The Washington times., 1906-11-06
VIRGINIA HARMED RETURNS
TO CLEVER LIGHT COMEDY

Virginia Harmed came back 10 us last
night in The Love Letter" al the Bel
asCO-the old Virginia Harmed, who used
70 do such beautiful deft comedy work
before she began on emotional roles.
ladies with a past but no possible
future. ladies tense. fearful, and dis
heveled. She couldn't have been bet
tea; her play could.
And yet it is clever-delightfully clever
as 30 it. FIRST two acts, though bit
tiresome as TO its third, which begins
with a comic opera bridal couple and
ends with a great waste or words
neither new nor interesting on the
shameful inequality or the sexes in the
eyes OF Mrs GTUndy- The play as
play is not convincing. 1t is a tempest
In teapot. and one never for a mo-
ment doubts that IL will all come cut
riglt IN the end. The love letter, the
storm center, has lain long hidden. and
when il inOppOTtunely appears on the
scene Il disturbs every5Ody's peace Of
mind quite unnecessarily
Tbs play is an adaptation oy Fer
din8nd GOttsChalk, from the French La
Pisti," by VICtorIen SardOU- AuC re-
calling Grace Georges comment on the
original when her devoted husband
vauted to buy II for her Chat If il were
PLAYED in America as ii was written IN
French somebody would be arrested,
and if il was adapted 10 American pro-
duction it would cease TO be interest
tng)-ore must concede the cleverness
of the adaptation For it has certainly
not ceased to be interesting, -cr has
anyone teen arrested. Indeed TO all
outward seeming the play is unexcep-
tionable. One doesn't have TO read be-
tween The lines unless one wants 20,
and ir the lines as SpOken-eXcept per-
haps in few spoken BY Theodore
POtard-there is nothing to bring a
blush to the cheek Of the proverbIal
young person.
act, when Nine. RcvillOn appeals TO her
eN-husband. NJ. JObelin. to prove to her
husband that the letter belongs, as in
deed II does, to his (Jobelin's) period,
and involves no breach OF Ialth with
ReVillon, her present husband. It is
pure, delightful comedy throughout, but
the chance for acting falls TO W. ].
Ferguson. who makes the most Of il.
Not point escapes him. He expresses
himself as clearly by gesture and play
Of feature as by word or tone.
In fact it is a thoroughly capable
supporting company Eleanor Moretu
as GilbeTte. Albert Gran has a laugh
that makes the audience ChuCkie de-
lghtedly every minute and half while
he's on the stage and is the most evil
dent though by no means the only good
quality in his characterization Of Theo-
dOrs PotaTd, q good-natured cynic.
The only trouble with the play from
stars point Of view Is that II does
not give the star much more than The
average leading lady's opportunity. Miss
Harned's Nine. Revillon is delightfully."-
simple and natural and sympGthetically
humorous: and she is pretty enough to
offer adequate excuse for her husband 5
idiotic jealousy. William CouTJeuay
does RevilIon I'm rather a conventional
leading man fashion, which, while it
calls for no criticism is too common
place 20 arouse great enthusiasm-ex-
cept perhaps from the very young per
son Such a one sat behind the writer
and exclaimed rapturoUsly Gee! but
he's handsome" which may or may not
please Mr.. Courtenay.