The Washington herald., 1908-01-07
AT LOCAL PLAYHOUSES


After an absence from the stage for a
period that seems long because the Amer
lean drama needs such exponents as Miss
Julia Marlowe, that lady makes her APP
pearance once more as an individual star
in a comedy by James b. Fagan called
Gloria" II served TO attract a large
and brilliant audience TO the Belasco
Theater last night, and that the play was
enjoyed the almost continuous laughter
testified amply.
And yet Gloria" dainty ana pleasing
comedy. is pretty slight material for the
genius of Miss Marlowe. She has drawn
this character as deftly and delicately as
she drew that of Kate in THE Tanning
OF the Shrew," and the motif Of Gloria
approximates that Of Shakespeare play
very closely. 1t is probable that no
actress on the American stage to-day
could draw such a character so truly.
portray it so skiIfully and with so many
charming touches OF light and shade but
when il is all done one cannot help
wondering whether after all, it was quite
worth while for an actress who has dis
played 50 large a talent TO De using it 70
such an end.
The story Of the play is like one Of
those novels from the Italian which
Rabelais and afterward Balzac retold. It
is "a comedy of manners rather than Of
life. and though the production-so far
as properties and scenic effects go-ls
elaborate and gorgeous. one is never de-
ceved. by this play. into belief that
the stage is holding "a mirror up to
nature" II is indeed, IS much of a
fantasy as that Road TO Yesterday, iu
which MIR White Whittlesley. who IS now
Miss NiaTlowes leading man, WAS seen at
the same thcater only a few weeks ago.
Gloria Capponi is @ young and beautiful
girl, well connected. and presumably rich,
who lives iu a palace near Florence IL Is
there all the action of the play takes
place. She IS besieged by lovers; two OF
them ale distinctly comedy lovers one,
Capt. Bambazoue, modelled after talstaui
the other. Count Silyio Spini, poctaster
iusip.d and asinine. The third lover is
Sir Philip Lilly. an EngiJshman. These
three men Gloria, in the pride Of her
beauty fools 10 her hearts content In
the first act. for instance, she listens to
proposal from each OF them, and promises
each 10 give him his answer in the
Bambazone has heard Gloria's uncle,
testy old man. threaten 10 poison him, and
Gloria plays a trick ON him. making him
believe that he is poisoned. She has slain
a wild boar that day IN the hunt, and the
thought comes TO her-yhen Sir Phillip
lectures her-to play "a trick on him She
makes him think that BambaZone is dead,
and By artful pleading and working on his
feelings she gets him TO bury the sup
posed Corpse-WhiCh is the body of the
boar. sThe trick is discovered by the police,
and Sir Phillip is to be made the butt of
Florence.
Not in anger. but as if he were treating
spoiled child, he pluCks branch from
the shrubbery in tne garden, goes into
house. and whips Gloria. In the last act
she forgives him. realizes that she has
met her master; forgives him. confesses
her love for him. and falls into his arms,
1t will be seen from this that the theme
Is anything but new, but there Is GER
tain fresh charm and delight in the way
Gloria" is done. The central figure Cf
Gloria" is so well within Miss MaTlOwe's
powers that she just toys with II. il Is
plain from her treatment OF the part
that she does not take it seriously. AL
WAYS there is a smile on her face, ana
the light of laughter shines from ber eyes,
even when in pique she makes that dis
tinctively MarlOwe gesture Of biting her
underlip It is not that she makes Eo
effort to delude the audience into a belle
that she is serious at times, she Is sn
obviously insincere and fuli OF fun tlat
the people on the stage with her, wdom
she is supposed TO be deceiying, would be
idiots TO be imposed on so. And II is
because Cf this that the play aas no
verify at all; il is just a story, just play
acting; you are never allowed to forget
that
Miss Marlowe's support is admirable
MIR. Whittlesley is a fine romantic actor
who wears doublet and hose with a grace
unusual in these days. but, besides this,
he played the part of Sir Philip seriously.
and evenain a comedy that too often de-
scends to mere farce lent the characLeri-
zation dignity. Excellent broad comedy
was the Bambazone of John 9. Dixon.
rare staggering, hungry and thirsty, am
orous braggart he made of the character.
The Count Spini of Frederic Lewis was
also moderately good The only other
woman In the play besides Miss Marlowe
who has a chance is Miss Alice Harring
ton, who displayed marked ability as
Madonna Cassandra.
The production is very beautiful. All
three acts are marvels of art and beauty,
but a fine production viii not make
play. Pleasant enough as Gloria" is, it
is much too slight and trivial a play for
Miss Marlowe to waste her time over.
II will be pleasant news to her many
admirers in washington that she has de-
clded to put on Romeo and Juliet" for
one performance at Saturdays matinee.
HECTOR FULLER.