The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-11-15
MESSAGE OF CHEER
IS CARRIED BY PLAY
Passing of the Third Floor
Back Thrills Audi
ence.
FORBES-ROBERTSON
SUPREME IN ROLE
Scriptural Injunction Worked Out
In Dramatic Form In
Jerome Play.

The sCriptUral injunction. BE We not
overcome Of evil. but overcome evil with
good" was worked out In dramatic
form before a BeIasco audience last
night through the medium OF Jerome
X JerOme's Passing Of the Third Floor
Back" The one actor on the English
speaking stage supremacy endowed 70
convey the spiritual significance Of such
a drama J. FOrbes-RObertsOn, was cast
as the Passer-By.
I am going 10 be good all my life
after seeing that was the comment
made Dy one young woman after the
curtain fell. That describes exactly the
effect Of this performance on the aud
itor- It carries a message Of cheer, Of
hope, ike that conveyed in 'HChe Dawn
OF Tomorrow" and It pictures the
retaliation Of living in the manner OF
The Servant in the House.
Dglfness IS only skin deep, and Il is
the duty OF the artist 10 bring out the
beauty beneath is one prOnounCement
OF the Stranger, and II was this Quality
% him that made him lovable- It was
not 50 much the reformation he wrought
IN The persons about him. II was not so
much his preachments5 II was that in
sight into some good trait in the snOb.
IN the cheat, in the sIOven. in the
painted LADY, in the coward. and in the
rogue that made him lOvsble-
Chapter From Life
''The Passing is the anffrbesis Of
Madame X" seen at the same theater
one week ago IN this jerome play
there is no dramatic moment, there is
no element Of suspense there is but a
thread Of plot, instead there IS the de-
piCt1On OF the unfolding OF the lives of
a dozen characters. none OF them low
able 70 begin with. all OF them made
better by the insight into their spiritual
selves given them by the Stranger.
Don't let this description induce the
tnesJergOer who wishes TO find an even
lnGs entertainment 10 shun the BeIasco
20 escape being preached to. The sue
cess OF this production must have been
largely due TO its cosmopolitan appeal
10 one who thinks II holds a lesson, to
one who wishes 10 spend an evening in
enjoyment, Il holds the interest OF q
good story wen told; TO one who wishes
amusement Il OfIerS Tuu-nOt Of the I'd
ToaT1Ous kind. perhsps-but genuine
humor that leaves pleasant favor
The qualities that have Won Forbes
robertson . foremost place on the stage
NJ hin TO portray the deeper meaning
OF this work Acting in the accepted
sense OF the word he shuns- Only once
does he raise his voice He exercises TO
the fullest that rare and indescribabIe
glft OF conveying to the consciousness
OF his nearer q message that would be
04AaAElaL 70 Ten III heEUS- ana MS man
neT OF doing II is often as ineXDlicable
as the message itself
It Is mistake to allow the mastery
portrayal OF FOrbeS-RObeTtSOn com
pietely to OEeTshadOw the work Of other
members Of the cast That English Gus
tom already brought 10 mind this season
OF furnishing q capable supporting com
pany to a star was never better exerr-
plihed than here
Cast Wins Honors.
It is not TO Forbes-RObertson-s dis
credit that the interest in the play is
aroused perhaps twenty minutes before
he appears on the stage The Cheat,
the SIOveu, The Painted Lady. the
Shrew, the SnOb, and half n dozen
others provided a panorama OF human
nature al its worst that was a little
too life-like for the comfort Of many
In the audience These characters were
taken in the order mentioned by Miss
Lena DeIphiue, Miss Molly Pearson.
Miss Haidee Wright, Miss Kate CarlyOn,
and Mrs Annerly-
OF the male characters. the Bully Of
Montague Rutherford. the SatyT OF Al
len Thomas, the Coward OF DAVID
Powell, and the Rogue of A G POultOn
were worthy Interpretations
Standing above the rest were the
Hussy Of Phyliss Relph. who has a little
something OF Reconsideration mag
netic personality. and the Cad Of Alex
snder Classy, which was an artistic bit
Of character acting
The closing moments Of the Play were
unique and effective The Stranger went
out into the night and the curtain fell
upon an empty stage The stage man
ager counted vel upon the interest Of
the audience TO remain silent during
these moments Only one woman seized
the opportunity 10 put on her hat
J. R HILDEBRAND-