Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-04
THE THEATER.
New National Theater.

Much depends on the company which per-
forms a play like Man and His Angel"
This new drama was seen at the National
Theater yesterday under the most adverse
| possible conditions, SO far as weather and
| attendance were concerned. Yet it made its
| impression. There was audible appreciation
| Of some of the clever speeches in which it
| abounds and hearty round of applause
| for the principal scene in the last act. In
| the earlier portion of the performance the
| dialogue offers the chief claim to interest.
Easy as it is to find competent stage
heroes, efficient Williams and sympathy
compelling heroines, it is hard to discover
people who can look natural while talking
| in epigrams. AS rule the actor who is
propounding Bernard Shawism either be-
comes lost in conplacent egotism because
of his own cleverness in understanding it.,
or else he becomes burdenSomely con-
scientious in his desire to let the auditor
know exactly what the author means.
Much of the authors repartee is good, and
as >fule it is coinpetently spoken. Yet the
company is as whole more at home in
the delineatien of character and the de-
veiopment of situation than in the explosion
of verbal pyrotechnics.
Characters and situations have not been
neglected in this play, for which a very
simple theme forms the bass. The same
originality which shines in some of the
speeches is manifested in the plot. The au-
thor has the courage to come forward with
plea for the william, and a deep double
dyed william he is, too; one who hmps like
Richard Ill and expresses much the same
views He loves the beautiful Sonia-and
Sonia played by Miss Frances Ring is
truly beautiful. But so does every body else,
and in his desire to maintai in his protector
ship this william, David Thyme by name.
FORCES a paper which makes it appear that
she is an illegitImate child and that her
marriage with the highly respectable man
to whom she is engaged is therefore inn
possible.
Her lover, who is played by Wallace Ed
dinger with a boyish simplicity Of manner
which Is at times almost bucolic, after some
struggle with social prejudice manfully
declares that, paper or no paper, he will
have Sonia for his wife. At this important
juncture the forgery is discovered. Another
paper is produced, which proves that Sonia
is not only entirely lady, but princess
into the bargain. The villain is dismayed
and crushed. He leaves the stage, not to
commit suicide, but to live, because life
without Sonia is the worst punishment he
inflict on himself. 1t looks little
paradoxical and insincere as stated in cold
type, but Mr.. Holbrook Blinn plays the part
with so much dignity and well-directed in
tensity that this determination to go on
living really carries the idea Of penance and
sen-denial. The character, though morbid
In Its superficial aspect, is not unwhole-
some. The purity and greatness of his af-
lection palliates his crime, and his expia-
ton, though unattended by physical suffer-
the role of Keith Forster. man of mature
years and fine sensibHities. This role af-
forus contrast to that of David Thyme, be-
cause of the generous devotion with which
he accepts Sonias friendship instead of the
love be asked. Mr.. Tharp gives an excel |
lent performance
A number of good character delineations |
arc distributed through the play, but they !
are unfortunately, not assimilated into the |
story i'll such a manner as to satisfy the in
terest they inspire. This is particularly !
true of Lord Arthur Dalton, one OF Son.a's
many suitors, whose breezy proposal as in
terpreted by Mr.. Fred. Tyler sounds almost |
like page from Man and Superman.' |
There is much in Man and His Angel" |
to command thoughtful interest, well as |
much to amuse.