Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-14
Belasco.

After two of the five acts the hearty
and continued applause of very large
and representative audience recalled Mrs.
Leslie Carter, who presented her new
play, Two Women" by Rupert Hughes.
at the Belasco Theater last evening,
again and again before the curtain. After
one other act there was genuine applause
that was again rendered at the close of
the play. The applause was addressed
to the star rather than to the author, for
the play itself, both from the structural
and the ethical standpoint, Is defective.
1t opens in the home of Jeanette Mo-
reau, consumptive seamstreSS and the
wife of Remy Moreau, a struggling artisS,
who subsequently proves to be the Comte
Remy de Margyl and loving husband-a
man of principle, at least. They were
SO poor they could not afford even wed
ding cake, and the wife has struggled
they could have one like that in the
pastry cooks nearby, which she has
idealized and always seemed to have up
permost in her mind. The doctor has
said her end is not far off. 1t comes
Just as her husband completes trans
action that brings money in abundance
and the promise of ease in the future.
While his wife sleeps he sends for the
wedding cake at the pastry COOKS, to-
gether with wine and dainties for the
ding. in the hope that it will do her good.
He awakens her only to have her fall dead
in few minutes across the cake she has
longed for There is not enough in the
act to bring out the real virtues of the
good wife for comparison with her coun-
terpart later on. 1t is gruesome thing
at best and not mitigated because in
tended to be pathetic.
The second act depicts scene in the
Bal Tabarin on a French holiday. The
crowd is celebrating the birthday of
courtesan ballet dancer. who is Won
derful counterpart of the dead wife or the
first act. The Comte Remy de Margyl-
for he assumes his true name In his day
of prosperity-who has been brought to
see her by his friend FRANCOIS Rosny, at
once concludes an agreement with her to
pose for him for the completion of pic
ture Of his dead wife, which he began be-
fore her death.
The third act returns to the simple
Moreau cottage in the country, which the
comte still preserves as Shrine. The
dancer, Jeannine Bartet by name. has
fallen in love with the comte and hopes.
by Stimulating the dead wife's virtues. to
win him. His reputation and her protest
form one of the striking scenes of the
play. An automobile party, composed or
her former lover, the Marquis Pascal de
Foudras, and her associates at the Bal
Tabarin, enter and seek to take her back
with them While she is hesitating Remy
re.enters the room and, scandalized at its
proclamation, expels Jeannine and her com
panionS.
The fourth act discloses room in
the home of Jeannine Bartet,' pro-
vided for her by Pascal. Here, after
finding that Remy has sought her at
the Tabarin with love in his eyes,
she repulses Pascal, who leaves the
house. Remy enters almost immedl-
ately. Brief explanations are ex-
changed, and Jeannlne goes for wrap,
determined to go home with Remy as
his wife. Here re-enters Pascal;
quarrel and challenge follow The
denunciation of Jeannine by Remy and
her defense bring forth the speech
How cruel good people can be-"
The fifth act opens again at the Mo-
reau cottage, six weeks later, where
Jeannine has nursed Remy. who was
desperately hurt in the duel. One of
his wounds has injured the optic nerve.
whether the sight is completely de-
stroyed. Remy has told Francois he
will marry Jeannine if his sight is re-
stored. If he is found to be blind he
will not ask her to make the sacri-
flee" He proves to be blind bids her
slam and thinks she has gone, begins
TO wall. She returns and the final cur
tain falls with her in his arms.
Mrs Carter's strongest moments were
in the scenes with Remy. in the third and
fourth acts. when she rose to the heights
of her excellence in tense dramatic effort.
Her personality seemed to dominate the
play, and many of its defects lost their
seriousness in her artistic work. L. J.
Radcliffe. as Remy, the husband ard the
comte, became more impressive the
play wore on, but the sacrifice of the
character by the playwright In the last
act weakens the impression. Brandon