The Detroit times., 1910-09-30
THE STAGE
DETROIT OPERA HOUSE.

IL exists In certain circles OF smart
London society is what Sir Arthur
Pnero gives one In his play Mid
Channel, which Ethel Barrymore pre-
sented for the first time In this city,
Thursday evening, I'm the Detroit
opera house. The startling immoral
lty OF the thing Is ornamented with
the true Pinero epigrammatic dia-
logue. the Pinero genius for knotting
the story into tight tangle, and as
swiftly and Unexpectedly untieing II
TO spring further dramatic surprises \
moment or two later. Tho play scin
tnAtes with amusing conversation,
presents cameo-like types OF men and
women, and moves along with that
|"smootness OF action that makes a
Pinero play seem so completely a
page OF real life. The characters do
just those things that one sees In
every day existence, and arrive Mt the
inevitable end OF such path rs that
walked by every son and daughter OF
adam and Eve who live their lives In
selfish indulgence.
The story. as presented concerns
Zoe Blundell and her husband, Theo-
dore Blundell, Leonard Ferris"
tame robin" the Hon. Peter Mottram,
Mrs. Alice Annerley a typical woman
In the case" and girlish, ingenious
Ethel Pierpont.
Zoe and her husband have been
4 1married nearly fourteen years. have
no children, are rich and socially In
nuential and have arrived at that
point In their feverish, artificial lives
where there are daily Quarrels, and
utter boredom exists between them.
Kindly Peter, fond OF both OF them.
: sees the crisis and endeavors to save
them from going to pieces on wnat
he terms "mid-channel." Despite his
Efforts to bring them to better foot
Ing, they have final quarrel and go
their separate ways--Zoe trapsing of
10 the continent with her tame robin"
Ferris, and. Theodore to set himself
up In a handsome fiat with Mrs An
nerley for a companion.
Several months later Zoe returns TO
her London home and finds herself
longing for reconciliation with her
husband. Diplomatic Peter comes to
the rescue and brings them together
again, but the lives of each In the
immediate past cannot be purged 10
the satisfaction OF either, and their
agreement to return to each other
again ends in bitter recrimination
= and parting Theodore tells Zoe that
he will make divorce easy fo~ her IL
she will marry young Ferris, AMI she
accepts the terms Going to Ferris
rooms she finds the boy has engaged
himself TO Ethel Pierpont, following
his break with her, and Theodore and
Peter coming there TO talk with Fer
ris, she conceals herself in an adjoin-
ing room. Later Ferris acknowledges
her presence and says his course will
be guided by her decision and goes to
fetch her from the other room. He
returns TO say she Is not there and 10
explain that IL was impossible for her
TO leave the apartment except by way
OF the balcony and through the kitchen
TO the street. and as the balcony IL
In full view OF the room In which tn.
men have been talking such an exit
beemed impossible. At that moment
. servant enters to breathe in a scar
ed whisper that "theis has been an
accident" Blundell rushes TO the bal
cony and looks to the street below,
to turn and stagger from the room
crying wildly to his Greater. The
4 supposition on the part OF the aud
ience is that Zoe has ended her Ill
directed life.
AS Zoe, Miss Barrymore offers the
+ best work OF her career and proves
Il that she Is a thoroughly good actress.
h The old-time, girlish mannerisms have
been relegated TO the years that are
gone, and In acquiring positively
startling matronliness, Miss Barry
more has developed dramatic poise
that makes her acting that of an artist
4, and not simply Ethel Barrymore.
From a slim, jerkily-mannered young
girl, Miss Barrymore-in the past two
years a wife and mother-has enter
= ed into the full bloom OF a radiant
womanhood, and her artistic ability
has kept pace with the physical
change. She made Zoe an intensely
interesting woman, beautifully gown
ed and very handsome although
very weepy person, whose nerves
were all shot to pieces and whose
domestic unhappiness kept her with
red eyes and a continuous sniffle in
her nose.
The work Of H. Reeves-Smith as
Peter and Charles Dalton as the hus-
band was impeccable. Both have fire.
Aquently played In Detroit but never
before in similar roles. Dalton will
be remembered as the heroic central
figure Of "The Sign OF the Cross" and
Reeves-Smith as leading man for
Henrietta Crosman and Cecilia LOTUS.
Both are Englishmen and in the fore
front Of their profession. Mr. Smith
oas Peter Is the one decent person.
aside from Ethel, In the whole play.
He is sensible. dispassiopate, true
friend and full worldly wisdom,
rightly applied.
Idr. Dalto.i work as Theodore was
equally artistic. The role Is that of a
rough, rather ill-mannered and almost
british man who knows nothing Of fine
instincts. His scene with Zoe were
handled so deftly that admiration for
the artist cou'l not be withheld de-
spite the nasty taste they left in the