The Washington herald., 1908-02-02
The National - "The Honor of the
Family"

AAhAAys
AT the New National this week one OF
the foremost romantic actors of the day
otis Skinner returns with new play
Tomorrow night he will be seen here
under Charles Frohman's direction in a
new play. The Honor of the Family,
derived from a novel Of Balzac. The
American adaptation has been made by
that adroit master of stage technique
Paul NJ. Potter Although Balzac's novel
"Menage de Garcon" has been utilized for
the basis of the play so many new Incl
dents have been interviewer into the
story and the final catastrophe is so sur
prisingly different from that of the novel,
that "The Honor of the Family may
virtually be regarded as an original work
II was first produced in Paris in 1903, at
the Theatre National de TOdeon, where
# achieved run OF seven months. SO
successful was NJ. Gernler in the leading
role that last season when he assumed
the management of the Theater Antoine
he revived the play, and again it scored
an unqualified success.
The French title Of the work was LA
Rabouilleuse," signifying in provincial
idiom crab-f1sher or a girl who stiTs the
water of a brook TO make the crabs go
into her net. This character in Paris was
an individual success But the main role
Of the play is a BonapartIst who fought
under the Emperor, and carried his mes
sages on the Champ de Mars. All the ac-
ton transpires in the old mansion Of the
Rouget family in Issoudun. The master
Of the house. who has lived TO nearly
tnreescOre years, Is proud In the posses
sion Of a beautiful mistress Flora Bra
Zer, his nominal h0usekeepeT. She sub
mtts 10 the Senile amatiVeness Of old ROu-
get because she has a penniless lover,
Max Gilet, a dashing young soldier, who
asks for nothing better than shelter under
the Rouget roof. SO infatuated Is the old
bachelor with Flora, and so TeconCiled
Is he TO the triangular arrangement Of
affairs in his own house. that he bows 20
the situation and blinks at the presence
of the lover Of Flora in his domicile Old
Rouget has a nephew, Philippe Bridau. a
young and honored hero under Napoleon.
He comes to old ROuget 10 thwart the
plans Of the triumphant lovers and secure
the estate Of his uncle Percy HaswelI
has the leading feminine role Miss Has
We'll attained stellar dignities in a Roy
al Family and "A Darling of the Gods"
There Is an artistic impetus in all that
Otis skinner undertakes and the local
playEOeTs may rest assured that in choos-
ing this play FOR his present seasons We
hicle Charles FrOhman has made a good
choice. The BonapaTtist hero. who has
worn the green ana gold uniform of the
Dragons Of NapOleons Guard and COM
manded a squadron on the Champ de
Mars, ought TO suit Skinner admirably.
THE Honor of the Family" affords him
unlimited splendid chances for picturesque
and powerful acting
The COIumbia-"The Right of Wny.v
Seven different dramatizations Of 'sTbe
Right Of Way" by weH-known adapters
were offered To Sir Gilbert Parker before
lie accepted Eugene W. Presbrey's version.
which klaw x Erlauger will present at
the Columbia Theater this week.
The drama is drawn with an admirable
sense of dramatic proportion. Mr.. Pres
bray shows Steele the brilliant. irritat-
Ing. battling personality. He has drawn
tho portrait c0nyincingly. and in the
course OF the long FIRST act. in which the
interest is sustained without a break. We
have the foundation for the building ND
OF a remarkable play The verdict has
just been delivered in the trial Of Joe
POrtugais for murder: Steele has defended
him and got him off. The aguostic Houts
the judge in his own office; finds his old
servant leaving him by order of the priest.
discovers that his brother-in-law has en-
bezzled trust funds in his keeping. and
charges him with the crime. and sets him
free in scornful pity; and then receives
a visit from the criminal for whom he
has won liberty Purtugais warns him
that his visits TO the Cafe Dorian. a river
side inn on the banks of the St Law
renee, where Ia Belle SuZOn serves drinks
arc 1Taught with danger, the vova eeure
VINO frequent that place being angry at
his intimacy with Suzon He thanks
the man. and sees in the danger a chance
Of slipping out of the life which gives
him no peace. His wife enters. having
heard the warning, and in the opening
sentences Of striking interview be
tween the two, the tragedy of their love
less marriage IS told. The woman scoTns
him, and calmly but with relentless
cTnicism he receives her condemnation
and unfolds the mutual passion between
herself and her old sweetheart Can't.
Fairing, commenting on il with his Bit
ing cynicism. Fairing enters. and Kath-
leen, the wife. leaves. having first ex-
acted a promise that she shall not be
dragged into any scandal Left alone
steele charges FaiTing with Illicit affec-
tou for his wife The captain admits
the truth Of the charge. expressing his
relief that the days Of deceit when eating
al Steele's table, he has hated him and
coveted Kathleen, are over; and with a
declaration that when Steele is dead he
will claim Kathleen for his own, goes
out Of SteeIe's life
Faced with the hopeless truth. Steele
having provided for his wife'g future.
goes to court death at the Cafe Dorian.
seeing in this a way out of the life which
yields him only doubt
Such is the story Of scene one. which
is described as being one of the strongest
IN modern drama. The subsequent acts
are q background for the redemption of
Steele through love ard faith.
Guy Standing and Theodore Roberts
are specially featured in the respective
roles Of Charley Steele and Joe Portu-
gals, the FTCnCh-Canadian habitqnt
Other members OF the cast are Alice
Lonnon. former leading lady with Mr.
T. 5. Willard; May Buckley. Paula CIov
Mignon Beranger, Alexander Kearney
and Henry Wenman
Chase's-PoIite Vaudeville.
The bin Of polite vaudeville al Chase's
popular playhouse this week will be an /
attractive one, with comedy as its prin- /
cipal element The man who is known as
''the fellow of infinite JEST James J. |
Al