Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-07
T H E T HE A E R .
New National.

A large and representative audience
was present at the National Theater last
evening to witness the performance OF
Mr.. W. ]. Locke's comedy, in four acts,
THE Morals of Marcus an adaptation
from his novel. The Morals of Marcus
Ordeyne.' A delighted and satisfied au-
dience left the theater at its close. The
love story is and ever will be old: the
elderly man who falls in love with the
young girl: the villain who tries to undo
! him or his rival with the same end In
view. the scheming adventures or the
f! lady with heart full of love who des-
peratety wants but doesn't get the elder
ly gentleman: the French maid and the
perennial butler-all are old as the
hills. and yet. withaI destined to abide
with until time shall be no more. But
occasionally an artist gathers up these
time worn materials and. with the magic
touch of originality. so weaveS them into
stage story that his audience is en-
tranced and when 1t is all over wonders
how the thing was done.
At the outset attention is apt to fly
Immediately TO the exquisite little Marie
Doro as the cause OF it all. and in large
measure she Is. But there are ma ny
other things which contribute to make the
production an interesting and delightful
comedy. The play itself. whether it con-
forms 10 the canonS of the drama or not, is
thoroughly original in its treatment, brill
l!antly original in its lines. and as en-
tirely satisfying in the unfolding Of its
purpose as one of those delightful old
fairy tales of the Arabian Nights. 1t
is not a problem play at all. There is
no insidious undercurrent. Only in one
Instance has 1t tendency to melodrama
when Judith. in her desperation. and
Pasquale. in his deviltry. seek to drive the
frail, delicate. trusting little Syrian girl.
Cariotta. away from the one person in
all the world who has grown to love
her with the depth and intensity of a
scholarly man of years. who looks beyond
her personal beauty into the beauty Of
soul which by degrees has unfolded
itself under his very eyes 1t is this
development of the love of the innocent
yet artful child of nature and of the
had always been his books that con-
stitutes the great charm of the play.
Well it IS that the portrayal of this
Syrian girls role is in the hands of Miss
Doro. She is unique and exquisitely
charming in her every line IAN artist.
promising future. So. too. of the role
of Sir Marcus. in which Mr.. c. Aubrey
Smith has firmly established his ability
as an actor far above and beyond what
TO expect He is always quiet in his
dignity. forceful and expressive in his
reading and never vulgar in his eX-
uberance. His Sir Marcus is fine piece
of character acting. Miss Beatrice
Forbes Robertson. in the part of Judith
Mainwarng. by the delicate cleverness
of her portrayal won the sympathy Of
her audience which should have gone
elsewhere. Forrest Robinson, as Hamdi
Effendi was satisfactory as his linn
tied role permitted. His facial makeup.
however, seemed overdone. Alice Gale.
as Antoinette, made the most Of her part
and proved herself q competent actress.
Herbert Harden was acceptable as Sc
vastian Pasquale, the villain. but some
what awkward. Stenson. the butler. in
the keeping of William Evans. was also
satisfactory.