Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-09
New National.

A large audience enjoyed Ethel Barry
more's appearance In Lady Frederick
at the National Theater last evening.
Appreciation of the clever. scintillating
dialogue. really satire upon the foibles
of England's so-called smart set, was
forthcoming at the end Of each act. and
Miss Barrymore bowed her acknowledge
ment at least q dozen times during the
performance.
icism-bitter. frivolous. sincere or
;1ffected-is the keynote of the play. Not
IA single prominent character Is free
from it, Lady Frederick is hopeful
cynic. with the necessity of acknowledge
ing a past and living by her wits in the
present, despite importunate tradesmen.
Mr.. Paradine Fouldes. played by Mr.
Bruce McRae in a fashion that places
him second only to Miss Barrymore her
choice. who has drunk long and deep
Of the cup of life-dilatory and disrepu-
table. Lady Mereston. his sister. Is
bromide cynic because it's the fad. and
her son. Lord Mereston. is an unconscious
one. Not even Rose the daughter OF
retired admiral. has altogether escaped
the quality.
Lady Frederick Is an irish gentlewoman
fallen into hard luck-thOugh it would be
difficult to recognize her nationality from
Miss Barrymores diction. which but once
in the play makes weak-kneed at
tempt at the brogue. Embittered by an
early marriage with roue and the death
of her child. she is left to shift for her
self This she attempts to do by her
wits, retaining her footman and maid and
holding off her creditors rom season to
season by that sacred privilege that only
the rich enjoy. Her brother, Sir Gerald
o Mara. is as worthless as MS name Is
Irish He too, tries to collect the living
the world owes him in the same fashion.
even depending upon his clever sister at
times, TO pay his debts.
Comfortably quartered in the best suite
Of rooms at the Hotel Splendde. Monte
Carlo brother and sister reach the end Of
their rope and face probable bankruptcy
proceedings. Capt. Montgomeries, the son
of a deceased and wealthy money-lander.
offers one solution by profferinS receipt
for a gambling debt the brother owes and
another for several Of the negotiated bills
of the sister--provided Lady Frederick
will marry his moueybass and lend her
prestige to establish the social position OF
the house of MontSOmerle. ms she re-
fuses to do
The Young Lord Mereston. aged twenty
two with 100000 year. looks like the
proverbial straw for the drowning man
But Lady Mereston. his mother. steps IN
with a Thou shalt not!' She enl1sts
the aid OF her roue brother Mr. Paradlne
Fouldes Now Paradine and Lady Fred
erick had met before-in the dlm ana
distant past-and he does not relish the
ioh Pinued by the Snub, Lady Frederick
decides TO best the irate mother, eventual
" making her son propose in the very
presence of his mater. She throws him
over but because he's really "a nice
boy she attempts 10 cure MS lhiatud-
tlon at the same time.
When he comes to obtain his answer
at 10 in the morning Lady Frederick re-
ceiyes him minus her war paint. with
the extreme Of self-sacrihce she lets the
yo1Iur man see her in dressing gown.
hair disheveled, and strong light from
an open window showing up every wrinkle
AMI crowsfoot in her face. The young
lord is disillusiOned and realizes that she
Is almost old enough to be his mother
When he sees her rouge and powder he
capitulates completely. declaring pathetic
ally that he will try to live down MS
sorrow In the end. Of course. Lady
Frederick marries Paradine, who. with
Lady Fredericks approval, consoles his
sister with the statement that he mar
ried Lady Frederick to save his nephew
from her clutches. The company Is an