Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-02
MRS. TANQUERAY'
SUPERBLY GIVEN
MISS NETHERS0LE'S SECOND
OFFERING BETTER
GrisIy Pinero Drama Is a Mastery
Effort and Her Interpretation Of
1t Is the Last Cry In Theat-
rical Realism

and masterfully given in the highest
style of theatrical art-this was what
the combination of Miss Nethersole.
her company and THE Second Mrs
Tanqueray" made at the Mason last
night. In point of worth, depletion and
general satisfaction, it far exceeded
the opening bill, "Sapho," making that
cheap and tawdry in comparison.
"Sapho' is a meretricious appeal to
base and sloppy sentiment. This is a
strong. virile and truthful characteriza-
tion of the evils which inevitably fol-
low life not according to the ten COM
mandments, especially the seventh, and
the unavoidable end thereof-"the
wages of sin is DEATH
The play deals with immortality in
a frank and even free manner. yet it
never does this for the sake of vice,
but merely to emphasize the one point
upon which the drama hinges-that an
evil existence cannot be buried, even
when departed from in all sincerity;
that the price must be paid. and in like
coin, not only by the guilty but-and
here is the awfulness of it-by the in
nOCent as we'll.
1t is not needful here to tell the story
of Mrs. Tanqueray"; it is not un-
known, having been done in Los Ange-
les before. 1t is sufficient to state that
it tells of the marriage of Aubrey
Tanqueray and a woman who has had
several other escapades-and names
more or less legally assumed. There is
a daughter by the first marriage, and
she falls in love with one of her step
mothers former lovers. The second
Mrs TanQucray reveals this mans con-
nection with her past, and the match is
broken. At the same time Aubrey and
his wife see the future; he faces it, and
she-shoots herself. There is no other
way. 1t is a grisly thing-like skele-
ton. bare, ghastly and creepy. But
strong? 1t is like hoops of steel, it
grips one so closely.
Miss Nethersole. in depicting Paula,
gives us a very much finer piece of
work than she offered in "Sapho" 1t
is a different sort of role; higher class,
telling stronger story; filled with
finer feelings. She is, despite her lai-
sons, woman of breeding, and not
scrap of earth's scum. OF course. the
colonel's lady and Julia OGrady are
sisters under their skins" after all, but
a skin may be white or black or brown.
Paula is white skinned; Sapho is-well,
dark brown. And just as SaphO is
brown and must be played in a brown
tone. so Paula must be depicted in high
lights and with the atmosphere of re-
fnement hedging her about. Only once
or twice does the common harridan
show through; when it does, Paula is
the guttersnipe; otherwise, she is a
lady
1t takes a woman of fine discernment
to play Paula; Miss Nethersole is that
woman. She perfectly differentiates
between these two danes of easy NOR
ais. and never does she confuse the two.
OF course, Palua being a higher class
woman, demand higher class interpre-
tation This naturally places the char
acter amid surroundings that enable
much NOR of Miss Nethersole's art to
shine than was the case Monday night.
Clever as she was then, last night She
was even more compelling. She has
some scope for comedy: she does it
damtily, beautifully. She is called upon
for fine display Of cyuicism and scorn;
she handles the episode most admra-
bly, She is required to portray sincere,
not maudliu, SORROW, and she WringS
hearts She is expected to lOVe-and
she loves just as a woman with past
must lOVc-With an insanity of joal-
ouSy that she knows fun we'll is foolish,
but which her suspicious viii not per-
init her to cast aside. Unlike the good
womau she is never certain of her hus-
b@nd's regard; she ever fears its re-
luquishmeut. II has always been a
case with her of easy come. easy go,
uuI she cannot but imagine that il viii
be- a repetition. though now she is le-
gully wed, All these varying emotions
Miss Ncthersolo pictures aus clearly and
as admirably as if she were really Nv-
iug ll. role, instead of merely doing it
behind ,hc footlghts. Her acting is
tuc a,un of reals the apothcosis Of
Urf Nothiug finer has been done here"
N.s- N,'hcreOlc's company did vastly
better Het night too. Frank Miller Hs
Aubrey ImO-t redeemed himself. If h"
HiI just lHtr the same progress the
.er ol the week. his going next Satur-
"1F VIII IruEn keen regrets. Rosaliud
Ira. gave au admirable Interpretation
OFF .N. uuuEGtDr eileen; aud Molly
r.uspn Wd ~ clever bit as the loud
F.. ir OToEcd, while Eric Maturh was
-y.l Js u.r lgs band. William clark
HI.iU took the hpaurs among the mon
.s jhat dear old busybody, Cayley
Drummi. while Iu" Goldsmith was
GOOD as Mrs Coueyou. Julian Royce
Mass a. failure as lhe lover, Ardalc-the
One weak point
There was "a general tendency to
speak louder, even ON the stars part.
and the back rows appreciated il. Even
,hc thcatrr was Warm-fOr which
thanks be. Tho gowns worn by Miss
Nothersole made thc women gasp I'm
admiration; they were superb. The
mouutings and settings We're especially
sumptuous. "Adrienne Lecouvrcur" to-
night.