Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-10-15
ADJUSTMENTS.
Belasco.

The vital interest of "a Butterfly on the
Wheel does not assert itself until the
play has progressed into the third act Up
10 that point il is a rather conventional
presentation of a situation that has done
service for comedy Well as pathos. the
discovery of q woman who. while loving
her husband. encourages attentions which
Halter her. in compromising position. In
comedy. the situation Is usually carried
triumphantly ny the Sirlish audacity or
the heroine. whose innocence of intention
Is made plain to the Jealous husband only
after his suspicious have rendered him as
We'd. as her sutton absurd in the eyes or
tho audience. In the mere serious drama
the injustice OF her position IL empha-
sized. the usual protest being against the
loneliness and neglect in which an amhi-
uous self-centered man leaves his vic
Tho play at the Belasco this week makes
the theme a means of criticising tue
narshness of English courts i'll the treat
meHt of women who are brought under
suspicion of disiOyalty to their homes
Tie subject is one which might easily
have found earlier attention at the hands
pl the dramatists- The Maybrick case
might have suggested play material. as
might more recent discussions by the
English bench of cases involving an as
sumption of feminine fault
The picture drawn IN the courtroom
sidering that the play was written by two
men whose titles imply a knowledge Of
public affairs and methods of procedure.
significant beyond it's Importance an
evenings entertainment The court Is
represented As machine. whose one
function is to browbeat. humiiiate and
sntrap a woman against whom a pre-
sumption of guilt has risen. The judge.
willie allowing the utmost latitude of
bullying inDuendo in the questioning of
TIE @oman. restricts her to most re-.
spectfui and subservient manner of re-
spoHse. and. after declaring a letter on
which the case against her rests incompe-
tent. permits il to glide into the evidence,
3nd finally reads il aloud to the jury. The
pl1IleSs torture of the woman lighting for
reputation and affection would compel
sympathy even without the assurances of
her innocence which the dranatists have
given in the course of the plot. How far
this arraignment of judicial methods is
literary imagination for he purposes OF
the development of the situation and eli
max and how far IL is a candid picture
only technical information would be able
TO say. To the layman il looks as If the
play censor charged with the duty of pre-
serving formal institutions from direct
criticism must have been doing when he
read this manuscript.
In spite OF the courtroom scene. which
Is tensely dramatic. the play is a COM
edy. The comedy is presented with a
peculiar dizziness which gives it con-
slant place i'm the story without over
Swallowing the main interest. Lord Eler-
dine. played by Mr.. Evelyn Beerbohm
is d type of Sood-natured "reminiscences
whose sincerity and manliness prevented
him from being quite silly and whose per-
fiTiacity in following up a single idea,
once he has grasped IT, enables him to
solve the mystery which has separated
the husband and the wife. The plot is
full OF complicated detail. involving maps
time tables and missent luggage, rather
laboriously worked out and not always
Interesting. The relationships of some
Cd the characters are not as Clearly in
dicated III the earlier portion OF the play
as might he desirable. the auditor is
Compelled to do rather more thinking
on his own account in keeping track of
motives which animate some minor in
cdents, than is customary in modern
Drama. The broad dominant element OF
interest. however. is there and 1T is con-
fincingly impressive. While Mr.. Beer
hohms character part IS the one dis
tinctively original note in the east. the
emotional responsibilities which consti-
tute So Important factor in the play
Shannon. and the role of the impetuous
and indiscreet but not wholly unchival
rcus ciandestine sutton was well assum-
ed by Charles Quartermain. Ellie Nor
wood the relentless cross-eXaminer.
give an excellent portrayal.
The audience manifested eager interest
and demanded curtain calls. regardless of
the propriety of suddenly dispelling the
Illusion left by the closing picture Tine
Butterfly on the Wheel is an Admirable
example of plot ingenuity. developed with
Hore than usual consistency and cX-
Pressed with literary skill.