Los Angeles herald., 1907-10-22
MAUDE FEALY
SCORES A HIT
NEW STAR PRESENTS DELIGHT
Full COMEDY
rTHE STRONGER SEX" A STRONG
PLAY
story Is Down-to-Date Version Of
"The Tanning Of the shrew,"
With the Sexes Re-
versed
By s1DLE LAWRENCE

By SIDLE LAWRENCE
"a thoroughly delightful comedy. well
presented. is "The Stronger Sex in
which Miss Maude Fealy made her Los
Angeles debut as a star at the Mason
last night. Having seen the play and
the players, have but one regret in
conpection with the performance, and
that an unselfish one. The engagement
IS for half week only, and for this rea-
son. doubtless. many of you will miss
seeing the most charming little star in
the most amusing little comedy of the
season to date.
The story o. "The Stronger Sex is told
through the medium OF five characters.
There are others in the cast, but they
are unimportant First there is an
American girl, an heiress of course, and
from Texas. though without the gauch-
cries ordinarily ascribed to American
heiresses by British playwrights. Then
there is an Eng.ishman, impecunious and
merely an honorable, who succeeds in
marrying Miss lone Star for her money,
only to fall in love with her later. There
Is also the penniless girl whom he
wanted TO marry and who at first wanted
to marry him; likewise an aunt whose
assured social position permits her to
inuulge her penchant for frankness and
who. in consequence, is given reputa-
tion which she scarcely merits for being
q veritable dragon. Also there is young
Texan, cousin to the heiress, who falls
in love with the English girl and who
at last wins her love in return.
Mary Warren's Problem
If you were a young and charming girl,
and If, on your wedding day, you dis
covered that your husband had married
you for pressing financial reasons in
stead of for pressing reasons OF more
intimate and tender nature, what would
you do? Would you chuck 1t all, or
would you set yourself to redeem the
man YOU had taken for better or worse?
Ut is Mary warren's answer to this prob
lem that makes 1.-The Stronger Sex"
The obvious name for the comedy, the
name which doubtless was not selected
for that very reason, would be THE Tam
ing of a Husband" for the play can not
fan to suggest Shakespeare's "Shrew,
with the sexes reversed.
Mary Warren when she discovers
that her husbands concern is not for
her but for her check book, sets to work
to change all that. And she begins by
assuring the Hon. Darlington that she
married him solely for the position his
name will give her. Moreover she
makes him believe it, which is check
mate number one. It takes consider
ably more than a year for Mary to win
her point and her husband. but she sue
cGeds and the manner of her success, as
told by John Valentine, English play
wright. constitutes highly interesting
comedy.
Beauty and the Beast
Apart from the story and the excel
I-.r.- AT,- NaI-
entine has given us several epigrams
worth the remembering, notably: I'm
stories beauty marries the beast and he
turns into the prince. Nowadays
beauty marries the prince and he turns
into the beast" There are others, but
that is the most striking
Miss Fealy presents a most delight
full portrait of the American girl with
a will of her own concealed beneath an
exterior which habitually indicates
nothing of the sort. She dominates her
scenes quietly but indubitably and she
apparently doesn't know that there is
an audience within the theater. The
close of the second act approaches
melodrama The husband returns
home, somewhat under the influence of
liquor and attempts 10 bully his wife.
In the end he prepares 10 strike her,
when she picks up revolver and level
lnE II al nIII declares LLdL Sne WQulu
Kill the man who so insulted her. even
though she loved him. Here. obviously,
as the climax and the audience applauds
enthusfas t1ca1ly-
The gun IS lowered. the player turns
without a word and leaves the stage
As handled by Miss Fealy this was an
exceedingly artistic bit of acting. There
was no waiting for the applause to sub
side: no recognition that there had been
any applause
The revolver epis ode comes up again
IN the third act. after husband and wife
have been reconciled and after the man
has confessed his love.
The Old, Old Question
when did you first begin TO love me -
she asks.
Il think it was the revolver that did it,
"It wasn't loaded" she confesses, and
the curtain falls.
John Cort, Miss Fealy's manager. has
surrounded his star with a competent
company and has given the comedy a
thoroughly good production. Brandon
Hurst handles the role of the husband
deftly- He has to play an ungracious part
IN a manner that will not SO far ALLEVIATE
the sympathies of the audience as to make
the final reconciliation distasteful, and he
accomplishes the task in good style.
Miss Florence Robinson is the aunt 1t
Is the highest praise of her work to say
that the character was recognized last
night by many persons in the audience.
Thurlow Bergen as the Texan and Mary
Bartrand as the English girl likewise
merit commentator for really excellent
work, and the minor roles are all well
played.
The settings for the second and third
acts are appropriate even TO the smallest
detail The scene Of the last act is a
room in Mary's cottage at Cowes, the sea
IN the distance. Here the furniture is of
approved cottage style, the papers OF the
table are London papers and there are
others details which bespeak Intelligent
care on the part of the property man.
If you miss seeing THE Stronger Sex. ,
Miss Fealy and her admirable company
you will miss one of the distinct treats
of the season.