The Washington times., 1912-10-29
GENUINE COMEDY
FROM THE GERMAN
IS WELL RECEIVED
Repeated Curtain Calls
Show Appreciation Of
Our Wives

satirizing alike bachelors and maids,
wives and benedicts. will be one Of the
best-remembered theatrical events Of
the lsi2-19l3 season In Washington. This
comedy, from the German. which verges
on the farce at times and which reaches
the heights OF genuine drama In the
climax OF Its action, was presented at
the New National Theater last evening
by a company Of even excellence, with
Henry Kolker at its head. A dozen cur
tain calls at the end of the second act
show the favor with which the play
and actors met, and the curtain calls
are genuine and not forced by claque
Of ushers.
"Our Wives' is written around a
theme Of such universaiity that 1t did
not need to be adapted" The play
was translated. the characters given
American names and an American set
The same thing could be done. In any
country where young men and young
women fall n love with each otner:
where each thinks that his particular
world" where little squabble or two
and lively misunderstanding some
times follow the walk to the altar;
where bachelors vowing they are woms
Of the eternal feminine; where women
gossip thoughtlessly: where mere men
faii 10 understand sometimes the mental
processes Of lovely woman; where serv-
ants take a lively interest In the ,a1anrs slairs
homogeneous marriages prevail and
human nature has It's little foibles and
"A Woman Avoider."
Frank Bowers, an opera nbrettist.
who calls himself "a woman-avoider.
Ereets three bachelor friends, who. ono
after another, announce their engage
ments to the one and only girl In the
universe, with the cynical sorrow OF the
resoiutely single. The most unsophis-
ticated theater-goer then has a good
idea that fate 10 about to deliver Jolt
TO Mr.. Bowers. The jolt comes in the
tSe tSem .t9ans 1a Se9Rh %hoss sons srs
from a neighboring apartment. Mr..
Bowers simply must write hbretto TO
accompany this music and he sends for
'ns After sSmpossr Led she
Bowers, whom Henry Kolker plays,
sends for her again and proposes that
the two enter into a business combina-
tlon In which each quite forgets that
ture shall be tricked" and a mere com
posing writing machine set going. This
is developed. a little too worldly. in the
first act of "Our Wives"
bachelors returning with their wives to
Bowers apartment after their honey
moons. The old friends rejoice at the
reunion, but somehow the new little
in the several matrimonial lutes appear
Mr.. Bowers has the great .I-told-you.
so'' satisfaction. Tactiess gossip by one
OF the new wives ends the dinner party
before dinner 10 eaten.----.,
Working Up Act.
In the meantime Bowers and his fair
composer are having fearful time
with the ending Of the second act OF
their 6peretta. Now comes crash In
their own relations, due to the gossipins
remark of the feather-brained little
talker who had caused most Of the pre-
dinner party row. While the girl com.
posers very ry,l heart arts is torn TORI With anguish
denly sees in this the missing ending
scene of their opera. The writer In
him glows with enthusiasm while the
girl Is suffering and she breaks on al
COMPOSING relations in anger at the
seizes this slice Of their own life for the
purposes Of art.
The third act. of course, sees the
wrinkles In the situation neatly ironed
vious until new twist in the conven'
tional is given by the girls refusing
Bowers. Suddenly he seizes her and
kisses her. Actions triumph easily ove'
words.
The amusing qualities OF "our Wives
comes both from the situations and
the dialogue, yet the general opinion II
that the play would drag II 1t were moi
in the hands Of such competent player,
as are associated with Mr.. Kolker
poser with intelligence aided by a thor
oughly facile. technique. Miss Gay
thorne is a very pretty young woman
besides. and II anything at all Is miss
due to a possible temperamental incom
patibility with the part.
Makes Curtain Speech.
Mr.. kolker's acting needs no eulogy
here. The audience insisted on 9
speech from him at the end of the
second act, and Mr.. Kolker was forced
to come "out Of character" although
he had remained IN the part while
bowling through a dozen curtain calls
Save the role of the butler. In which
is no character" part IN the play
Everyone knows that straight part,
are much harder to play than thos,
which d!verge sharply from the normal
and the success OF the whole company
IN such roles attests its general ex
invidious. One may. however, recall
Mark Smith. who plays one OF tn,
reformed bachelors. as the very funn,
waiter In 1.-THE Balkan Princess" VIII
lam Roselle and George Graham ar,
the other two newly welded men. botl
amusing and skillful actors.
The pulchritude Of Vera Findlay, lisa
bel McGregor. and Gwendolyn Piers II
the parts OF the three new wives Il
nearly all that the press agent asserted
and this Is to say much. The acting o
Miss Piers, as the little gossip, score,
the biggest hit of the three, but l
should be considered that 1t was tn
best part.
"Our Wives" Is elaborately mounted
and the setting of the third act wol
much applause. The furnishings Of tn
stage are dangerously elaborate, bu
cannot be said to transgress the canon
OF good taste.