The Washington herald., 1911-10-22

week was the appearance of Nine. ST.
none as Marie in The Thief" In fact,
so we'll had her publicity men toiled
that the other Monday night premieres
were quite thrown into the shade by the
announcement that she would perform
Aside from THE Thief at Days, the
week afforded quite a number Of verdant
plays. Among those reviewed are The
Only Son." at the Gayety; The Duchess, -
at the Lyric; "Bunty Pulls the Strings,
at William Golfers, and the sign or the
Rose" at the Garrick.
Much interest is manifested in the
production, this afternoon, of The Gar
Gen of Allah" at the Century. This
play is a dramatized production of
Robert Hichens novel of that name and
is the most elaborately staged piece that
has been shown in New York in years.
Unfortunately, the matinee will close too
late for criticism in this letter and a
review must be reserved for these
columns next week.
Among other plays that appeared this
week, but must be reviewed next Sun
day because of lack of space, are The
play in three acts by David Belasco. at
Belasco's Theater; Wiener Blut," an
opera by Johann Strauss, at the Irving
Place; The Enchantress," a new Her
bert opera, starring Kitty Gordon, at
the New York. and Gypsy Love-" with
Marguerite Sylvia, at the Globe.
"The Thief"
The fact that Nine SImone is perform
ing In a language other than her native
French may be to blame for the shade
Of disappointment that her characterize
ton Of Marie Voysin in The Thief casts
ever the audiences at Days. After the
fanfare Of press notices with which this
brilliant star was heralded, and the COL
umns of newspaper space devoted to her
PAST successes in the very role she is
now playing, New York theater patrons
rather expected a performance not only
unique, but startling in its intensity of
dramatic exposition.
Instead they receive a Characterization
that, in the eyes OF many, falls far be-
low the performances of Margaret Hing
ton in the same role. There is no doubt
of madame's technique; of her innate
skill and wonderful presence, but her
acting, her scenes of passion, of love,
and pouting all seem rather to fall below
the mark set by Miss Ellington than
above it.
Madame used Haddon Chambers trans
lation of NJ. Henri Bernstein's play-so
much has been written of the familiar
scenes between a jealous wife and the
husband she sought to keep by securing
money by theft that there is no need to
review the plot-but she failed in all the
scenes where the dramatist builds up the
plot with tense dialogue and human
interest That she is an artist there can
be no doubt, but that her art leaves too
much to inference and lacks in intensity
Is equally plain. She leaves an impress
sion of being a consummate actress, but
not a great emotional player.
The supporting cast is good, but not
excellent. 1t does very we'll however,
for a setting to the somewhat colorless
art of the great French actress.
"The Only Son"
Mr.. Wallace Eddinger plays the indo-
lent youth in The Only Son" at the
Gayety with a realism that is most graf
flying Mr. Claude Gillingwater is very,
very rich with a bad grace that is not
convincing, and the other members of
the family, about which the plot is built
"a wife and da1ghter-perform heroics
that echo of the melOdrama. The play
moves quickly, has situations, and scenes
of both strength and pathos, but falls
far short of Wirchen Smiths other pro-
duCtiOn The Fortune Hunter" Wheth- |
er it will prove a success or not depends
upon the mood of the theater-going pub |
lie.
The story opens in the home of Thomas |
Brainerd. Thomas is very rich, got it |
all himself, and accumulated considerable |
harshness with his lucre. Young Tom, |
however. is Cf the true purple" He |
would rather IAN himself than work any |
hot afternoon all OF which considerably |
riles the old nan. On top Of his trouble |
with young TOM, he finds that his wife |
has been untrue to him, and sends her |
from the house forthwith.
This crisis in the Brainerd family |
brings out the characteristics of sterling
merit in young Tom. He decides to stick
to his mother, leaves the house, and
goes West. OF course he makes money
they all dc in a play-and the older
Brainerd, proud of his boys metamor-
phOsis. welcomes him with open arms,
and, through him, becomes reconciled to
his wife.
It is all most prosaic, most shopworn
and most Inconvncing; yet such is the
art of Mr.. Smith, that he actually makes
the old plot shine like new and even adds
an extra lick for luck. 1t is a most in
teresting exposition of Mr. Smiths art
the art Of making old clothes into new.
"The Duchess"
Broadway rumor has it that H. B.
Smith anc Joseph Herbert have so per-
fected the libretto habit that they can
run typewriter with one hand and beat
time with the other while Victor Her
bert hammers out the score. OF course,
this is Only rumor, but the fact that the
two HeIberts and Harry Smith have
connived so often unsuccessfully Of late
seems TO give it touch of truth.
The htest production of this trio is
The Duchess now playing at the
Lyric. with FRITZ Scheff in the stellar
role. The piece contains an innovation
in comic opera. 1t has a plot that can
actually be followed without diagrams
and rrogramme instructions. 1t is also
more or less platitudinous, and, except
for Victor Herbert's usual brilliancy Of
score contains the same lines that
Mess-s. Smith and Herbert have written ]
and rewritten for many, many years.
The songs are undeniably pretty, the
chorus large and handsome, and Nine |
FRITZ Schef both thin and agiIe-quite !
A remarkable thing in a singing lady.
There are several men in the cast,
though what they add to either the joy I
1r sorrow of the piece could just as well :
De gone without. They are singularly g,
with perhaps the excep- i,
i'm of George Anderson. Even George,
however, fails to set alight the flame Of
The only comedy touch in the whole !
hree acts is afforded by May Boley,
Who is cast for a broadly farcical and
vulgar role
The merit OF The Duchess lies in its
core and the fact that II contains a
lot. Neither Of these, however. can