The Washington times., 1908-12-29
Miss ManneTing's Sweetness
Hampered by Artih-
cial Play.
POOR PLOT BASED ON
INSURANCE SCANDAL
American High Finance With
Heavy English Accent-YOung
Briton From Broadway.

Miss Mary Mannering-swec accom-
pLshed, ana comely as in Glorious
Betsy undertook 10 present last night
at the Eelssco Theater an amateU-ish
ana bootless play called "A House Of
cards" The occasion was substantial
ly first night, inasmuch as this play
has been acted only in a few one-night
stands as a preliminary 10 the engage
mcut in Washington. Our local judg-
ment upon it, therefore, has the effect
of giving this composition its first
character" Unhappily that "charac-
ter' must be that the play is artificial,
thin, strained, and Ineffective.
The author. set forth as Ivy Ashton
Root, undertook 10 build on the fOunda-
ticu Of the recent insurance revelations
in New York. Her characters are the
dcposcd and discredited head of a great
company. hiss two rather brilliant
daughters. two American woman
friends. a solicitor Of the masterfUl
type: the reckless though not unwhOle-
some son OF the solicitors chief client;
a sharper who was fed from New York
TO LOnoOu. and two or three ancillaries.
II the dramatis pcTsonae do not include
any characters strikingly new, they are
not Vet wholly unplastic. Good plays
have been made out of TO better ma
tcridI ~ House OF Cards" owes its
unconvincinEness to the things these
characters are supposed TO do.
Stretching Credulity Till 1t Cracks.
Tlus-The father down and out" Us
ne says. is persuaded, i'm the form Of
Charles Farbury. TO Join i'm n shady
- ...,,.,r,..,., y,,.,,-.,,,- f,, V,,,5,,,, --l,a
tiH-F HauShleF' al'eu oS MISS Man
ing, STAYS with him, revealing that c"uT-
aac. uaseIdebnese. resourcefulness. and
,,-,.,,ri---.. ,,f-5..r, ,,-, Ifl-. tn think
"'l''''i''''''7' -
teJtef el-tlhp'Hieb ll 'ie ANU io'ili
girl than I'm any other The younger
daughter none foo well acted by
,Tf.[, Tr,ro,, ,T,,brr1, ,-,oz IN paris
ss -,
To nave N'I VOICE bdl'lNo' ''i
rows money iunocentIy of the young
r-pr-IreH ..AIogd.r .nG INDUCES her yau-
90, m ..l,;..i.,,,. .,,r,,,f,r,.
''s W. '''
unprecedented Toy oII ''"tlSiil'tI' = fItu-
cricl, TrucsdcIl comes uDOu the elder
d.rI~brrr fans into flame an affection
-. -. "a
dating 'd'N ID q >'aS III NV t'o' = ".l"
pats his knowledge ol LONDON at thc
elder Iarlcrt-r'S disposal
lu lGc rooms OF " hidh hol"i .'uH!l IaSh'
though SHE herself insists she has come
with wors" purposes -hau 20 Steai cor
tain securities for the salvation Of the
fake insurance. company; though she
stimulates the Erisette with two chance
dnrcd ms mfstreSs ~ Of his Clients T T. wild Wild
SON though he putt watch upon9, her
an utterly imDossihI, familiarity with
everything save speaking straight out
as norman -AlAerlSdh Eii WoGII-ln ,G
..dlnsts1t brr his Fai+b i'm Ls,. '',< ,r,'st,I
honor is never even shaken.
Well. well. there must he PLAYS, and
+l .l playS must stretca creduIliy. But
NJ -, ~ 49, -, e. e. W. po25.
Is allowed by unnaturaI stupIdi;v. The
other characters. with the single excep-
ton of the solicitor. come and 80 with
out arouSiHE more than the unildest in
trrnSi The curtain falls upcn an an
,l-.parsuaded by ANYTHING else The bn-
ginning and the end are two sweet
hearts. brought together IN the apDrOv-
cd fashion of nCar1inE-schO-l novels
but denied the charm Of such fiction by
q mess Of painfully obvious blackmail.
a series Df surprises Of women IN mems
apartments and charming girls declar-
ing themselves by act and urteranCe to
be everything drth they are not And
lhoUSn Two of the scenes are appro-
p.lateiy SJdEeus lhaI o. tAe assurance
ONCE Is Shonag' n u sense nol 5J0ne 70
,,e eVenl-, ana lne GOWNS worn Dy MISS
N,1nHeEins en9 MSS 4hacbeIh are IN
H,CaSSilLLL LLs aL.L tLv.ll lsE,SgE 49, punt O
Wv my
Some Redeeming eualItleS-But Not
rI
LuOuSH-
To call any play absurd, inane, and
jrnrossiblo-' Is To use pretty harsh
v-ord- a. T5orsa Of C,arJsp he's %
- -....-t ..,.-1T+,
Etage-settng-the bachelor apartments