Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-06-01
MISS BARRYMORE
PIQUANT AS MY
LADY FREDERICK
BRILLIANT SOCIETY PLAY IS
WITNESSED AT MASON
FASHIONABLE AUDIENCE GIVES
FAVoRITE ACTRESS GREETING
Miss Florence Reed Achieves Distin-
guished Triumph in MERELY Mary
Ann. at Belasco Matinee
Opening
BY W. HERBERT BLAKE

BY w. HERBERT BLAKE
LADY FREDERICK, a comedy by "
Somerset Vaughan, presented at the Maso
opera house Monday evening, May 81 A'o'
THE CAST
Lady Frederick Berolles. Ethel Barrymor
Sir Gerald O'Mara, her brother. ....-,.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. Charles Hammoh'
Mr.. Paradine Fouldes ........ Bruce McRa
Lady NIerestoD, his sister Jessie MiiIwar'
lord Mereston his nephew. Norman Thar
Captain MontgOmerie ........ Orlando Dan
Admiral Carlisle .......,.... Arthur Elh1
Rose. his daughter. ...-....-.N ira Stow
Thompson, MIR. Fou!des' man
.......t......t... James tAeHs"S
Pierre. a waiter ...J. Crossney Davidson
Madame Claude, Lady Frederieks
dressmaker -. - anita i''''i
Albert, Lady Frederick's footman' -.
Angelique, Lady Frederick,s maid ,,,,..-,,
Observation-Disclosures. Mariana Thurbel
In a sparkling comedy attuned 10 too
placid tone at any time to fairly test
her real powers as an actress, Miss
Ethel Barrymore reopened the Mason
opera house last night before an audi
ence rivaling in beauty and fashion
any which has ever greeted the begin
ming of a local season. 1t was a VERT
able housewarming for the handsome
new interior of the Mason. Between
the acts half the orchestra seats were
vacated by patrons who enjoyed
stroll through the magnificent foyer.
The dainty gown of milady showed to
rare advantage against the rich RED
background of mural decoration. Ana
above it all the three mammoth paint
ings of Shakespearean scenes gave Ell
fective perspective to the animated
scene.
There was that indescribable tang
and zest in the atmosphere which al
ways attend Barrymore opening.
Every box, fair and fresh in the old
rose and cream of the Mason's latest
color scheme, was filled by It's own
brilliant party, and the orchestra pit
was like a huge prism which reflected
myriad hues from flawlessly attired
auditors Society had paid its due to
its fayorite actress in the play which
society everywhere has hailed as her
fittest vehicle in many seasons.
And society is right. Lady Fred
erick," brilliant and polished in its
agile wit as any duelist's rapier, is
Maughams best. And Vaughan
best is England's technical best today.
But for all that the alert, adroit Bar
rymore genius had barely to exert it
self last night to keep pace with the
situations and swift, keen equivoke of
the drama Except for the brief but
crashing climax at the end of Act IL
which Miss Barrymore handled with
such suppressed strength-her role is
succession of the merest badinage-of
surprising cleverness, but in no way
taxing the actress abilities as they
some day should be tested.
All this is not depreciation of the
play, but a just tribute to the actress,
whose temperament and versatility
have made her the wonder of the
American stage. She toyed with Lady
Frederick" last night, and we sat spell
bound. Some day-but only her man
ayers may conclude the prophecy.
Lady Frederick Berolles is widow
of uncertain age, and more uncertain
finances, whom we meet at Monte Carlo,
on the brink of bankruptcy, which she
meets with charming insouciance. An
old admirer, Paradine Fouldes, and his
sister confer as to how to break off an
infatuation which their nephew has
conceived for Lady Frederick. Uncon-
sciously aiding them, a captain who has
purchased milady's debts, attempts
coolly to force her into marriage with
himself by the threat Of financial ruin.
To save her brother, whose marriage
impends, from disgrace, she delays a
decision till she can learn the extent
of his own debt to the captain. In a
briskly moving scene with Fouldes she
tells him of a letter compromising his
sisters husband-dead, but famed in
life as pillar of Broad church piety.
The second act ends in her burning
these letters in the presence of the con-
spring family group-for the sake of
the boy who loves her, and whose
fathers name they besmirch. She al
ready has baffled the plans of his
mother by revealing the truth of an old
intrigue, in which she has shielded a
sister-in-law at the expense of con-
Tossing an indiscretion entirely myth
ical. The boy believes her, and the
mother, enraged, and her old admirer.
gently humorous, are baffied.
But the affront to her vanished self
has done its work. In the last act we
see her teaching her young admirer
his first lesson in adjustable complex
ions, reversible locks and penciled eve
broWs Cruelty, but kindly she robs
him of his illusions and he goes out
detected, but cured. An older sutton
is quickly disposed of and the design
ing captain misses his mark by the
convenient generosity of his victims
father-in-law to be.
And then comes the really vital scene
of the act. Paradine Fouldes-the old
admirer-whose love has been rekin-
died by the battle of wits in which
Lady Frederick has emerged a victor.
again seeks her hand which she had
given to a now departed husband to
please her relatives, despite his former
intercession of years ago. There is a
pretty love scene, instinct with humor
and charmingly bereft of all the quail
ties which usually are deemed indis-
pensable in proposals. MiIady accents
her older sutton and the curtain falls
as they clasp each, half laughing half
in tears. ''-
1t is the victory of common sense
over the dreams of youth, ever enam-
ored of an elder Dulcinea. 1t is the
triumph of middle-aged romance over
love in its teens.
Just how well Miss Barrvnora,s
elfish, elusive personality adjusted H.
self to the part of the spendthrfft
widow is Understandable. She was ador-
able in her vanity, radiant in her anger.
one could feel the smothered sob in her
Voice-that velvet voice, with its oueer
little trick of quick shifts in kew and
cadence with every swiftly alternating
current OF emotion. At times the aud
fence forgot to follow her bright lines
in the mere sensuous pleasure of
watching her. To discern the manifold
changes in her facial expression was
almost to read the development OF the
play itself And yet it was the care
1essness of her method which was most
striking. 1t is not all the art which
hides art. 1t is the temperament which
transparently reveals itself in every
gesture and upward glance and mean
ing information. This is more than
technique 1t is genius. And Miss
Barrymore is the only actress on the
American stage of whom one dares SO