The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-11-30
."rhe Heal rhins, Indeed,

The HEAL Thing" Indeed.
II you are going to tho football
game this afternoon, gee Henrietta
Crosman in The Real Thing" to-
night; IL you are not going 10 the
game. see Henrietta Crosman in "Thc
Real Thing" this aftcrnoon-and again
tonight. II Is worth seeing twice
Miss Crosinan Is the most polished
and charming OF all our condolences;
her supporting company is without
flaw. and her play is just about the
mcrriest. cleanest. clevercst comedy
that we have had In years. with IL very
real and sound bit of every day phi
losophy underlying its witness and
laughter.
Very briefly stated. the story begins
NJ the time that Richard Grayson
fFred Tiden) and his wife, Kate
Josephine Lovetp. have reached what
Pinero describes as mid channel
The marital sea is choppy and rough,
the outlook Is stormy, and all because
tho Wits has become n mother, rather
than wife; a dowdy "haustrau"
rather than her husbands GIRL a do
fncstic. rather than q companion. She
has gone off In her tennis. has given
UP riding. singing. reading, playing,
both on the piano and With her nus
band. and has become u scamstrcss,
cook and nurse. with the utmost CON
i1dcnce In her husbands love she has
delegated the unimportant duty OF en-
tcrtaining. amusing and interesting
him to thoroughly nice girl. olive
fF1orcnce ShorD. whom nc makes his
PAL TO such an extent that she is
lauShingly known as MRS Grayson's
nndcretudy." 1t is apparent that the
time Tor laughter is about nj an end.
when there appears less Lorraine
tHenrietta Crosman). tho wife's sister.
wholesome. fascinating widow, radi-
atinE charm. yet wise with the wisdom
of all the ages since Eve span. The
husband goes away on his vacation,
and the wise widow seizes the oppor-
tnnity to foster. lead and carry
through to a triumphant conclusion.
revolution in her sisters whole life.
Away go the dowdy, shabby clothes
to bed go the children: out from the
shops of the modirtes. the millincrs.
the corseticres. the bootmakers and the
hair dres6crs come all the accessories
that go 10 make the well sroomed wo-
man-uncomfortahlc to the woman
who had let down." but, oh, no be-
coming!
And when the husband comes back
at the end OF his month he finds his
WIFE almost the girl he married.
healthy, athletic. happy, and dressed
very much Sressed-and moro than that
apparently much Interested In another
man The result is inevitable This
other man, Tom Bradley (Albert
Brown. Is really an an old sweetheart
of The Understanding Angel" as
Jess describes herself in the fairy
story told 10 the two little Riddles
and he-out that. too, is another
story. 1t enters prettily into the charm
OF the comedy and adds to its joyful
ness, but it is not OF the woof of
the story.
flashing lines of epigram and wit,
clean, clever. and amusing; the story
is really story. and the company is
of the highest class. Miss Crosman
herself is so Supremacy good that 1t
is unnecessary to dwell upon the
polish. the finish, the skilfulness of
her performance. or upon the mag
netism and fascination of her per-
sonality, which, all taken together
make her adorable to u.s. But, beyond
that, sho has not hesitated to surround
herself with mon and women OF ahii-
lily. Fred Tiden played the husband
with the ease and surety of the ex-
perienced actor of the English school;
Albert Brown made much of the part
OF tho "old beau the two children
were unusually attractivo: Florence
Short was more than pleasing ms the
boyish. awkward young girl, and
Josephine I.ovett opened the eyes of
those Of MS who did not know her
before. not only by the marvellous
change In her appearance. but by the
sustained and consistent excellence of
her work
Altogether. the play and the per-
Torrance were THE Real Thing" in
decd, and Richmond and Norfolk are
fortunate-from Norfolk the company
goes back to the "big time"
w. D. G.
FritzI Schen.