The Washington herald., 1911-06-18
By EMORY b. CALVERT.


New York, June 17.-Gertrude Hoffman
is entertaining heat-ridden New York
with a series of Russian calisthenics set
to music at the Winter Garden. Morton
and Moore they of vaudeville fame, have
taken unto themselves a host Of pretty
girls and are starring in the Merry
Whirl" at the Columbia, and a draTlat-
tization of Elinor Glyn's Three Weeks" 4"
after much longer period OF incuba-
ton, has hit the metropolis below the
theatrical belt and is enthralling ten
twent-thirt" audiences in Corse Payton' s
this and more happened during the past
week, which, by the way, is the first of
the new summer theatrical season.
"Three Weeks"
Elinor Glyn, the astute English maiden
who got by the circumspect editors of
the metropolis with about a column a
day. while the fortunes of Paul and the
Princess occupied the attention Of the
drawing-rooms and kitchens Of America,
modestly owns to the popular" drama
tization of her book Three Weeks"
Mr.. Corse Peyton enthusiastically claims
the honor Of producing it for the first
time in New York
The drama is very frank In fact, It
borders on the neurotic. In her dram
atization Of the book, Mrs. GIyn has
added scene, by way of prelude, depict
ing the palace at SardoIia and the events
that lead to the queens three weeks va
cation. In this act the King, a rather
noisy individual, with a fierce frown,
strikes his queen and bids her, with
great dramatic effect, candor, and vehem-
ence, go forth and find him an heir,
intimating to the shrinking damseI that
the sky is the limit and the faster she
packs the imperial trunk the better he
will like it.
In the second act the beginning of the
novel. the Queen takes the kingfy ad-
monitions literally. She is in Lucerne,
has found her Englishman, Paul, and
after awaiting the departure of her par
ent, with true queenly modesty, begins
the conquest of that handsome youth.
Now, in the royal circles OF Sardolia
it seems that love affairs move with
astonishing rapidity. for no sooner does
the Queen cast her royal eye upon Paul,
who is writing a letter, than she leans
far over the balcony and greets him
with these bashful words: Beautiful
boy, you are the embodiment of my
dreams"
The beautiful boy Immediately forgets
the old folks at home, throws down his
pen, and shins rather awkwardIy up the
property pillar that supports the property
balcony, whence the Queen Of Sar-
dolia, always mindful of the kingly ad-
vice, so modesty introduces herself.
When the blazing calcium finds the
couple for the fourth or fifth time, amid
chorus of MY. amt he grand from
the chewing gum squad, the Queen is
shown going strong toward the far "as
you like" limit set by her kinglys spouse,
for she is firmly clasped in the embrace
OF beautiful boy" who is rather out
Of breath with the climb and the sud-
denness Of his conquest
In the interim between the second and
third acts beautiful boy" has evidently
made great progress toward the acqui-
sition of both the Queen and her estates,
for when the curtain rises he is shown,
as large as life, in the royal palace at
Venice ordering the servants about and
smoking cigarettes with an abandon that
is bound to make that form OF amuse-
ment popular among Fourteenth street
swains forevermore. In fact. smoking
cigarettes seems to be his principal aim
in life. He smokes 'em while the gon-
doliers paddle past the second-story win
dows OF the palace, and smokes 'em
when he Is talking to the Queen, who, to-
gether with a very nice tiger skin on
the far side. of the stage, is the object
of some hundreds Of pairs Of bright
feminine eyes. AS a matter OF fact, the
tiger skin. reminiscent Of the book. over
shadows all else In the act. Every time
the Queen makes a move toward the
suggestive piece of fur, a rustic of ex-
element sweeps over the house.
Eventually. however, the princess re-
heves the overwrought nerves of the. au-
dience by backing beautiful boy right
up alongside the couch bearing tiger
skin. A what-is-she-going-to
sigh stirs the audience, which takes a
strategic position on the edge OF its re-
spective seats Then he seizes him in
her arms-and kisses klmr The gasp OF
has scarce died away be-
fore the tiger skin Is again reQuisitioned,
this time as a resting place for beau
tifuI boy. who. answering the cell OF
Morpheus through the agency Of drugged
wine has gone to bed with his shoes on
Here ths Queen bids him . fond and