The Washington times., 1910-11-08
THRILLS PILE HIGH
IN MOTHER DRAMA"
Madame X Makes a Strong
Appeal to Elemental
Emotions.
DOROTHY DONNELLY
HOLDS ATTENTION
Excellent Cast Engaged for Bison
Play-Large Audience
Greets Opening.


tistic advantage lay in the selection Of
mother-love as the theme Of Madame
X" The wisdom Of the choice has been
proven by the plays remaining on
Broadway one entire season and by at
tracing a capacity audience to the
Belasco last evening.
The theme is universal. Neither youth
nor age. station nor stage Of education.
personal prediction nor dramatic
tastes bar anyone from its enjoyment.
The author, Alexandra Bison showed
the skill of a neurOlOgiSt in cutting
through all veneer to reach the ele-
mental emotions and a capable cast.
with Dorothy Donnelly's name always
in the forefront, set heart strings in
motion and made them all vibrate 70
this primal passion.
The strange story has become familiar
IN the past season. It deals with the
casting off Of his wife by an indignant
husband and her subsequent return
after twenty years Of hardships. drug
addictions, rnesalliances and shame. II
shows her in all her misery with the
love of her child increased and brings
her face to face with him as counsel
for her defense after she has murdered
her lover to keep her identity secret.
AS her husband sits on the bench, she
remains silent in the prisoners dock
when asked 10 plead for her life, while
her son makes a hypothetical defense
for her act that curiOusly fts the facts.
Drives Point Home.
This is melOdrama. The author sacri-
feed nothing, the expense Of a large
and excellent company, the introduction
Of extraneous characters, even dramat-
&c canOns in the accomplishment OF his
emotional effects. Laws Of stagecraft
are only aids TO bring the audience and
playwright TO q better understanding.
but this writer chose to break some Of
them 10 drive home his point. He sue
Ceeded. Madame X' is a cambria
handkerchief drama-flmy lace crea-
lions will be OF little service while the
young FIoriot is pleading his unknown
mothers case.
There has been little effort to con-
form to modern stage traditions. The
soliIouuy, long abandoned, is revived.
asldes are spoken loud enough for all
on the stage TO hear, parallel cases to
the main theme are drawn in order 10
gather climacteric force, the historic
comedy relief is daUbed on rather
crudely in spots.
Put all this is an afterthoUght. The
audience might easily feel it in the
theater were It not for Dorothy Don
nelly, and a splendid company The
appeal to the emotions leaves little
room for the play OF reason, and It Is
not until one leaves that he asks
whether this mother-lOve could have
gained In volume as wears and vicissi-
tu6es piled up, whether . son of twen-
tv-fOur years could have been Kept so UNI
suspecting Of the truth, whether a physl-
clan would be likely 70 leave a patient
whose condition he had Just pronounced
critical 10 the shock Of seeing her son
alone, whether the young attorney
could have presented to the jury by any
reasonable chance a Dlea so coincident
TO the facts as the audience knew them.
Effect of Play.
The play is not meant even TO be
probable. II leaves no lasting impress
sion of verify. It's characters. not its
Incidents, are lifelike. Its effect is that
of a poem, symphony, with mother
love for its theme, and if the materials
do not bear analysis It should be re-
mernbered that they are merely agents
to produce the desired impression
Had she not chosen to remain playing
a wide variety Of roles and gradually
perfeCting her art rather than a mere
gracious personality, the name Of Dor
othy Donnelly today might be emblaz-
oned on the huge electric light sign Of
some inconseQuential comedy The
stage has benefited by her wisdom
Though her name does not even appear
in the title page If the Madame "
program, playgue who have once seen
her as the Inflated JacQUeline will re-
member her emotional power her mas
terful technique, her sympathetic re-
spouse to every demand Of the role
Her makeup is 2 rare example Of the
@uCh neglected art.
Malcolm Williams employed all the
stage tools Of the conventional villain
with the wisdom Of an experienced
actor in the portrayal of Laroque, for
whose death IacQueline stood trial The
husbands part was taken by BOYD
Nolan, an actor of robust personality
and assurance. A remarkable bit Of
character work was contributed bv
Harry G. Bradley, porter of the
Three Crows I'm. Two Characters
provided with lines designed to be funny
at il-timed occasions were played better
than they deserved by W II. Denny
and Maurice Drew. The work Of Robert
PAXTON Gibbs, as Noel, and Charles ]
Wilson, as a physician, was acccptab bic.
J. r. HILDEBRAND.