The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-03-22
LITTLE SERMONS
PREACHED IN PLAY
Power of Mother Love Por-
trayed BY Margaret Anglin
AS Helena Richie.

For a little child shall lead them. q"
What the mother love, developed more
or less strongly in all women. good or
I bad, will accomplish and the leavening
: process of sin is the keynote Of THE
/ Awakening of Helena Richie"
The play made its first appearance in
/ Washington last night at the National
/ with Margaret Anglin in the leading
role.
, As an Onering for the Leuten season
I the production seems peculiarly fitting,
( for there is more than one little sermon
preached and much is given to think
/ over The play, adapted by Charlotte
/ Thompson from Margaret Dcland's nov
{ al, shows IN many of its lines the
/ touches of a wOman's pen.
1 The story is of "A woman who, after
/ a life of torture with a brutal husband.
/ fees to the little village Of Old Chester.
/ Pa, and for years finds the happiness.
/ so long denied her. in the arms Of her
/ lover. Years afterWard, a little WaJf
/ Creeps in 10 MI the vacant niche IN her
/ heart and she plans 10 adopt him.
Awakening Begins.
/ Right then begins her awakening Her
! husband dies. her life Of sin ~ discover
/ ed. a youthful poet Of the village who
has learned 20 love her with mad idol
airy ends his life, and the lover shows
AN unWilllngness 10 marry her, though
4 refusing 10 give her up he agrees,
I however. 10 a marriage n she will give
up the baby boy, and this she refuses
4 10 90. Later when the old doctor finds
I out that the man who has been visiting
ner Is her lover and not her brother she
faces the loss OF the boy for whom she
has given up al
/ Then comes her real awakening and
her renunCiatiOn Of the boy for his own
. good and the final surprise Of finding
jhat she IS 10 keep the child after her
Miss Anglin does excellent work
+ throughout, first as the mistress.
/ wrapped up In a love that IS powerful
/ though Illicit, then as woman begin
. after all, but her most convincing act
ing comes IN her portrayal Of the
/ mother love for the boy who came %
/ GlI the place of her own baby snatched
/ from her arms as a baby.
In the scene when she makes a COM
| plete confession Of her wronEdoing u
/ the old doctor and describes the suffer
/ ing she endured at the hands OF hel
/ husband which eliminated In the death
I of her baby, she was most effective
and handkerchief were brought into
play all over the house as she made
her plea and told Of how much sOrrOR
and how little real happiness had come
into her life.
HumOr in Lines.
Despite the seriousness Of most oil
the lines and the general heaviness Of
the entire play. the theme IS wholesom,
and rational and there is quite a IttI'
quaint humor 20 serve as leaveuing. The
child part taken by Master Raymond
Hackeit is a very pleasing one and The
little fellow reads his lines with a Ser1
BUSINESS and an Interpretation that quite
captivates his hearers As DR.. Law
ender John F1ndlay has role that fits
him well, but his work as the playmate
and friend OF the boy is better than his
iruOrP serious efforts
| Eugene OrmOnde, as Lloyd Pryor. the
lover OF Helena, IS an admirable stage
lover, but at times is hardly so con.
lvinging as his opportunities warrant
George PrObert, who takes the role
OF the young poet. does excellent work
with P character that not only IS hard
90 portray. but one that the average
person does not feel sympathetic to-
ward The rest Of the cast give good
support, and in one or two instances
there is some particularly noticeable
character work The production is
staged most fttiHgly. VI. II. NJ.