The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-11-15
THE COLUMBIA.
"MY Man,

"My Man"
Patterning after 1.-THE Regeneration.
salvation Nell" 1.-THE Only Law" and
The Whirlwind.' Forrest Halsey, the
author OF My Man." the play which
opened an engagement at the Columbia
last evening aimed to give his audience
taste OF the sphere commonly known
as the underworld" world Of
thieves and criminals, of bad women and
worse men; the world where everything
is right except disloyalty TO ones pal"
and even that occasionally creeps in.
Mr.. Halsey has considered that it IS
his duty TO give the public a picture of
the lower strata OF society. and has en-
deavored 10 paint a convincing view OF
the life, ambitions, struggles, and hard
ships of the criminal class; but he has
only laid himself open 10 ridicule. for at
times the mechanism OF the play. the
manner in which the scenes are brought
about and the palpably forced situa-
tons is amateurish TO the last degree
Particularly is this true of the finale
Of the second act. with all four doors in
use by as many actors for the purpose of
making impossible entrances and exits
the climax coming when the detective
finds the young wife carrying some bed
ding into the parlor-from which criminal
action he deduces that she is a crook,
and the curtain falls on her guilt dis
covered-or. AT least. suspected II must
be said. however. that the last acr Cup
TO within two minutes OF the final cur
tain is excellent in its construction, the
author redeeming in some manner his
earlier faults, but the last minutes rob
1t Of all its strength and give a sugar
coated ending TO what would have other
wise been fairly good piece OF work
But the author cannot be said TO bear
the entire brunt OF the blame-the actors
themselves come In for a large share II
has been a long time since play,
whether having its first performance or
not. has been so amateurishly presented,
for the actors last night had not even
taken the trouble 10 learn their lines and
the voice OF the prOmpter was heard in
the auditorium on more than one occa-
sion. We are informed that this is not
the original cast, and ii can well be be-
lieved
The play itself is melodrama, with
plenty of thrills and large amount
OF language which certainly does not find
its way into polite society and char
acters who are better known 10 the
police court than TO thu stage out of
the five grown persons In the play, four
are thieves or worse, and the other is
willing TO become one. and the situations
seldom wander far from a discussion OF
crime In some Of its phases.
The part Of the young wife, Edith, who
has stolen her child from the asylum
and broken her parole, was intrusted to
Marguerite Abbott. The part itself is
not an easy one, so perhaps the actress
should not be criticised too much for her
shortcomings. but at least she might
know her lines.
Nearly all the bright speeches in the
play fell 10 the lot of Lillian Kingsbury.
who has succeeded Anne Sutherland I'm
the role OF Diamond Mabel, a woman of
a type which seems TO be cross be-
tween Anna Karianina and Edith St
Claire, in THE Easiest Way" Her
speech. In which she saws that God
made her look Ike Broadway and Forty
second street." describes her appearance,
but her big scene, in the last act was
distinctly well done. though hardly worth
sitting through the two acts and a half
which preceded IL.
Will d. Howard had the role of Jim,
the husband of Edith, while Noah Beery
played Jordan. the villain-detective. In a
lifeiike, Desperate Desmond manner.
Dorothea Antel and Addie Frank sup
piled the comedy relief. which. If any
thing, was below the standard of the.
rest OF the piece.