The Washington herald., 1909-06-29
THE BELASC0.
A PIaY 20 Unnamed.

mediate sensation or The Son OF Hi!
Father" still. it may be said that the pla,
OF last night is one that gradually grow,
upon the auditor as a remarkable anc
subtle piece OF dramatic writing
The audience, suffering from the heat
found the action too long drawn out. 4
is true but it is doubly a tribute 10 III,
interest that no one left before the per
formance was over. which was not unit
close on to midnight With a iudlciou.
pruning Of superfuous dialogue. particu
larly in the second and the fourth acts
the condensation into requisite length vii
be a matter easily accomplished. fol
thereby none Of the strength Of the story
VIII be lost. Indeed. the only posltlv,
| weakness discernIble lies In that yer,
tendency % overexplain matters. anC
take up time in celebrating obviou.
points
Having given this play TO title. tn,
author has. accordingly. furnished nc
advance inkling OF the nature OF his play
There was. therefore. no reason 10 sun
pose that the play hinged on two strong
ly emotional feminine roles The FRS
act, which transpires ten years before
the balance OF the play. Is IN the nature
or prologue, and tells The story OF a
woman. who vacillating weakly between
/ two wealthy lovers. has chosen the one
who later meets with financial reverses
/ His bosom friend. the other lover. re-
! ceives q midnight visit from the wife
/ who, tired Of poverty and a sordid ex-
| lstence IN the little town where her
brave husband IS endeavoring TO recour
/ his fortunes. tries 10 rekindle the old
/ love IN Lawrence Brundage. the friend
/ Brundage repulses her. as becomes a
stanch friend OF the husband. Tony
/ Dakon but Nora, the wife tells that she
/ had Informed her husband that Brundage
| had been trying for a long time 10 get
l her away from him. Lawrence is horror
| stricken, and Is about 70 send the un-
| repentant Nora back 70 her husband
when a telegram Is delivered 20 him.
I which reads: TONY wished me 70 te.e-
graph you the news OF his suicide" Nora
/ fails 20 the floor IN q faint. and Law
renee BrUndage realizes that his friend
has died thinking him a traitor.
Ten years elapse. and Nora IS found
living on the generosity Of Brundsge,
who has been travelling about the world
making a fortune. Nora's stepdaughteT
has grown 10 womanhood. and is a queer.
dreamy child, whose memory % her
father Is wrapped In mystery. OF course.
Nora has conspired 20 keep the truth
from her husbands daughter. and IS
\ secretly expecting Brundage 10 return
and marry her. But while he does. n
fact. return. Il Is 20 fall in love with
the daughter-Ruth. Nora has an Irish
colonel dangling in her train. and she
has repeatedly refused him on the chance
Of eventually landing Lawrence. II Is
evident from the first that Nora is a
mere creature Of impulse. selfish. heart
I less-in fact. a fihbertygibbet 10 whom
lies and deceptons are nothing but neces-
sary Incidents 20 everyday existence
Ruth and Brundage indulge IN a serious
love affair. The relation between the
two is very beautiful. Brundage tells
her OF her father and all but explains 70
her the causes leading I'D 20 Tony
Dakon's suicide. The climax he leaves 20
Nora 10 tell. as he feels II 10 be her duty.
But Nora, entering suddenly. finds them
locked in each others arms
All the pent-up fury Of n tilted and
Jealous woman takes possession Of her.
She fights Ike q tigress for Brundage' s
love. and IN a great duel OF words be-
tween the two women. she tells Ruth
that Lawrence IS her own discarded lover
and that his attentions 70 her made Tony
Dakon commit suicide She also con-
fesses to having lived for ten years on
Lawrence Brundage's money. Ruth. thus
rudely awakened from loves YOUNG
dream, with her ideals shattered and her
respect for her s1epmoJher gone, insists
that Nora shall give Up the money they
have been wrongfully enjoying. Nora.
stil mercenary, tries 10 hold her ground
but Ruth forces her 20 settle I'D. and with
out word 70 Brundage they disappear
and go 10 Paris. where Ruth ekes out a
miserable existence with her brush. in
a pitiful attempt 10 support herself and
Nora
Up TO this point the story Is told with
great power. but the conventional end.
| ing is inevitable. Here the Irish colone
see1s out Nora. and carries her away or
hand 20 be married. and Brundage ends
/ his second long search for Ruth. Like
poor old William DObbin. he IS perpetual
/ ly on the point Of grasping his hanniness
/ only 10 see il withdrawn from reach
Ruth IS stiN OF the impression that
| BTundage IS responsible for her fathers
suicide and what she deems 10 be he,
| steFmOther's shame. but Nora relents
and cOnfesses the part she has PLAYED
and the truth IS out. The innocence OF
! Brundage IS established. and Ruth and
/ he are united az last.
Barring the weakness OF the last act
/ where the boisterous Iove-maklnR OF the
/ Irish colonel. while cleverly done, strikes
! as a jarring note upon the story. and
| rather takes Nora out OF character, tbs
structure OF the play is admirable. The
/ leading up 10 the climaxes IS gradual
and when reached the highest points OF
action are not forced. Without doubt
/ the play IS a comedy drama OF unusual
merit The lines are snappy and. ir
many Instances, sparkling.
The character Of Nora, save as indi.
Gated in the fourth act. is superbly writ
/ ten. and still more splendidly acted by
Miss Beatrice Morgan In the early
| scenes. where she appears as a woman
struggling 10 preserve her youthful pref
tiness. she gave just the proper impress
sion Of a beautiful wording whose
thoughts were never above tea-table talk
or an engagement with her modlste.- The
big moment for Miss Morgan. however.
| comes IN the third act. when Nora's
mask falls from her and she is confront
ed with her life's tregedy. With ashen
face and trembling lips she struggles
with herself Her pride Is gone. she is
Tilted. all but dishonOred. held IN con-
tempt by her former lover and suspected
- NJ -NN t'e-~-c,--~~+f WA+NAA 0AAC Aclcc4oll-
ately loves. There are whole moments IN
the scene where Miss Morgan utters not
a single word. but her expressions are
magnificent. One is ever and again re-
minded Of Mrs. Fiske during this scene.
yet Miss Morgan has distinctive charm
which Is all her own. The evening was
a great personal triumph for this actress.
who was not only letter-perfect in the
part. but acted as though she had be-
hind her a whole seasons rehearsal and
preparation.
Miss Laurette Taylor was q very close
second. Her work this week. as Ruth,
shows an entirely different aspect OF her
art to that she exhibited in last week