Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-22
7 H E T HE AT r..
BelaSco Theater.

Last nights performance of The World
and His Wife made none of the demands
on generosity and patience that commonly
attend the first production on any stage"
The audience was not asked to make al
lowances for present deficiencies and con-
sole itself with thoughts of better things
to come for the benefit of the audiences in
Baltimore, Pittsburg or New York. A
thoughtful and Well-considered enterprise,
for which the foundation was laid seasons
ago. it was brought to completion last
night with that touch of confidence which
only long and cautious preparation can
secure. The play, as has often been told
before. is from the Spanish of Jose Eche-
garay-a fact that has little present sig
niticance, since the evident purpose is TO
achieve a play which will without sacr
flee of art form and logical consistency
appeal TO general approval. Ell Gran
Galeoto,' as the play was named in the
original. has been seen before, but in lie
severe 'art-for-art S sake form, that puts
ported plants in the orchestra and revels
in long speeches. Mr.. Charles r. Nirdlin-
ger, the adapter of the play, has under
taken the difficult task of popularizing
classic. The play as seen last night
swings briSkly into dialogue that is crisp
ly human.
1t is we'll worth telling, this story of
gossip which spreads like an infection
that destroys life itself. The ingenuity
of the dramatist is shown in the simple
ity with which a plot of tense interest
is developed from circumstances by no
means extraordinary, with only the theme
of Slander-the irresponsible tongue-wag-
ging of club and drawing room TO give
it momentum. Once under way, the story
moves with force and rapidity. develop
ing tragedy that thrills and proceeding
to a denOuement that seeks only to point
logical conclusion, and which is the
more impressive because it is free from
hackneyed theatricism. The woman whose
husband has been killed in a quarrel con-
corning her good name is forced to find
her sole protector in the man with whose
name has been unjuStly linked with hers
in scandal. The mutual respect is quick
ened by social martyrdom into affection
which flames into love at the recognition
by each of the others capabilities for
sincerity and heroism. They are united.
yet it is not a happy ending. Scandal
is vindicated; the husband Of the woman.
the friend of the man. lies dead in the
room beyond His farewell to one was
a curse and to the other was a blow.
The shadow of a past that cannot be
forgotten hangs over the two lives that
are thus terribly united The curtain
descends on g tragedy that is none the
less awe inspiring because the man and
the woman live on.
Mr.. William Faversham has not been
less conspicuous in cast for many years
than he was last night. And he has new
ed rather as the guiding spirit of a splen-
did performance than as the conventional
star whose work is done and whose am
bitiOn is satisfied when he has success
fully and exclusively occupied the lime
light. His work was dignified yet pow
erful. free from needless demonstration,
yet irresistbly convincing. His greatest
scene comes at the close of the play. 1t
is almost epilogue: an announcement
with fine declamatory vigor of the con-
clusion that the plot set out to reach.
Miss Julie Opp as fedora. the wife,
played exceedingly well. Her emotional
scenes were not overweight. but endOw-
ed with simple human vitality. H. Coop
er Cliffe as Don Julian. the husband. car
ries a heavy share of the responsibility
in the presentation, and carries it Sc
curely. His death scene was model of
strength and discretion, and the subtle
influence of calumny, as it gradually
changed him from confiding friend to
a desperate husband, was eXcellently por-
trayed Mr.. Morton Selton, a most agree
able actor, had high comedy role suit
able to his personality, and that always
admirab BILE actress, Miss Olive Oliver, was
misguided woman. whose solicitude for
the honor of her household precipitates
that very disaster she seeks to avert.
The audience manifested an interest
beyond that which interrupts the action
of play with applause. 1t remained in
attentive silence through incidents which
would ordinarily provoke demonstration,
waiting till the descent of the curtain
relieved the tension and reserVing its
greatest enthusiasm for the end of the
play. The entire audience remained after
the final curtain to compel a speech from
Mr.. FaverSham and to make an 1nSStent
but futile demand for the adapter.