The Washington herald., 1911-04-18
THE NATIONAL.
Belasc0 Presents I"
Woman.o
ssThe
David

tne new play prOQuCeu Oy ,tHe ihoufi ~
wizard of stage craft, David BelascoS at
the New National last evening will prove
source of unremitting delight. But II
you are standpatter at heart and of the
Grand Old Party, your appreciation OF
this remarkably clever and absorbing
melodrama will be dimmed at times by
its extreme frankness in setting before the
public gaze the supposed alliance between
the party leaders in Congress with wall
street and their desperate efforts to force
through the House of Representatives
bill tailored and fitted to the needs of the
railroads.
There is no attempt to disguise the
party represented in these stage figures.
They even use the term Grand Old
Party in referring to their constituents
President and Mrs. Taft and their usual
escort occupied a box. There were mo-
ments in the play when. as the head OF
the Republican party. the President must
have found his chair somewhat uncom-
Portable, but he betrayed no sign of dis
pleasure, On the contrary. he found the
story of the play so interesting that he
stayed to the end, despite the bitterness
of its attacks on the G. o. P, and added
his enthusiastic applause to the storm
that greeted each fall Of the curtain.
In The Woman" William c. De Mile.
who is favorably known to us as the
author of ''Strongheart" and Glass
mates" has outstripped all previous ef-
forts He has written. brilliantly and
powerfully, q story Of national political
corruption that grips both the mind and
the heart.
The scenes are laid in a Washington
hotel patronized by members Of Con-
gress. At the rise of the curtain We dis
cover our cid friend of Third Degree"
and The Deserter," Helen Ware, plug
ging away at the hotel telephone switch
board. We are at once introduced to a
love story between this girl and young
Tom Blake, son of the Hon. Jim Blake,
Representative from Illinois. the leader
of the G. o. P. in the House. A group
of Congressman gather to discuss the
fight in the House for and against the
railroad measure. There is night session
on, and unless something new develops
the bill will be defeated by the Demo-
Gratis and their insurgent allies. The
leader of the insurgents, Representative
Matthew Standish, is the stumbling block
in the path of Republican success.
Ralph Van Dyke, the representative of
the Wall street interests back of the
ILL, comes on to see what can be done
to win the battle. Jim Blake calls
conference in the "amen corner" OF the
hotel. He Is a typical politician of the
old school. He and his cohorts discuss
frankly the necessity Of finding some
thing in the past career of the insurgent
leader that will discredit him in the eyes
of the public as well as of his supporters
in the House. Standish is known only
as a moralist and reformer of inscrut-
able honesty. Blake has secured the
goods however, in the form of an af-
fair Standish had with an unknown
woman. with whom he lived without, as
Blake put 1t, coming through the GUS
tom-house" II they can locate the wom-
an and clinch the story" they believe
Standish will withdraw from the fight.
Should he stand out against them, they
will publish the story and win through
the turn of the tide Of sentiment against
the insurgent.
Blake has an idea, and the others leave
him alone with the telephone operator.
He tells her TO phone to Standish, and
while they are waiting, offers her bribe
to give him the phone number that
Standish shall call for after their inter-
view The girl has been allowed, inten-
tionally, to overhear the story of Stand
ishs past, as Blake believes he can pur-
chase her compliance with their purpose.
She. to gain time, intimates her willing
ness to aid.
Standish and Blake face one another.
Blake succeeds in winning from the in
surgent the admission that the story is a
true one. The G. o. P. leader pretends
TO know the womans name and threat
ems Standish with exposure on the floor
of the House that night unless he with
draws from the fight. Standish is un-
decided Blake leaves, and the insurgent
does as he is expected, calls for a tele-
phone number in New York-Plaza 1121-
10 warn the woman of the danger of ex-
posure. After asking the girl to remove
her headpiece receiver he enters a booth.
He comes out almoct Immediately, much
agitated. and leaves. Blake returns, but
the girl pretends to be holding out for a
higher price. and refuses to give him the
number.
One of Blake's followers, his son-in-law,
Representative Robertson, of New York,
comes in to find out the result of the
with Standish. AS he passes
the telephone desk he tells the girl to
call UP New York for him, Plaza 1121, and
ask for Mrs. Robertson.
This electrifying situation brings down
the curtain on the first act. 1t was re-
ceived with a gasp Of surprise for its un-
expectedness, and round after round Of
applause for its effectiveness.
The two succeeding acts hold to the
standard of interest set by the first The
intensity Of interest deepens with each
sweep OF the boomerang, which, started
by Blake and his son-in-law, circles
nearer and nearer until 1t strikes them
full in the face with the fact that THE
Woman" Is Grace Robertson, daughter
and wife Of the prime movers in the ef-
fort to discredit Standish for their own
political and financial gain. The tele-
phone girl makes a gallant effort to save
the woman, animated as much by a de-
sire TO avenge her father, one Of the men
downed by Blake's rings, as by her love
for Blakes son. But the woman is forced
TO disclose her Identity. and the fight goes
to the other side. leaving Blake and Rob-
ertson crushed and broken men.
Mr.. Belasco has selected a perfect cast.
William Courtleigh gives quite the most
portrayal of his career as
Jim Blake. Edwin Holt, In the role OF
Robertson, gives a fiawless performance,
and Cuyler Hastings, as Standish, is
equally beyond criticism. Then there is
young William Harrigan. who plays the
manly. winning part of the son. with con-
viction and grace, and Carleton Macy.
Guy Nichols, and John Ellis to round out
the performance in smaller roles. or the
two feminine characters, Miss Ware, Of
course, has the sympathetic role. II gives
her many Of the opportunities offered her
In The Third Degree" but throws no
new light on her histrionic gifts. Miss
Jane Peyton plays the difficult and un-
appealing role Of the guilty wife unaf-
fectedly and with feeling. E.. r. s.