The Washington herald., 1906-11-27
Miss MannerinG Wins n Delightful
Success in "GIorIous Betsy"

Miss Mary Maunering with a romantic
comedy, which gives full play to all her
qualities, emotional, as we'll as froiicsOme.
and the popular actress in her first ap-
pearance IN Glorious Betsy" before a
Washington audience last night. az the
National Theater, won a delightful sue
cess
Tie comedy Is based on the familiar
story of Elizabeth Patterson, Of Balti-
more. and Jerome Bonaparte. brother of
Napoleon. But Mrs. Young, with re-
freshing audacity, breaks away from the
facts Of history and rearranges the lives
of the principals In the international TO
nance, as well as the lives of other his
toric characters. to suit her own fomi-
nine purposes Of bringing down the cur
tain on a scene Of happiness instead Of
sadness.
If there can be justification for this,
It will be found in the success Of the
daring venture. and, looked at purely
FROM The standpoint OF the drama, it will
probably be generally conceded that Mrs.
Young has in a large measure Justified
her liberties with history.
Her play is well written in the main.
its scenes are well arranged. and there.
IS a steady increase in interest, from the
hoydenlsh opening at the Virginia
Springs, where Betty Patterson appears
in her bare feet, to the unhistoric reunion
OF the lovers after a mythical trip to
France at the close. In the first act
Jerome BCnaparte Is introduced in the
guise Of a French tutor 10 Betty, and
they, of course, fall in love.
In the second, Jeromes real iden-
tity is disclosed in a very pretty scene In
the garden OF the Patterson home in Bal
timcre, Just as Betty accepts him as her
lover In his character Of simple tutor, as
she supposes him TO be. In these acts
Miss Mannering's mad-cap comedy Is racy
to q degree and she wins at the close Of
the second act a well-deserved series of
recalls from the large audience
The third act is in striking contrast
with what. has preceded. Here I'm Mrs.
Young-s version Of the Patterson Bona
parte romance, the gay heroine is con-
fronted with the crushing demand that
she surrender her lover for the good Of
France The demand comes from the
great Napoleon himself, who is introduced
on board La Cigale, the vessel on which
Betty. her father. and her lover are sup
posed to have gone TO France Napoleon
has forbidden Betty TO land, and comes at
last in person TO take his brother ashore.
to marry him TO the German princess.
Betty meets Napoleon alone, and defes
him, but at last agrees 10 yield up her
lover. This scene is one OF great strength,
and in it Miss MannerIng displays a range
of emotional CaDability that moves her
audience very deeply. Notwithstanding the
rather crude heroics Of the lines allotted
10 Mr.. BonelIi as Napoleon, and the insult
fciency of that actor either in appea rance
or temperament TO meet fully the ideal of
the role Miss Mannering's work in this
trying scene is certainly as good as she
has ever done.
Her supporting company IS in the main
worthy Of her and OF the play. Mr. War
wick as Jerome. while quite unfoEeign in
appearance and manner. was earnest. ar
dent, and conscientious. and gave ade-
quate support to Miss Mannering. The
minor parts, including such historic names
as John c. Calhoun. Henry Clay. and
Robert F. Lee. We're reasonably well
taken. Several negro characters are in
troduced OF necessity, and they are very
well handled. The scene in the Patterson
garden had n touch cf the real old darkey
comedy that mingled pleasantly with the
atmosphere of the play. The piece has
been pTettily set.
No doubt most Of the audience knew
before they gathered into the National
Theater last night that Mrs. Young, in
writing her comedy, had energetically
scrambled her history. In bold contrast
with the supine longings of old Omar. she
grasps 50 much of the sorry scheme OF
things as concerns the Patterson Bona
parte story, smashes ii to bits, and then
remolds it nearer to her hearts desire
The scrambling IS thoroughly done The
heaviness of the broken eggs of historic
fact Is Ieavened and lighIened with a
dash of the cream Of human kindness,
beaten to a hubby comedy consistency.
and then briskly cooked in a literary
chafing-dish that has already turned out
some very appetizing things
The chroniclers tell US ii has been the
pleasure and privilege of woman to shape
history from the dim days of the Garden
of Eden down. Nowadays woman Is
steadily gaining new privileges as all the
world knows Evidently Mrs. Rida John
son Young thinks the time has come when
she should no longer be content merely
to shape history. but should claim and
exercise the right to reshape It.
Grouchy old historians may raise crack
cd cries Of protection against the orera
ton, in their supposed capacity as guard
ians Of the Crystallized and irrevocabIe
facts Of the past. But far be it from this
present typewriter to click forth a single
syllable Of objection to the liberties one
Maryland lady takes with the history of
another. In her day-and jolly day It
was, in the morning. judging from the
play under review-Betsy Patterson was
bold and dashing in social gayety and
cOquetry, as Southern girls have always
been, In another field Mrs Young would
not be true to tradition if she were less
so. She reshapes the story of Betsy Pat
terson TO suit the feminine heart, giving
her for keeps" the lover of her choice
and laughingly rings down the curtain on
the pair as they begin the fairy-tale proc
ess of living happy ever afterwaTd. Incl
dentally, she conquers Napoleon and In
ferentially wipes out the kingdom of West
phalia. TO say nothing of a German prin-
cess and others whom history teaches us
figured slightly in the great Napoleonic
drama
''Fhe Old Homestead" Renews It's
Success Mt the Columbia
The Old Homestead" that play Of
rustic New. England which has through
out its lengthy career been inseparably
connected with the name of Denman
at the Columbia Theater last night. and