The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-08-02
AT THE COLUMBIA LAST NIGHT.


ter last night was quite a midsummer /
theatrical event for It not only marked |
the presentation Of a comparatively mod /
ern comedy which has only just been re-
leased for stock purposes. but 1t signal !
lzed the advent of a new leading woman, !
Miss Blanche Hall. an actress who leaped !
into local popular favor and whose pres
ence with the Columbia Players will un-
doubtedly do much 10 strengthen their
work and enhance their pleasure-giving
qualities.
There was an unusually large audience
last night 20 see Love Watches the
four-act comedy by r. De Flers and G.
Caillavet, adapted from the French BY
Gladys Unger and made one Of the most
popular comedies OF two seasons ago by
/ the charming Billy Burke. Indeed. SO
much did the lightness and vicacity OF
the principal character in this comedy
seem Miss Burke's own that any stock
company might have doubted its ability
/ to rush in where such an angel had fear
Fsomely trod. but the performance last
night showed that intelligence, hard
v ork. and daring will do much, for the
play was delightful from beginning 10
end. well staged thoroughly drilled. and
competently acted at every point
Love watches IN the first place IS
delightful but almost unlistable COM
edy. 1t is filed 10 the brim wiki cpl
gram. axiom. clever repartee. and para
dox that are so cleverly blended, with
Just necessary touch Of pathos or ten
/ derness here and there. that it reminds
| nd
others Of the later school OF brilliant
piaywriting The theme-it is as old as
the theater Itself: the loving wife, not
content with present happiness, who must
go rakIng IN the ashes OF her husbands
past 10 find scraps OF material enough
TO make her miserable and jealous: the
old mistaken notion that two wrongs can
make a right. and the running away Of
:he wife so as TO make her husband sorry
and 10 get even" IN a thousand ways
this theme has been presented 70 us be-
fore these clever French dramatists gave
# a new form or rather a new variation
on its old form. so that it came to us
with a freshness and daintiness that
seemed to defy the traditions that chung
10 it and 10 be all new
Much Of course. of the Gallo salt was
toned down in the translation, and doubt
less the comedy was much broader and
had wider-if less plessant-held in the
original But as II was brought over
first and as It was presented so admirably
last night. there IS not a suggestion that
could shock the most puritanical mind;
, II is all sheer gcod-natured fun with,
underneath, for those who cared TO IN
derstand, a wholesome lesson and ster-
ling moral
Interest in the performance last night
! ] ceDtered, OF course. in the work OF Miss
Blanche Hall She had a tremendous
task. In the first place. II must be some
E thing OF an ordeal for any actress 70
follow Billy Burke in a play that SO
well-known an actress has made her
r own. In the second place. the part is an
, unusually long one. and must be a try
ing one for an actress 10 use for her
debut with an old-established company
before audiences that IRE new 10 her
But Miss Hall acquitted herself noSly
:, Her first appearance was the signal fol
j applause that must have heartened he
I. up and made her feel that she was wei
come.
Very pretty. Of graceful figure ant
charmingly modulated voice. Miss Hal
does not look. from the front. unlilx
Miss Burke. She has a personality o
striking magnetism; plays with verv
and enthusiasm; is at times pert. plead
3 ing, saucy, and tender; but at all time
: sincere and genuine Two or three place
II in the play give her opportunity TO cal
'e on the resources Of her art. and in on
d OF these in particular. the scene Wit
Il Ernest where she is supposed 70 hav
just a sip or two too much champagne
e she played splendidly. and gave strik
y ing hint OF the forces she has in reservc
ID At times. too. both in voice and gestur
especially where the pathetic note wa
lie called for-she reminded US OF Miss Eff
n Shannon. who is at least a clever techn
sr clan. In short. Miss Hall gave a beau
~ tiful performance Of a difficult role. Sh
is won lots Of genuine and hearty applaus
and quite captivated her audience.
Two other new meEl6ers made their az
pearance last night, Miss Dolly Varde
and Miss Nina Melville. two pretty girl
l. who are cast for minor parts, but VIII
made favorable impression and viii prot
ably prove valuable additions to the con
q pany
The play was admirably cast through
- out. Mr.. Paul McAllister as Andre Wa
: strikingly good though perhaps just
!, trihe less OF the college spirit would haN
= become a French nobieman better. 81
this lack Of repose was noticeable onl
in the earlier scenes. In his scenes wit
= Miss Hall he was very good, especial
just after the honeymoon where Il
wife. very much in love still keeps {
finding excuses TO kiss him.
Mr. Walter Wilson gave a strikir
character impersonation as the Able Me
lin. Mr. Forester as NJ. Cartaret W;
good as was Mr. Butterield as Erne
Augarde He was very much at his be
in the tenderly pathetic little scene whe
he displayed the love letters he had new
received. and confessed afterward to ia
quelin that they were all rejections-th
he had never made conquest in his III
Miss Emily Melville has another
those roles she plays so we'll Miss Flo
ence Huntington played the ungratef
part Of Lucie with exactly the right TOT
n and tempo. and Miss Phyllis Sherwoo
\ always delightfully."- genuine, was CHAIR
ing and real as Charlotte In short. in
4 long cast, with number OF difficult role
II all were played well. so that the pr
duction as a whole will rank with al
that the Columbia Players have produc
this season.
Love Watches" will be the bill
the week, with matinee on Thursday