The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-05-14
Brilliant Audience at Second
Night of Engagement.
THE NEW THEATER COMPANY
Miss Edith Wynne MHtthisOn In
Wonderful Characterization
Contrasts and SimiIarities-Acting
Ia Notable Throughout.

]
sented by the New Theater Company last
night or the first, we already know
something; OF the latter, we should like
TO know more. SISTER Beatrice the
gramme as a miracle play is a beautiful
and impressive bit Of medieval romance.
Don" by Besier. is strictly modern. And
yet with all the wide divergence OF theme.
the principles upon which both pieces are
founded are singularly alike.
In The religious play. the allegory Is
that no sin is unforgivabIe If committed
in the name Of love"-a doctrine perhaps
too daring for a modern play. hence the
medieval setting and clostered charac-
tiers. In Don" we gather that no indis-
erection is unforgivable II done In the
name OF pity. And II pity IS not akin 10
love. some one has been misinformed
Therefore. there is a striking similarity.
and yet wide difference, between the
two plays presented. Perhaps the read
lIustment OF the sequence Of the bill so
as 20 put Sister Beatrice" first Of all,
audience that saw the curtain fan on
the Maeterlnck play. The dim cloisters
and the nuns IN their robes. the chanted
music, and the simple impressiveness OF
the tale, which IS as short and appealing
as The Juggler Of Our Lady" put them
IN a receptive mood for the brighter
scenes OF the intense little drama that
followed
story Of "Sister Beatrice"
SISTER Beatrice may be placed about
midway between "Eyeryman" and The
White sister" The story OF the nun
/ who loves soldier has its genesis I'm sew
eral ancient legends. but is best known
as Ballad OF a Nun. by John Dawson
/ The nun besceChes the statue OF the Holy
/ Virgin 20 make some sign as to whether
I this great love she bears for Prince Bel
/ lidor is holy and an excuse for re-
/ nouncing her VOWS. Sister Beatrice re-
/ ceives no sign, but upon her leaving the
| convent with the prince. the Virgin
/ descends from her pedestal. and I'm the
/ flesh takes up the duties Of Sister Be
| atrice
The Virgin, mistaken for Sister Be
/ atrice, IS accused Of having despoued the
| statue Of its rich garments. and she IS
| ordered 20 be fogged As the Sisters at
/ tempt TO obey this order. their rods are
! turned into garIands OF flowers. and a
| great light illumcs the convent. and they
/ retreat. crying sister Beatrice IS
! holy" For twenty years the Virgin
/ takes up the labors Of the runaway Sis
/ ter and performs miracles. At the end
/ Of that time, when Sister Beatrice re-
/ turns. a broken woman. the Virgin re-
/ turns 10 her niche. and the dying Be
atrice is solaced by the alteration Of her
! Sisters. who still take her for what she
| has appeared 10 be for twenty years. and
at the end give her credit for the miracle
OF the return OF the Virgins image. miss
/ ing all these years.
Miss Matthison's Fine Acting.
Again the New Theater Company
| demonstrated its acting power. Miss
| Edith Wynne Matthis0n was tho Sister
Beatrice, and imbUed the role with a
striking appeal. She approaches fl with
reverence, and, throughout, her voice. rich
and beautiful. fairly throbs and sings
with the yelling Of every emotion from
religious ecstasy 20 penitence and despair.
She has great personal beauty and splen-
did presence. Her acting OF the passion
ate love scene with AR de Cordoba who
was the prince, was superb. Mr. de
COrdObOs appearance and acting also
left little to be desired. The rest Of the
cast, consisting Of the ROBBED Sisters and
the beEgars, come in for praise. for the
effective ensembles and the setting was
a work of art.
The transition from sister Beatrice"
TO Don" was like coming from the lofty
calm Of a cathedral into the bright sun
light, for Don begins I'm a pure comedy
vein. The scene IS rural English. and
Don IS the son Of a Church of England
canon. His real name is stephen but ne
is called Don" because that is short
for Don QulxOte-pronounced "Quicksot,"
# you please. by these actors, under the
orders Of the literary director Of the New
Theater Because Of his quixotic idea,
Don gets into an awful mess. He be
friends n girl In the chivalry Of his heart,
and when later she becomes another
mans wife. and an unhappy wife 10 boot,
he takes her away from her husband.
that she may not be ill-treated.
Don" sees the true light in flashes, as
he explains. but also holds that II Is bet
ter than walking in darkness. But at
least he is too blind 10 SEQ what havoc
his act OF mercy plays with his fiance
and her family. his own family, consist
ing Of a doting mother and the austere
clergyman. and last, but not least the
husband of the girl who needs befriend- /
ing.