The Washington times., 1906-10-02
Columbia-Florence Roberts in "The
Strength of the Weak"

Had Florence Roberts shown the
same good Judgment I'm the selection
Of a vehicle that she DID in her in
terpretation Of the role Of Pauline
Darcy, in the THE Strength Of the
Weak" she would have established in
a single night a place ln the regard
of Washington theater-gOers second TO
few emotional actresses on tho Aneri-
can stage As IL is. IL viii take an
other year and a better play for her
TO gain the histriOniC position which
she deserves.
To one who had seen Miss Roberts
work in the West her emotional power
and repression were not surprising. but
TO the vast majority or those al lLt
Columbia last night, before Whom shs
appeared for the first time, her art
was emphasized by the fact that she
was able to hold the attention IN spite
OF q nOXious and h0pelessly crude play
The Strength or the weak is
problem play without the merit OF nov
city or well-developed problem II
deals with the efforts Of q betrayed
woman TO regain her own selL-resp pect
and keep her shame from the world
She loves "a promising young architect.
10 whom she finally unfolds the secrets
OF her past life. Through the miracle
OF love- he f8rgets all that has been
before and accepts the opportunity 70
a-AA-a--~
aEOnies OF her sin. Because sne has
suffered and has had the strength Ia
rise above her weakness 10 the heights
OF true wOmanhOod. he declares that
she is deaTer To him than when he
thought her past as ideal as he knows
that her present IS and future VIII De-
Upon her betTothed's 5 departure, the
v-0rlan's betrayer appears and PLEADS
that she return TO him. With bitter
inyeCtiye and sCaJhing sarcasm, ell
forced by leunine anger, she asSaIlS
the man who has tried 20 rob her OF
all ioy all self-respect. Now, she de-
clares. life and true love are hers, and
hers forever Her betrOthed appears
and greets the woman betrayer as
father" Il Is then that the woman
and the older man realize that the
SINS of the father are visited upon the
son. upon the just and the unjust.
The son must never know When he
refuses 10 accept his dismissal the WO-
man waits 70 hear the father with ''vir-
tuOus sadness declare that he should
never marry the woman with a past,
then she passes 10 her own room. While
the boy with defiance asserts his right
to choose his own wife, and his own hap
piness, a pistol shot is heard, announc-
ing the solution OF a warped life's prob
lem.
The first two acts of the play are in
eXpTessibly weak They could well be
omitted They do not serve to quicken
the interest, nor is the dialogue more
that Miss Roberts gets her opportunity
and admirably does she use II. Her per
formanCe is marked by a keen perception
OF the aCtualities Of life. StentOrian
enunciation and denunciation play but
small part IN her Interpretation but in
tensity of feeling is evinCed in every
tone and movement
Miss Roberts is a capable emotional
interpreter Of the Minnie Madden Fiske
school of realism minus the Fiske school
af ria r1n a
last night proved that her invasion OF
Eastern theaters was by no means pre-
sumptUOus.
ThurIow Bergen gave Miss Roberts
excellent support He Is a Washington
boy who has appeared here IN stock
work. His work last night. while at
times not altogether convincing, was on
the whole most effective HIS readlns
was dignifed and fOrceful.
c. Jaw Williams. as Baron Won hle-
ber and Ruth Allen. as Alice Newton,
furnished the comedy Of the play. Their
work was conscientious and commend
able and serves 10 bolster a play that
needs an the assistance that can be
given IL.