The Washington herald., 1910-04-26
THE BELASC0.
as Mntrimony n FaiIure,o

the highest class gave way 10 COMEDY
drama in the shape OF Leo Ditrlchsten's
play. rs Matrimony a Failure" which
he has adapted from the Die Thur ins
Freie." Of Blumenthal and Heidelberg
viennese and Berlin success.
David Belasco has given the play the
master touches that are 50 typical Of his
genius and coupled with the splendid
cast. the comedy has excellent reasons
which account for the long run at the
Belasco-Stuyvesant Theater, in New
York. The quaint originality OF the
theme, the clever way in which exag-
gerated situations are made to assume
plausbility, the unexpected twists of the
plot. and the avoidance of anything Ike
coarse suggestion, are features which
make this comedy a most enjoyable en-
tertainment. There is an odd mixture OF
humor and pathos. the kind of humor
that arises from realization Of the
weaknesses Of mankind. and the sort OF
pathos that sets one thinking over the
regrettable things in life that might have
been avoided after ALL
one likes a comedy with substance
something more than a mere farcical
elaboration of bizarre ideas. rs Matri-
mony n Failure?" Genes nearer TO the
satirical form of comedy, in which the
English playwright oXcels, than any
within recollection furnished by other
/ foreign sources.
Mr.. Ditrichstein has changed the locale
OF the play to a small suburban town.
| representative OF almost any part OF the
| United States, and has accomplished the
wonder Of making an idea which origi-
mated in Germany 1T. or at least seem
| ingly 10 1T. the foibles and characteristics
Of American domestic life.
/ The play opens with the twenty-hfth
! anniversary dinner Of Mr. and Mrs Hugh
] Wheeler, of RosedaIe. There are gathered
at this celebration half dozen or more
married couples Who II is soon plainly
/ evident. are at various stages OF conjugal
/ incompatibility. The husbands are shown
/ straining at the matrimonial bonds. and
/ the wives are Disconnected. jealous of
/ each other. and mostly chiIdless. But one
/ couple. two very young things. are happy
/ in 'heir married state. and their endear-
ments practiced m public. are unpalatable
/ TO the other COUPLES
/ Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler have two daugh-
/ ters and a son-in-law. The latter. Skel-
/ ton Perry. has written a play which has
I attracted some attention by reason Of its
savage attacks on matrimony His All
( thorship IS not known, bat the play Is
/ anathematized I'm Rosedale, tho very
place where Perry gathered most Of the
material for his philosophy. His own
marriage is anything but a peaceful and
happy one.
The thesis or the play written by Perry
/ IS that OF all the marriages that are
made. 50 per cent Of the couples would
gladly welcome an opportunity for free
dom. 4 coincidence puts the idea TO
actual test.
Mrs. Wheeler, having trapped one son
in-law and bound him hand and foot, is
bending all her energies toward finding
one for her remaining daughter. Paul
Barton. a New York lawyer. is the OBJ
| ject OF her persuasions. and seems in
1 evitably bent on what Perry calls his
doom Barton. IN digging about the
records OF the Rosedale courthouse dis
covers the fact that some OF the mar
riage ceremonies performed in RosedaIe
are illegal. by reason Of the fact that the
/ justice Of the peace was in the habit OF
absenting himself on long hunting trips.
! leaving his clerk 10 sign marriage licenses
and perform the ceremonies.
Barton mentions his discovery 20 Perry,
who pounces upon It as a scheme TO test
the real feelings Of the RosedaIe couples.
In spite OF Barton's advice. Perry ex-
pIodes this bomb az the anniversary din
ner. Imagine the electrical effect. with
the men all boiling on 20 the registrars
Office to see II their marriages are on
straight-many Of them hoping 10 find
| themselves free. the women on the verge
OF Mysteries. and Shelton Perry laughing
/ in his sleeve. His is one Of the illegal
marriages.
! Mrs. Wheeler Immediately undergoes a
! change Her own marriage is legal
enough, hut she must win Shelton Perry
back again. Her tactics are now all di-
rected toward coaxing Perry back into
the fold, refusing TO take sides with her
own daughter in the quarrels. much to
the latter's amazement.
The ultimate return Of most OF the
husbands TO the fold. after a brief period
of liberty. furnish a logical ending to a
highly improbable but thoroughly anus
/ ing story. The situations throughout are
delightfully."- original and the action is
rapid. and the interest sustained.
! The acting is OF the very highest pos
sible caliber. Frank Worthing. Louise
/ Macintosh. Anne Sutherland, and James
Bradbury are at the head OF the cast.
Worthing. whose mannerisms are more
and more like Irving's, does some Of the
best work Of his career. HIS SHELTON
Perry is real character IN the delicate
finesse, the thin veneering Of Indifference
but thinly yelling the real man under
meath and the various moods of the
| philosopher and thinker Mr.. WorthIng
has won laurels in wholly serious work.
ne Is now showing that he can play
| comedy as well, and mingle both In one
role Mr.. Bradbury as the type of man
whose self1shness has cost him the es-
TEEN Of good woman-his wife-and
whose clumsy efforts 10 assert himself
are amusing. and an exemplifcation of
/ his own doctrine that the man who
thinks he can get ahead Of woman is
a fool was extremely clever. His ex-
cited and perspiring efforts 10 understand
the opposite sex serve the purpose Of an
/ object lesson. as the author intended they
should
/ Miss Macintosh as Mrs. Wheeler is de-
! llghtful. particularly IN her scenes with
( Mr. Worthing She IS a charming actress.
who is a great favorite in Washington.
where her work is well known. indeed
Miss Anne Sutherland captured most OF
! the acting laurels. as we'll rs tho s,.r,