New-York tribune., 1909-12-14
THE DRAMA
Marie Tempest in Penelope"
af the Lgccum Theatre.

acting. As1eI nlknt MISS tempest
,,res-ed 81 the I-yceum Theatre after too
lcnr an absence from the United States
Sc vas welcomed cordially. and she re-
-s-aed anticipation by a performance cap
,,vssing IN its srchness. merriment and de-
ughtful skill
The rlay n which Eiss Tempest now sp-
-~s-s and the only one I'm which she
usu 10 seen this season. is Penelope" a
-o-,eSy written BY W. Somerset Vaughan.
7, hss had = long run IN London, as well
n might for n FITS Miss Tempest 20 per-
,.cti0n
TIE pisv Is about Penelope and p man
s-s another womsn. The man Is Penelope's
husband and the other woman Is PeueI-
ops's husbands patient. Penelope O'Far-
-.frs devotion 20 her husband. Dr. O'Fsr-
rel. has wesried that skilful physician
ssv. rather. that Il has overwhelmed him
lie r. the kind ~ man who loves the chase
fer the sake - the chase rather than for
me sske ~ the prey. Penelope. with all
her charm and wit. is. after all. an ex-
acting person, ~ any rate her husband
things 50. and. thinking SO. seeks. more
frequently than is good for him. the society
of Mrs Ferguson. whom the spectator
bears 0f as an attractive Young person.
whose husband. . naval officer. is absent
frorn The country on cuty. Penelope learn
fng az what Is going on. becomes disturbed.
a. course, and scents danger She sum
mons her family 10 a council OF war. Hap
PLY her father. Professor Golightly. goes
coollv and is against war He advises
tactics. Throw the doctor and Mrs FerEu-
son together. ne says, and the game VIII
wear Itself cut quickly enough when the
doctor hnds he Is not forbidden 20 pursue
=. Cease from adoring him: az any rate.
cease from showing your alteration In
other words. O'Farren. since he loves the
chase. mus pursue his own wife. Penelope
-ssuines persuasion. but she adopts the
tactics.
TIE doctor has patients a-plenty, but he
inverCs one for the convenience Of his love
chase. or course. his fabulous patient Is
-ich. otherwise why should he be 50 jealous
n s-rendsncse Penelope discovers thar the
doct0-s visits 70 this sxscting patient coin
ride with LIS outings with Mrs Ferguson.
fhs naval oficer's wife. When O'Fa-reu
snd Mrs. Ferguson go % the Derb-. tho
Oaks or Ascot, Mrs. Mack, the imaginary
Tstienr. falls desperately iu Penelope
knows trick worth two of this and so
Whenever the fshled Mrs Mack sends for
re doctor Ms O'Farr>I orders a costly
EoVn- TIE hills. OF course 20 70 the doctor.
vh0 lectures hts wife On the subject Of ex-
trsvagsnce. But he cannot lecture long.
nor win much effect because the dates OF
80 Bills and Tho dates OF the special calls
upon his imaginary patient are always iden-
tlosl Finding that Penelope knows what Is
going ~. he becomes alarmed AZ he- cool
1ess But q course, Il al comes right IN
fhs end
IHe story IL slight enough. but the ~orr-
90 Is pleasant enough Where II lays the
HH -fwn- i
rerrsiE PLAYERS. Miss Tempest is = delight.
e. has never been more delightful. not
ever In The Marriage of Kitty" There
= n one ike Marie Tempest The fact is
she has improved since her previous tour
r. TINS country; she is less the comic opera
prms donna and more the finished come
cienne- Only once last night did she slip
hack tuto her old style. n r. may be put IN
fhs- way without offence. The instant re-
fs-rec - vas when. in the last act, she
Ninked az the audience. II must have
b~eu az the audience. because IL was not
8 her onty companion IN the scene
How well Miss Tempest speaks, That
= nothing new with her. But she speaks
Eu6 acts better than ever Her high
spirits. her quick changes from gayety 20
E-sViry, and back again, her laughter her
r-iTlcr--, her carriage, her business Of the
sage are ininitable.
T-nfortunstely the two principal char
scrers next 20 her own-Dr. O'Fsrren and
Ms Fe-guson-are most inadequately pre-
scented. TIE actor ana the actress cast for
thsr are hope lessiv out Of the picture.
oue almost suspects thar somebody thought
these selections WOULD bs good enough for
American But ir is TOO late in the day 70
osst PLAYS upon that theory. As ft is. some
q rrrfe
TsTers. N-ho CO the best they can. are quite
unable even % suggest the characters
-l-t rhev are supposed 20 represent.
Otherwise the cast is very good indeed.
Any one VINO sees this piay Viu pass a
rieass-r evening. even II for No other rea-
sor than thai Miss Marie Tempest is worth
gong FAR 70 see
ar Wifred Drsycott, as q tuft hunting
uncle who Is happy only in the company %
ouchesses. vas very good indeed Two
slight character sketches. which have little
o. do with tho plot but much with the
an'user-ent. were given BY Mr.. Sebastian
smith and Miss Grinen. who appeared as
Dsrerfs ~ DR. OrFarrel- Mr.. Herbert
Ross a. PenelODe-s father. was more salts
factory than his wig -piece-in fact he was
eEneHert. y Miss Bennett. who appeared
. nsrior maid, had BEEN the Mrs Fergu-
son Perelope's rival would have becu
person % charm. A. for Or O'Far-
YET Do needs 20 b. IN order and more
eFperIenced hands. Miss Tempest is not
cutie fair 20 herself. or her manager 10
her. v-ichrver the case NAV be. in giving
- parts - Mrs.. Ferguson and the Doctor
~ t1s present irnpersonstors. Their
soenes 70 by default the play suffers in
fhei- passages and the audience wonders
hu Mss Tempest can carry anything
tro-Eh And Ene carries this play.
When she Is on fhe stage the audience rs
hlle1 With enjoyment, when she is OF the
s'age fhe udienoe longs for her return.
I.asf night some curious person called for
sp"ecE. but Miss Tempest he'd the good
-ense 20 iEHore the demand The applause
nus have convinced her that coming 10
AeT York Is merely coming home. No
fomedierne is greater fsvorite here than
Marie Tempesf. She is always fresh
a. her gowns. as radiant - her jewels.
she bunhles with huulor. she adds 20 the
l93 % Iifs W.
CAST OF '-PENELOPE."
Penelope ...-...-. Marie Tempest
= = ARE ...--. Philip Desboroush
l-f0frssrr fs0Ifghflv. -. -.-... Herberf Ross
NrF fo Irhflr ..........---- Maud Milton
= Da export Barlow .--.--- Nilfred brsf cote
lrfil Alei-.l