdence. not on the wild enuncia-
ton OF violent passion. but on the love
mess, tenderness. ard mOdesty OF girl
mood Not life in London lodging
house or smut from new polished boots
can either hide these qualities or ron
them Of their pristine freshness. In
such a role Miss Robson shines and
becomes one Of the most attractive
figures now on our stage.
Mr.. Arden is her masculine associate
He il is who first sees below the dust
which besmears the petals Of the flower
His is the glance for which tie little
flower waits in modesty. His also Is
the suffering which for a long time is
part OF the cost OF the flowers growth
And in the end he is the gardener e
whom the flower is given TO be nur-
tured A serious student always. and
man OF acute artistic sensibilities, hs
shines like Miss Robson, and, like her
reaches his hearers with the voice OF
true pathOs.
Art Forgotten in Humor.
Acted by such genuine artists. pro-
duced with so true q regard for letter
and spirit OF the text, and written by
a pen which long ago proved It's char
acter as independent, fluent. graceful
and admirably equipped for the express
sion OF beautiful ideals. il is small won
der that Merely MarS Ann" make.
The tears well into our eyes and the
smiles drive them away as she wills
fees OF art: for no real art can evel
be laughable only. and all art tends tC
the emphasis OF high ideals.
Yet there is no thought Of art in tbs
heart as the curtain falls on Merely
Mary Ann" The audience has gone
too far into that land Of which the olC
poet wrote: ITO enjoy true happiness
we must travel into a very far country
and even out Of ourselves. for the pear
We seek FOR Is not to be found in tbs
indian, but In the Empyrean: Ocean