The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-11-15
BARRYMORE
SCORES A SUCCESS
New York Is Satisfied With
Her New Vaughan Play,
Lady Frederick"
By A. H. BALLARD.
New York, Nov. a.
SONMERSET VAUGHAN :


~ SOMERSET MAUGHAMS
NM play, Lady frederIcA,
" which has run so long IN
London, was brought out in
New York by Charles FrOhman Monday
evening at the Hudson Theater, with
Ethel Barrymore in the title role.
Yes, the crush OF smart people was as
prominent a feature OF the occasion as
anything else-and that is saying
good deal. Ethel is smart, and draws
with an advancing tension among the
smart and the near-smart. Monday
evening was all plastered over with
Notwithstanding the play.
Viewed as a drama. Lady Frederick"
albeit Maugham's vogue is. critically
speaking. what the yoUngster called The
snake-nothing with a tail on. 1t is a
collection of trite situations and long
familiar characters passing before the
eye rather tamely and uneveutfully un-
til the last act. when the tail snaps with
agreeable vivacity. You realize that
the author has accomplished the impOs-
sible-dOing over an old thing 10 look
like new The spTightIiness, the I'm
ished incisiveness of the lines, the
savOire falre and top-lofty spirit of the
ultra set that contemplated the quiet
splendoT of our EtheIs Lady Frederick,
have capuvated you, and induced
jolly, alert mood; as II you had dlned
well and IN good company, and, at the
end, had begun to feel slightly the eff
feet Of a moderate amount of good
wine.
Mr. Vaughan takes a glimpse into
good society, and makes some harmless
fun at society's expense II is done
with a style that is all his own 1t IS
the tone Of the proceedings that catches
you more than anything tangible that
one can seize upon and describe. It may
be compared to the effect a woman of
good breeding has upon the circle in
which she moves. The play seems to
shed good cheer and kindly laughter. as
a sweet woman sheds loneliness wher-
ever she goes.
Ali Lady Frederick.
Lady Frederick is thrice a star
part. When she is not on the stage
talking finely for herself, the others are
talking TO her about herself, and
when she is of the stage they are talk
ing OF no one else but her. Every
thing leads up TO the point where she
takes the scene away for her own con-
sumption; even the one bit of charac-
terisuc English humors where the jul
veuile" couple discuss GudeIicately, OF
course) the point whether they shall
send their prospective son to Oxford or
Cambridge. Lady Frederick bursts IN
just In time to save the strenuous mo-
ment by asking: Don't you think this
discussion had better be postponed
about twenty years?" She gets the
American laugh out Of it, The English
laugh throughout the scene
Lady Frederick is a high-bOrn Irish
woman, who is supposed to have a
past" but whose past at Length proves
to be rather a noble one. The story de
scribes how a rich young lord is in love
with her. She IS submerged in debt 10
tradesmen, milliners, gowumakers, etc,
and the attractive young lovers rela-
tives try to break up the match Lady
Frederick does a. lot of fine things, not
the least of which is 10 burn some let
tiers that bear on the young lovers
fathers past. and the browning joIlity
and nub of the evening is the way she
disillusiOns him as she makes up" her
face, puts on false hair, rouges her lips,
etc, IN her b0udoir before his very
eyes The cubs uncle Cwho has been
fighting Lady Frederick, to save the