The Washington herald., 1910-01-25
Asst NIGHT AT LOCAL PLAYHOUSES
THE BELASC0.
'eThe Dawn OF a Tomorrow

''The Dawn of Tomorrow"
The Dawn of Tomorrow is a play |
of optimsm-a play of morrow" not /
| the Spanish Tomorrow. invoked for the
purpose of easily getting rid of to-day,
but the tomorrow of hope. adding by
anticipation to the joy of living.
1t is a serious work. full OF thought, |
and in every respect worthy of the |
genius of that remarkable woman, Fran |
| ces Hodgson Burnett II finds its gene
sis in some Of the current theories re-
/ gar3ing the relation of a mans physical
condition TO his mental attitude, in the
| play being referred 10 as ''new thought"
/ but the author is careful to make clear
the truth about these things. and that
/ is. that they are not new" at ALL but
as old as the human race itself
Sir Oliver Holt. a leader in British pol
/ itics and finance, has come TO a condition
| Of nervous infirmity bordering on in
sanity. and Mortified at the condition of
lifelong friend who has reached the
| last stages he resolves to spare himself,
and makes off in disguise into the pur-
! lieus Of East London to make away with
himself, his state of mind having been
further worked upon by Overhearing
/ a consultation upon his own case by
/ three Of the most distinguished specialists
/ Of the United Kingdom The course Of
/ his affairs is changed by a meeting in
/ Apple Blossom court, with Glad, a girl
/ OF the Sums who is an optimist of the
most rosy hopes. who has imbibed some
/ ideas about asking" and receiving
| from some hospital angel, while she lay
/ in the institution with broken limbs and |
nose
She is trying out the theory upon her |
self and the denizens Of her small world. |
Apple Blossom court The experiment /
is attended with great success. She turns |
the currents cf Sir divers mind into |
other and new channels and saves him. 1
she asking for the salvation of her /
lover the Dandy" who is suspected of /
an atrocious murder. and is answered IA |
vorably; and she even makes young
Oliver Holt the disSolute nephew OF the /
old peer, play the part Of a true man. |
This is a brief sketch of the play; to tell 1
more in detail would tend to diminish the |
interest. 1t is an exempllhcation OF the /
virtue OF hope and keeping eternaIIy at |
work 1t is a real play, full Of interest |
with moral of consequence. and al 1
times is brilliant with satirical illusions /
TO mistakes and lapses Of humanity.
As Glad, the irresponsible optimist Of /
the East End, Miss Eleanor Robson ap- /
pears in the most effective characterize /
ton Of her career. There is no advantage /
offered TO the role by way Of elegant cos
tuning or sensuous posing. She simply
appears in rags and tatters and plays .
the part Of the girl philosopher and
preacher Of the slums. and never. at any
period, does she appear to lose, or even
slacken. her grasp Of the character and
its attributes. 1t IS clever bit Of acting
and one cannot go farther in commenda-
ton, after all, than 70 say that the
presence Of Miss Robson was visible |
The figure before US is Glad. the spirit
of the play
Miss Robson IS strongly seconded by
Fuller Mellish as Sir Oliver Holt The
part is especially suited 10 him, and as
usual, he gets out Of il all contained there
in. Particularly effective was he In the
first act in Stimulating the conditions at
tendant upon approaching nervous col
lapse
The supporting company is good with
out single exception, including Brandon |
Hunt, as Oliver Holt: Thomas Fullerton. as
Sir Bowling Burford; George Farren. as
Dr. Heath: Gordon Douglas. as DR.. sat
terly; L Race Dunrobin, as Lord Tommy.
William Sauter, as The Dandy, Roy Fair
child. as the thief: Claude Brooke. as
Powell, and long list Of others.
There is a fine scene in the first act 7
where the three specialists indulge in r
conversation after the consultation. and ;
another in the last act. where Lord .
Tommy disClOs7s the state Of his mind >
TO Oliver Holt Both are particularly
ingenious in showing the mental ratioci-
nation caused by current happenings. The y
play will set the wheels of thought in
motion, and whatever their attitude to-
ward these new theories. the majority OF ;
the spectators viii agree with the people
OF the play in admitting that there may
be, at least, something to them.
The house was filled with a brilliant {
audience, the President and Mrs. Taft
occupying box.