New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-10-03
THE DRAMA
Margaret AngIin in A. E. w.
MaSon'S Comedy.
GREEN STOCKINGS

portrayal Of the more serious characters
Miss Anglin is not surpassed by any one
on our stage. the public needed reminder
or, If II had never known, needed TO dis
cover, that as an embodiment Of the comic
spirit she is one of the most delightful ac-
tresses of the day. Her happiest work, then,
is in the play which had its first New York
performance last night, at the Thirty-ninth
Street Theatre, a clean-cut comedy by the
well known English novelist and play
wright, a. f. W. Mason.
The title OF the play, Green Stockings"
viii convey but little meaning to the Amer
lean mind. although TO the Englishry,
with whom traditions are supposed fondly
to linger. it has presumably some afilia-
ton with custom. For there is or was in
the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. isle tradition
that the eldest unmarried sister Of fami-
| ~ should be presented with a pair OF green
stockings when younger sister married.
| Celia Faraday had twice received these
symbolic gifts, but now that her youngest
sister is about TO wed she is not the least
| inclined to a third presentation. She has
| been IL not the Cinderella of the family, at
any rate its least considered and most
considerate member, always the one 70
.
i been fixed in the belief that Celia was not
/ for marriage. that no man would ever love
her. no passion ever stir her heart. Rela-
/ tives are accustomed TO twit but not IL
naturally, and Celia, having a soul and a
mind Of her own, wearies Of the domes-
/ tic superstition. She returns from visit
/ 10 find sister Phyllis engaged and threaten
/ ing another gift Of green stockings. Celia
on the instant defeats the cheerful plan oy
/ announcing her own engagement What?
! Celia with a beau? Abatement. Astound-
! ed. II sincere. congratulations.
! Who is the man? Celia hesitates coyly.
| His name is Smith. Is this the best she
could do? We have had Trenchards and
/ Rockinghams. Phyllis has captured the
1 Hon. Robert Tarver, hedghng NJ
n. Is Smith all, then? on, but
| he is a Colonel-Colonel j. y. Smith mat
| is better. When shall we see him. Not
/ for a long time. He sailed YESTERDAY OF
| the day before, for somaliland. And there
| is touching account Of the parting at
SOUTHAMPTON. What do YOU call him.
asks the Fostering Phyllis "Wobbles,' SAYS
| Celia, bIushing Dear, dear Wobbles. lie
/ has caught her mature heart
But this Is all in Celia's eye. And IN
yours. Celia has invented her Colonel
Smith. and by the same invention, her
/ enga cement. She would have no more
green stockings, no INVITING no more as
sumption that she could not attract a man.
There is her Colonel in evidence, even IL
distant. Celia plays the game well, with
fine spirit Her account Of the Colonel gives
them all kind Of pride in him, and a new
! v,Ia he
writes him a letter to prove 10 them-not'
of course, to the nonresident oulcer-nei
devotion and yearning. Phyllis mas the
letter and mails e. in the othclous way soi'le
Young sisters have. Celia believes the let
ter has been destroyed. She threw some
papers into the fire. I'm the dark thinking
the letter was among them. Meantime she
has impaired 10 her aunt, a Chicago aunt
visiting at the Faraday home IN England
her merry. harmless deceit Celia $ plan IS
~ kin the Colonel in a few months; IT VIII
he no greater crime than having invented
him. and she will send the announcement
NJ hts death 20 The Times" Then she VIII
20 TO America with her aunt, for a long
visit. But!
: There is a Colonel J. n Smith d. ;. o.
and he is. or was in Somaliand, as the
ARMY List would have informed Celia, had
she looked I'm time, which, Of course she
did not. And one fine day. months aIter
the first flight Of Celia's imagination ana
Immediately following the death notice III
The Times" Colonel vavasour calls a1
Faraday Hall. bringing 10 Celia the dying
message OF his late oomrade-in-arns. DoIo-
mel + y. Smith. Distinguished Service
Order There are. also. some keeDsakes'
the defunct Smiths watch and chain ana
scarfpin. Celia, amazed, keeps up the
comedy. There is nothing else to do. she
had not known till now that there was
Colonel Smith. and I'm Somaliland' ana lha'
her adoring letter had reached him. buc
she is 2 clever woman. bright as they MAKE
them And Colonel Navasour IL as cleVei
as she You know AT once that Navasour
is Smith. Colonel and D. : O. 'eHa
doesn't know. and is puzzled but she plays
tho game Vavaaour being Smith, IL also
rea11v Vavasour. Re inherited the Navasour
,ar,a ard fortune while in SOmaliland,
cboor,,q disclosure which he keeps until
+ba ard Meanwhile he seeks 20 under
...,,,a tho r,vsterv OF the charming woman
-rto ,i-bo,,+ knowing Of his existence had
,o,,.5 bir, killed and buried him. And she
- ,b,rvoiug woman, and her sisters are
h,i,a The charm develops when the man
-, from, the big. broad world Ana
-, s-,itb D. s. o., or Smith-NaVasour
s,.arr,,ine man and a valiant. as me
., ,o,tlernan as ever carried SWORD an
-, ,,o,,an He discovers the rea! CeNa'
-. ,7isoo,ars the real Colonel smith, 'H''
rlav AT cross-purposes theh low az
botrotbed. ard. you know, IL you Kh'" "'.y
.,,,, that they will live happily ever
- much depends upon the P'a' '"7
cola no less depends upon lHe P,"'
co,oreI Smith. for the acting OF 'He'e
,avts must be entirely plausible mus 10
10 topch of farce. These characters anu
.be situations in which they become III
,,olysd demand the finest spirit OF N'-,
comedy acting, and from MISS M'rsai1
Arglin and Mr. II. Reeves-Smith lhey
80 all that they demand. The scenes De
.vaan Miss Anglin and MT. keeVes-94l't'
ars nlaved with a delicate skill thaI i oh''
too rare on the contemporary stage. lhe7'
tvo rlavers are comedians Of hlSh oruer'
vo,, watch them and listen TO them with
,,,5tsturbed delight Their acting should
an the theatre for months 20 come
The play itself is no deep matter but il
&C. bieblv pleasing II is wholesome as wen
"a bright. clean and clear. and the best
of good fun. If the characters that sur
round Celia and the Colonel are sketched
I'm a somewhat conventional way and acted
in the usual present fashion, they fulfil the
usual expectation. There are the usual
country gentleman and Justice Of the Peace
the usual retired Admiral and the custom
arv cub-par.iamentarian. just as there are
the attractive coloress sisters and the
usual highly colored stage aunt
The interest centres wholly upon Celia
r.-r vx-t,1 I.Tf,f,fr- -tyfff mitch,