The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-11-13
TOPICS OF THE STAGE AS VIEWED IN WASHINGTON
Miss Rehan'S Art.
Still as Great as in Dalu'S
Ddu. But Unsupported
bu Personal Charm.
The Remedy.

Washington theaterEoers do not re-
spOnd TO the magic OF a great name.
Otherwise Miss Rehan. in two or her
most celebrated roles. would have NIL
ed the National Theater last week. As
a matter OF fact. her audiences, pre-
possessed by years OF friendship. and
bound 10 her by long admiration. might
easily Rave been outnumbered by an
unknown star. The engagement be
longs with the most remarkable theat-
Tical happenings in the Capital for a
generation.
Miss Rehan's art is unchanged. AS
In the old DAILY days she has every re-
source OF stage technique at her COM
1nand. The articles OF stage manage
ment; the posture OF characters best
calculated TO evoke laughter. or tears.
or tensity: the use OF the voice: the
creation Of what stage managers call
situation" the use OF all those gestures
which are at once interpreted by the
audience as expressive Of anger or hest
tation or whatnOt-these things are as
familiar 10 Miss Rehan as the alphabet
10 the typewriter Coupled with this
technique is a splendid intelligence. And
those qualities. expressed with artistic
-sensibility in a fine personality, held
this woman at the head Of the American
stage for a whole generation.
The Need for Charm.
The difficulty today seems 20 lie IN a
Oh.
OF art is a mighty bare thing. IntelH-
gence and technique united make moth
Ing more than a manikin. All the art
and understanding In the world viii nor
supply single momentary glimmer OF
sympathy or evoke single vestige OF
response In an audience gathered to
look upon living emphasis OF life as il
is
This loss OF charm is not due, as one
or two critics have said. TO age. Miss
hehan Is not old. She was born in lsGO
and Is today as young as half a dozen
actresses who are still playing the in
genue. Mr.. Irving has not lost charm.
nor Miss Terry; yet both are older than
Miss Rehan; and their personalities
have remained powerful, their svmpa-
thles acute. their activities profitable TO
their art. because they have lived
broad. sympathetic, many-sided lives.
Miss Rehan, on the contrary, has been
In hiding for decade Every eharac-
teristic OF the personality which Wash
lngton knew in 1890 has been creased
The old capacity 10 see things as other
eyes see them has been lessencd. Where
once there were the Understandable but
unmistakable signs OF sympathy there
Is now only the seal Of an asronting
self-sufic.ency
Is There a Remedy?
1t is not contended that Miss Reban,s
present life warrants this argument II
may do 50 and II may not do so. That
has no place in the judgment OF the
critic II is argued merely that the act
ing which this excellent actress offers
tcdny Detrays a distinct narrowing Of
her lie and an equally distinct retro
erosion In her art
Several seasons Of acting will rrobef,l,-
correct all this. IL is impossible 10 be
much with ones fellows without broad
ehlhs. Miss kehan viii some dav rea-
lie that this generation b. viewing her
acting as = Is today and not as n was
when she and Mr.. DAILY were the arbj-
tiers OF American theatrical art. When
once that lesson Is learned-if il does. NOT
Gene too late-Jhe restoration OF her old
position Will De only matter OF
thought and rehearsal. not rehearsal
win her company bat rehearsal with
herseI' training her eyes % see and
hef brain 10 comprehend that arr Is
wider than The achievements of ap,ore
lie and that not even Mr. Daily could
take 10 himself all the discretion and
Judgment and delicacy Of the stage.
The Country Girl.
OF Miss Rehau's three PLAYS the only
one which suggests comment is ...rhe
Country Girl Wycherly wrote this
comedy as The Country Wife" filled
II with dialogue more brilliant than any
thlns sheridan ever conceived, spread
The moral degradation OF the Restora-
non All over H. and then put IL forth
for the plaudlts Of Charles IL and his
court. Naturally ii is impossible 10 play
IL IN decent theaters today. Garrick
Who admired the dialogue extremely. re-
wrote the play. gave the woman in it a
pure motive, and produced II with mild
success. When Mr.. DAILY read u. like the
true student he was, he set about in
sullirg more Of the Wyeherly spirit into
the Garrick version and Miss Rehan's
present play is the result
Even as Mr. Daily revamDed .The
Country Girl" however. there Is NOT
much of Wycheriy IN IL, and il is not a
great comedy. IL presents the chief ac-
Tor Of the east in the role Of "a very
awkward and unpleasing woman. The
men are none OF them happily cast And
the wit OF the dialogue Is chiefly 10 be
noted Tor its absence. Wycherly cannot
be strained. You must take him as he
IS. vicious ana indecent. or leave him
alone; and IL Is well 10 leave him alone.
The Weeks Offerings.
The County Chairman" is no. so good
play as The College Widow" AIDE
has advanced greatly since writing his
hFst comedy As his hand grows more
practieed. he will probably progress IN
III We shall have in him a comedian 10
whom one Clyde Fitch viii be merely,
the flourish Of a powder pun. The
County Chairman b only the begtnplng
IL must not be supposed. however. that
IL Is not thoroughly enjoyable.
Miss Blair acted Iris with char
acteristic skill IL is unfortunate for m.
stage that her talents are not employed
In better courses and that she did NOS
discover her talents before she had
wasted dozen valuable years "sher-
lock Holmes must do weu-as il Drob-
ably will--t0 crowd the LAFAYETTE las il
has been crowded this week Cbaea,s