The Washington herald., 1911-12-17

on every corner. importuning passers-by
TO help the needy, and home demands
upon the parental pocketbook, the interim
until Christmas holds little incentive for
the production of new plays, for the dol
lars of the great army of theatergoers
are pledged TO gifts for wives, sweet
hearts and relatives. 1t is therefore
not strange that the shops and depart
ment stores are flooded to overfowinE,
while the theater lobbies are as sparsely
attended a church.
This Christmas spirit, however, has
been boldly challenged by no less than
four new and virgin productions, which
hope, by dint of merit TO escape the
usual midseason slump and thrive when
the Christmas spirit no longer makes the
public chary of its change. Among the
plays reviewed this week are Betsy,
at the Herald Square; "Kindling, at
Daly's; Peggy" at the Casino, and The
Maronettes." at the LyCeum.
The holidays will be marked by
wealth OF new productions, prominent
among which is The Talker," piece
that has been given a road try out, and
has met with marked success.
Betsy"
In Betsy at the Herald Square, New
Workers have found a comedy whose
sparkling wit and clever construction are
very glitter is carefully polished off by a
Voiceless cast which essays the task of
singing it to popularity. Kellett Cham
bers is the author. and the Johnstone
brothers, Will B. and Alexander, fathered
the lyrics and score. To this trio sue
cess is merited, and they have none TO
blame save the individual members Of
the company for lessening the effect Of
their efforts.
Betsy" under the nom de guerre Of
AN American Widow" was misman-
aged into failure last season at the Hud-
son. Its clever writing, however, en-
gagged the attention of all those who
witnessed its limited performance and
theater habitues are glad TO welcome 1t
back garlanded with song and disguised
with a new mime
The plot is more or less familiar 10
pIaygoers. 1t deals with the IA
milar female who marries "for :
cause and afterward finds that she is
in love with the masculine end of the
bargain. The manner of bringing about
this time-hOnored situation, however, is
rather novel. Betsy is the widow of
wealthy American. whose will bears a
clause providing for the dsintegration
of the estate should she marry any but
an american. The widow is in love
with a coronet, and seeks to circum-
vent the will by forming a platonic al
lance with a composer, thus making
her prospective marriage to the pee her
third wedding, and escaping the stipu-
latton of her first husbands will. The
complications, OF course, have the usual
happy ending.
Miss La Rue plays the part of the
widow with a vivacity that bears watch
ing and a voice that fails utterly. The
Other members Of the cast merit the
saI criticism. The Interpolation of a
few real voices would make Betsy a
piece to be remembered.
"KindIinE."
Margaret Ellington, after nearly two
years absence. is again playing on
Broadway. Her new piece is "KindIing,"
at Days, a play OF the slums, by
Charles Kenyon, and it deals with those
vital questions Of life that compel at
tention through strong emotional por-
trayal
Miss Ellington plays the role of Maggie
Shulze, the wife Of hearty German long
shoreman, whose ideals rise above the
foul air OF his surroundings and plant
their honest feet upon that plane Of free
dom which permits of children, life, and |
health. She handles her role admirably, |
though her diCtion is scarcely that which |
: one would expect from a person in her |
environment
In the scene where she plots to steal |
from her Fifth avenue benefactress. and |
agrees to the obturgations of Steve a |
wastrel of the slums, who lives on blood |
money and makings. she scarcely rises |
10 the possibilities that the role holds |
forth. But later, when the Job is done
and her husband suspects the origin Of |
the sudden wealth that is to take them |
to Wyoming away from their sordid sur |
rOundings, her confession, with the little |
cradle that is to hold the child yet un- |
born in the background rises to heights |
that leave few dry eyes among the audi |
ence. II is most eloquent appeal for |
the right Of motherhood and the longing |
that actuated the theft is borne home 10 |
Heinrich, her husband. with a forceful-
ness that he successfully reflects upon his |
hearers
The third act with the inevitable patch
ing up, seems rather weak beside the
Temotfonal outburst that sweeps the story
slonE in its predecessors, and the hack
neyed society women and astute stage
detective hardly measured up to the
standard Of the principals. The charac-
ter Of the perverted slum footpad and
that Of The woman upstairs" who, to-
gether with a slum physician, inculcates
the fear OF children that fights with a
mothers love and forms the theme Of the
play. are both we'll portrayed and acted
with great effectiveness.
peggy"
Though Harry Fisher barks like a seal,
several young ladies appear in "nothin'-
nothin' attire, and the orchestra fiddIes
manfully. Peggy" now playing at the
casino, cannot be credited with a bril-
lance that will drag II above mediocrity
Peggy" has all the prerequisites of sue
cess-light music. Harry Fisher, and a
handsome chorus-so Il is rather hard to |
place the blame for its unappeaIinE debut.
After careful thought and consideration,
however. 1t seems that George Gros-
smith. the writer OF the lyrics should |
step forward to receive the onion.
Peggy" is an adaptation from the
Original English" which, Judging from
the adaptation, must have been quite the
most giddy melange Of farcicaI fantasy
D en- record. The plot takes the audience
from hotel reception room in London
to the plaza at TrouviIIe the idea. Il
seems, being to provide as much scenery,