The Washington times., 1906-10-30
HILDA SPONG SURPRISES
PLAY THAT STARS HER

When Miss Hilda Spong appeared IN
Washington last season supporting
William II. Crane, she shared honors
with the star by her artistic impersona-
ton of the Irish widow in The Ameri-
can Lord" II was then freely predicted
that this season would see her at the
head OF her own company, and this
thought, which was father TO the wish.
was borne out last night when she APP
peared at the Belasco Theater as Honor
Beauchamp in John Hudson's Wife
Miss Spong did not disappoint her old
friends, but won many new admirers
by her convincing delineation and sym
pathetic representation OF the daughter
of an inebriate father and a degenerate
brother. who sacrifices her personal well
fare and freedom for the sake Of her
mother
The basic theme savOrs of the Laura
Jean Libbey fiction type. and IL must
be said that the success of last night
production is not To be credited 10 the
playwTights. Alicia Ramsey and Ru-
dOlph De COrduya, for Miss Spoug s
starring vehicle is decidedly common
place. though not altogether crude
AS the wife OF John Hudson, radical
member of the House Of Commons, NJ 81
SpOng Is given ample opportunity Tor
the display Of the finer sensiblhtles and
sentiments of WOmanhOOd and wife
hood. There are several dramatic sit
uatiOns. but with excellent Judgment she
so tempeTs them that the audience for
gets that there is stage ana a pit
The hyperCritical might almost say that
Miss Spong's repression is too marked
and perhaps lacking in the higher lights
of the stage picture, but when the pub
lie has been surfeited with emotional
roles, where passion is torn 10 very tat
tiers this restrainJ-plus IS something Tor
which 10 be grateful.
Miss Spong is not the only member OF
her company whose personality and in
depreciation count Tor more than the
role. William +. Hawtrey, the dissolute
and unprincipled father gives a char
acteriZatiou that Is highly artistic and
thoroughly amusing, while Lionel Walsh
In the smaller but equally eNaCting role
OF Francis, the son, deserves the high
est commentator
The portrayal of John Hudson, jr.. by
Herbert Percy. is not satisfying, though
not without some degree of merit His
accentuated reserve of manner smacks
of Theatre pose.
Edna Bern as Mrs John Hudson. ST.
and Henry HanscOmbe as John Hudson,
ST" were among The best OF the minor
characters.
Charles Rowan. as Earl Seatou. would
have left far better impression had he
borne IN mind the advice given by the
great playwright, Speak no more than
Is set down, for in spite of the plav's
triteness IL is hard TO conceive of an
authors putting such an expression as
That's the stuff in the mouth of the
prime minister of England
Miss Spong. Mr. Hawtrev and Mr..
Walsh are well worth seeing-let the
pl8v take care Of itself
The audience was appreciative though
not undulU enthusiastic At the CON
clusiOn Of the second act the star re-
ceived a magnificent basket of flowers
the gift Of the JaDanese Ambassador
who occupied a box with the Wis
countess Aoki and the embassy at
LAches. Others In the audience were the
German Ambassador and the T2aroross
Won SteTnburg the Belgian Minister and
the Baroness Moncheur the Secretary
OF state ana Mrs Root the Turkish
minister. Chek1b Bey, the first secretary
of the Brazilian embass,. SvIvi1o 40
Amaral: Judge and Mrs William II
De Lacy, Or j. Wesley Bovee, and Mr.
and Mrs. c.. w. W. Hanger