The Washington herald., 1912-11-10
Nine New Pieces Produced IN
New York TheaterS Last Week

PsacSs a common with other sstc-
oenfafs Speras. however. and thai
was III ~ q plot.
OF ~ -0Gouej who wrssflsd With the
aforem1o lack Of humue and tune,
those aAlk ladies' who mAds up the
chorus w&fU perhaps rnost' worthy oi
mention. ASIDE from them. Jssa6e Brad-
barry came nearer than any soAs slss to
suggesting the idea Of comsdy.
"A TRIAL Asrs1aSe."
A liason that takes its parties oe the
first part from the daily walks Of life
and places thsm In q secluded cottage
ON the coast Of Maine was anfo,ded on
Tuesday night At the Hudson Thsater
under the name Of "A Trial Marriage"
Az q matter Of fact, the entire Issue
Of q trial marriage was evaded by Elmer
Harris, the author Of the play. He sets
several fine speeches In the mouth Of his
chief characters.- Mr.. Blair Thomas and
Miss Marie Ridgway, anent the defiance
of convention and the newer and better
marriage. and then lets them stink away
like guilty plowboy and his ciandestine
sweetheart to live apart from the world
In illegal union.
BY way Of making, up for failure to ex-
plain trial marriage satisfactorf1y. Har-
ris brings in q truth or two Of humanity
that In q great measure serves to center
interest in his play and to raise II above
mediocrity.
Helen Ware played the role Of Marie
Ridgway. while Harrison Hunter per-
formed a like service for the part Of
Blair Thomas.
'Bachelors and Benedicts.~
An alleged comedy in three acts
Bachelors and Benedicts," by James
Montgomery and ]. d. Haag. was staged
1t the Criterion on Saturday night. The
piece consisted Of much slang OF the
street. some alleged humor unlabeled by
either one of the other Of the authors.
and a few situations which may or may
not have been meant to furnish the
comedy"
In the first act six large. strong. well
dressed men. who apparently have moth
ing better to do. sit about the stage and
emit, from time to time. the funeral pro
and anti-marriage Jokes which 30 to
make up the mortuary section Of our
daily newspaper comic sections. The
occasion for all this talk il a love feast
given in honor Of one Of their number
who is about to be married.
As the play progresses his wife freezes
out the gangsters and subsequently opens
letter referring to a previous love af-
fair Of her husbands. Thus a touch OF
drama was added to the already unsavory
offering.
Anything so hopelessly inert as Bach
elors and Benedicts" New York has
seldom seen. The mistaken idea Of the
whole affair was pronounced even in the
acting. Ralph Herr played the heir who
had to be humorous and serious in his
role. His comedy never bears a recog-
relation to nature.
"The Blindness of Virtue"
Whether young ladies should or should
not be told certain poignant truths after
their dresses have been discreetly length
ened to hide the gangling legs on which
young females ever approach maturity
was ably and amply discussed by the
ators and actresses who presented Cos
mo Hamilton's play THE Blindness of
Virtue" at the Thkty-ninth Street
Theater on Thursday night.
The play might have been a success
had 1t dwelt with a less preachy SUBJ
ject. As 1t was Mr.. Hamilton created
the usual Wears daughter Of about sew
enteen or thereabouta, who was very
beautiful. and the usual fallen sister,
who was also very beautiful. and was
about to become q mother.
With these two set characters he pro-
ceeded to pass large and uninterestinR
portions Of his own personal opinion in
regard to female enlightenment across
the footlights. The Wears daughter. who |
plays the virtuous puppet in this ami |
mated tract. is led to garb herself in a |
kimono and unbound hair |
and visit the room Of her fathers |
who. by the way. is Q manor |
at least. wears trousers.
All this Is done through her innocence
Though why a normal-minded young lady
should feel impelled to walk into a mans
bedroom because Of excessive innocence
was mystery unexplained. However. |
she does, and furthermore she sits on the |
bed In a most innocent and passive man.
ner.
Warrington Premieres Praised.
Hawthorne. U. 8. A." and "Our |
both Of which comedies received |
The stamp of Washington approval a few |
weeks ago. had their New York premieres |
asst week. and were both well received. |
Both productions have already been re-
viewed in The Washington Herald.