Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-04-13
A N U S E N E N T S
Belasco.

Among the aching voids of the season
The lack of a good play for Mary Man.
nering has been severely felt. The piece
in which she appeared earlier in the sea-
son was wholly unsatisfactory, and her
latest vehicle, The Truants,' presented
last night at the Belasco Theater, may
be welcomed as a decided Improvement IN
its predecessor. The play is one OF those
decidedly English creations whose pur-
pose seems to be the representation OF
society in it's conversational moods. The
success of epigrammatic plays has en-
couraged a great deal of unsupported dla-
logue to make its way into the theater,
and The Truants" is distinguished at
times by an effort to make words take
ton reflected by THE Truants" is Pc
culiar one The sympathy with the hero
inc. played by Miss Mannering. Is SO
strong as to efface the attraction.
The play might have excited as Wnlm-
steal picture of the courtship by vixen
ish young woman, assisted by her rela-
tives, of a boorish young man whose de-
tiance of the conventions relating 70
matrimony is SO brutal as to be OUTSIDE
the limits of polite liberation. Yet the
young woman who has set her highly
seasoned affections upon him Is herself
SO endowed with tempermental vim that
they seem well mated, provided only that
their union can be legitimately arranged,
so as to make it an even quarrel from the
start Miss Mannering has the role OF a
woman with an accidental past: one who
thought she was married, but found TOO
late that her son must look to strangers
for an inheritance and name: me
scenes between the mother and the boy
when the latter is to be separated from
her in order to give him a home with
the childless man, who loves him are
sincerely affecting.
Miss Mannering's role is also that OF
peacemaker and a supervisor OF destl-
mics. She moves through the play like
feminine Daniel in a den Of lions, and
in one scene, the climax of the plot, draws
a pistol on the man who is seeking 10
eope with the girl whose devotion 10
him knows no restraint The play endS
happily with the marriage of the young
people whose attempt at truancy so near
ly wrought havoc. and with the assurance
by Mr.. White Whittlesey that the gal
liant gentleman he impersontes cares
naught for the past with which the play
wright has burdened Miss Mannering' s
role Mr.. Whittlesey has all too little to
do in the play, whose action is given
over in the main to the turbulencies OF
disposition of two very undeveloped char
acters A series of spirited alterations
develops considerable repartee, and the
dispute finally wakes so warm that 1t IS
relief when Miss Mannering, finding the
authors words insufficient to express her
emation, administers a resounding slap
to her recalcitrant protege
The incidents Of the play which Miss
Mannering dominated took on the plausi-
bility which the skilled player en-
dowed with graceful personality can al
ways lend. The cast affords many OPP
portunities. which were improved by the
players. along the lines of demonstration
rather than of subtlety. One of the hits
% the evening was scored by little John
Tansey, a juvenile actor, who plays with
all the ease of an experienced performer.