The sun., 1908-09-06
CARLOTTA NILLSOA AGAIN
REAPPEARS AS DIANA or DOB
SONS At THB SAVOY.

A Some what PlatItudinOus Comedy With
Novel First and Last Acts. the For
mer Suggesting the Same Source az
"Girls"-Lo ndon Shop Life Staged.
Miss Carlotta Nillson, who since she
hoomed under Mrs. Fiskes tuition has
NIT some interesting performances to
her credit, will scarcely gain In reputa-
tiop by her work as Diana 10 Diana OF
Dobsor's." shown last night at the Savoy
Theatre. Born Of a race that produced
Ibscn and trained in his school, Miss
Nillsop has ranked hitherto as a minor
apostle OF Daturalism. But artifioiality
was the pronounced feature Of her per-
formance last night. and artificiality
seemingly without much plan or point.
In n play 80 artificial as Diana OF Dob
cons this did not make for the highest
pleasure.
The play is not new. Written by Cicely
Hamilton. who in her proclamation OF
platitudnous opinions on the social and
industrial organism suggests the stage
work Of David Graham Phillips, 1t has
been produced with much success in
London by Miss Lena Ashwell.
The scene opens In a dormitory at
.Dobson's Draper Establishment where
the girls are undressing to retire to their
little iron cots. 1t is very Fitchian.
II sizgests the same German source as
Girls One OF Dobson's saleswomen
ia Diana. She is above her station,
which is to say that she didn't always
have to work and doesn't drop her his.
The weary life has got on her nerves.
When a legacy Of ssoo comes to her she re-
solves to blow IL all in one month OF good
time.
Act shows her in Switzerland. the
playground Of middle class England,
having her good time. There she let's
he thought that she is widow with
an income and has the exquisite pleas
ure OF telling her ex-empioyer what she
thinks OF him when he proposes. 1t is
not so much fur telling Cdpt. the Hon.
Victor Brefheton what she thinks Of him
when he proposes, because he's the only
Young man in the cast. 30 obviously she
must love him. But she does it and
gees back broke but triumphant to Lon
don.
Act the last shows the Thames en-
bankment at night three minutes later
and Copi. the Hon. Victor sitting thore
With holes in his shoes. Stung by Didnd's
remarks. he has been trying to see IL
he can earn his own living, Along comes
Diana also down and out They meet.
The Capt. still has his 900 punds year and
his stutter-also a saner view Of things.
All ends happily.
Now Miss Lena Ashwell is an actress
Of quite unusual force in passages Of
sheer rhetoric or iuvective. and a power
to suggest reused indignation that car
i.s the spectators along. 1t is easy to
fancy her speaking Dicna's title TRADES
With the deception Of sincerity. and also
Of suggesting vein appealing Of devltry
in Diana's brief plunge with her 800
pounds.
Such effects lay beyond Miss Nillson.
very nervous at first, she seemed in Act
|. the actrcss trying to bo emotional"
almost tragic. She forced her voice
into dolefully unnatural intonations and
quite missed the comedy. Sh e grew
more at her ease later. but she did not
suggest at any time Didnd's underlying
dIeCIlOU luC 'uVufN. .,Aip lit liot
make Eiara very vital or very interest
ing And she could not galvanize her
economic TRADES into any semh'ance Of
lie.
The best acting in the cast was done by
Richard Bennett as the Captain. IL only
for the ease and naturalness Of his in
tonations. But he further could suggest
feeling where feeling was essential. and
in moments when the comedy lay in his
hands he could keep the sincerity there
also. The other players for the most
part exaggerated their roles into carica-
lures or forced their points home with
apiIe driver. An actress named Ffolliott
Paget was particular offender in this
respect besides being unable to say two
words in a human tone OF voice. II
women talked always as too many of
them talk on the stage the race would
perish OF nervous prostration.