The Washington herald., 1911-05-16


Act I-Tenace Of the Hote! Regina Marsherita. on
the cliff Sorrento. tMoning.)
Act 1.-The entrance garden Of the same. after
nOon.D
| Act III-An apartment in the hotel. Evening"
Act IV-Ths terrace. lMOrningD
Time-The pressH. Plsee-SOrrento. Southern
Italy.
He was three years in reaching
Washington, but we finally landed him
on the stage of the Belasco Theater last
evening. to the unqualified delight of
most distinguished audience. 1t is diff
cult to understand why there was even
one empty seat. Here was a play about
which more has been written and said
during its three years triumph in New
York, Philadelphia. Chicago. and Boston
than any other American comedy of the
century, and yet Washington apparently
deemed IL advisable to approach IL as
cautiously as the first performance of an
untred play. That every seat has not
been sold in advance for the entire week,
with an overflow justifying the announce
ment of extra matinee performances. is a
sad reflection on Washington's taste in
and knowledge of theatricals.
In this play. Booth Harrington and
Harry Leon Wilson have struck through
the veneer of pretense. snobbery, and
fetish worship, and found the one heart
string that twangs the same note in the
bosom of every real American. 1t is
play that brings back the simple old
honey things we have not really for
gotten, but simply forgotten to remem-
ber. 1t is more patriotic than The Star
Spangled Banner" for IT teaches us to
love the American victories of peace, to
find and revere the unostentatious vir-
tues under the crude. unpublished surface
of the American commoner. and its tone
sha x-nfN M M
mother singing us to sleep in lifes early
days, when the scent of the honeysuckle
Used to climb through the open bedroom
window on a moonbeam, and the world
seemed new-and very good
Perhaps Harrington and Wilson meant
merely to amuse us with their delicious,
If slightly far-fetched, story OF contrasts
between homespun American-Democrati
virtues and brocaded British aristocratic
rottenness. In this they were equally
successful. for there is more unadulter-
ated fun in every act of the four than
most successful comedies can boast of
in their entirety.
To William Hodge has fallen one OF
those rare perfect roles that is the never
to-be-realized dream of many worthy
player 1t is a part easily ruined In less
capable hands, however. and having had
the singular good fortune of finding per-
ment of this play have shown their Wis
dom in not intrusting 1t to less worthy
hands. Mr.. Hodge has played the role
of the Indiana lawyer for three years
He should make it an obligation 10 MS
felIow-countrymen not to lay aside this
role until he has breathed It's rugged
simple tenderly true spirit into every
American heart that can De reacheo from
the playhouse pulpit.
oil
the NAV here is little changed from the
original Dodson Mitchell was not seen
as the Russian grand duke in the play
early days, but his predecessor Is not
missed in this interesting and sympa-
thetic part. Another newcomer, Miss
Helen Harvest, adds to the effectiveness
of the play. She is attractive in appear
that oyercornes the antagonism Of the
audience toward the spoiled and snob-
bish Ethel Granger Simpson. Miss Alice
Johnson gives an excellent performances
Of the French countess and Miss Ida
Vernon is true to the character Of Lady
Creech. who has such an aversion to the
mumbling of ones words. She should
have had some influence these past
three years on Herbert Mckenzie. who,
as her brother. Earl of Hawcastle. not
only mumbles his words, but Fletcherixes
most OF them beyond recognition. Echlin
p Gayer, as the utterly inane St
Aubyn. gives every appearance Of hav-
ing been born to the role, and the work
of Henry Harmon. as the Russian fu-
gitive. and George Le Guere: as the
Young American snob, Is highly COM
mendable. The minor roles are well |
played. and the scenic production and
staging Is OF high order.
President TAFT. accompanied by Secre- |
tary ana Mrs. Charles D. Hilies, DR..
Duianey, and Maj. Archibald Butt. oc-
cupied the Presidential box The As
sistant Secretary OF War and Mrs. Rob |
ert Shaw Oliver had AZ their guest Lieut..
Gen. Nelson A. Miles, retired. Repre-
sentative and Mr1. Pray, Of Montana, |
enfsrtaaned Representative NohAen. of |
Wyouning. - their box !, -
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