The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-12-24
NATIONAL.
'"The PerpIexed Husband"

The new four-act comedy by Alfred
Sutro, in which Charles Frohman pre-
scented John Drew at the National Thea
ter last night, is a sclntillating satire
on the new woman" more commonly
known as the suffragist, the scene of ac-
ton being London in the house of one
Thomas Polling. a tea merchant, who re-
turns home from a business trip to Russia
3 to fine his wife Sophie converted to the
cause" by Ducie Elstead and Clarence
Woodhouse the former being a martyr
to the emancipation Of her sex, and the
latter a philosopher at whose feet the
p band of female fanatics kneel for the
= purpose of absorbing wisdom and gain
ing inspiration for their campaign against
masculine oppression.
The man is simply a fat faker, with
decidedly eplcurean taste, enjoying moth
ing so well as being the guest OF others,
hut the woman who has forsaken hus-
band and children for work In the
cause" is sincere enough in her dis
torted ideas. Between them, and per-
Torrance of a dolls house, which Mrs.
Polling has seen in her husbands alb
sence, she confronts the tea merchant
with such a change of personality upon
his homecoming that he is at first be-
. wildered, then takes the whole thing as
Joke until he finds that Sophie is
quite in earnest and prepared to forsake
her home and family unless her hus-
band can be made to sympathze with
her new ideas of woman's mission in
life.
At the suggestion of his sister, Agatha
Margel, a frank, domestic woman. The
Perplexed Husband decides to combat
his wife and her Objectionable friends
with their own sort of weapons, so he
brings as a guest under his roof young
and lovely girl who is a devotee Of art
and a Greek student, Elizabeth Green,
who has taken the name OF Kalleia, be-
cause its beauty appeals to her. The girl,
who was formerly Pellings stenog-
rapher agrees to his plan, which works
wonderfully well despite the unhappiness
il brings for a time to all concerned.
Sophie refuses to accept her husbands
declared purpose of converting the girl
to the cause" as excuse sufficient for
her presence in the house and her jeal-
ousy climbs to fever heat before the
young girl goes off to Athens to worship
at her shrines Of art. taking the pudgy
WOOdhouse along as companion and
guardian. leaving Sophie without prop
upon which to support her courage and
new found faith. whereupon she dons
the frock her Tom adores and returns to
his arms and her own freside. where the
auditor is left. at the fall of the last
curtain. to believe she finds the real
cause for which God intended her
At first glance, it would appear odd to
See Mr.. Drew any other than the ideal
Of the World-wise. witty bachelor type.
since his recent successes have all been
along this line, but after all. he has al
ways. both in his private and profess
sional life, been convincing example OF
the success of conservatism. and one can
quite imagine that the type of woman
represented by SopheS friend. DulCic
Elstead. would have as little appeal for
him as Mr.. Drew as she has for Tom
Polling, the tea merchant. who has
adored his wife because Of her tender
womanlincss. her motherhood, her cX-
ouisit beauty, and wrnsumeness. all of
which may account for the fact that M.
Drew does something more than hook the
light comedian in the title role Of TIL
lerplexed Husband" His new vehicle
demands some serious work of hin, and
he gives it
1t must not be inferred by this that the
new SutrO comedy is a serious piece, for
there is nothing in the arguments nd-
vanced by the suffragists to prove auCht
save that they are pathetic figures fol- |
!owlnS 4 will-O -the-wisp Of happiness: a |
clever. satiricaI comedy OF the moment, |
with many broad comedy lines and plenty |
Of keen humor.
The action of the play passes within
OF four women and three men have |
ample opportunity to score individual sue
cesses in their admirably drawn con- |
trasting types
Nina Severing gives a skillful portrayal |
of the young wife who makes a pa
thetic picture as the ready-to-die-for-the-l
cause sufragist and a most charming J
one in her return TO the affections and |
understanding of her husband. Alice |
Tnhr nh
the only practical. direct woman in the |
story. impresses her pride in the priv
ileges rather than the rights of her sex
with a fine personality. Miss John will |
be- remembered in Seven Sisters" and !
Thy NeIghbors Wife" since which time |
she has developed a more subtle and |
graceful art.
Margaret Watson has the role Of Dulcid
Elstead. the woman with contorted ideals, |
TO which Mr.. Sutro has added a misdi- |
rectcd conception of duty. Miss Watson |
has a peculiar twisted smile which adds |
materially to the effectiveness of an al |
ready clever portrayal OF a woman who |
Is guided by emotion, which she calls |
by che name of reasoning. Mary Boland |
IS the illuminated typewriter girl who
Is as positive in her worship of beauty
and her idealistic purposes in life as ever
a su1ragist dared be in her cause"
Hubert bruce. the rascally master"
who rejoices in the hero worship of his
feminine disciples giving nothing In re-
turn except n lot of amiable and mean
ingless talk, gave last night a keen and |
discerning character portrayal. while
Walter Soldering, as the man servant
in the Polling household, made the most
Of the only small role there is in the
play.
The Perplexed Husband is mighty
clever satire on a movement with which
its author is said to be in sympathy with
just enough seriousness to give the au-
ditor a slight insight into both sides of