The Detroit times., 1912-10-22

oETRolT OPERA HOUSE.
There's tidy little bunch OF
n1aEes. In and out OF the old-time
copybook, that will be brought 70
mind IN thinking over the moral IN
THE Woman" the play OF contempor'
anoous Washington life. which VII
liam G. de Mile wrote, aid DAVID
Bellsco presented TO q large audience
IN the Detroit opera house, Monoay
evening. Perhaps the most apt ls:
'.Chickens come home 70 roost. Inc
play concerns a little game OF politics
IA which the dishonorable means used
by r coterie OF machine" politicians
% discredit the reform-insurgent lead
or Of the lower house reacts upon
themselves. Therefore. In comes all
th practical proverbs, including a les
son on the golden rule.
In the audience, Monday evening"
were several wellknown local nghts
in the political horizon. and II Is 10
Be expected that they left the theater
i little bit wiser on some points Oh
the game. II Ia to be hoped tnat tne
moral OF the dramatist found lodg-
ment. Anyway, the story and Incl
dents in The Woman" oner the pest
kind OF an argument In behalf Oh
playing the game OF politics on the
square. and that II Ii dangerous Dusl-
ness TO attempt TO force disaster
& upon a man In public life by raking
: up purely personal matters In his prf
vate life, especially incidents OF the
past.
In addition to the politicians at
fracted to the theater there were any
number of hello" or to be more up
,to-date. Operator girls, In the audi
ence. You see, the central feminine
figure In The Woman" Is a switch
z board operator In q washington hotel.
And. leave 1t to Mr.. Belasco, there
WAS no fake" about this young per-
/. son or her switchboard either. Wan
Ida Kelly, as presented by Miss mary
fNasb, IL q true type Of the girl TO De
hound at the telephone switchboard
FIN the lobby OF almostAn large hotel
IN the country. The first act OF the
play is placed In the Keswick hotel
lobby, Washington. and Mr.. Belasco
shows his usual master touch In
evolving every perfect detail Of the
picture he wishes to present. The
same stagecraft genius is shown In
the setting OF the second and third
acts, the private sitting room In tha
Robertson. Of New York.
II Ii, Mr.. Belasco's own company
from his own Republic theater, In
New York, that is presenting the play
and. so. II Is almost needless to say,
that every character is acted almost
fawlessly Miss Nash is entirely ef-
fectlve as the phone girl, and Miss
Jans Peyton, as the only other woman
In the play and the woman makes
the most OF q part that has not much
about II to appeal. Among the men.
II Individual honors were to be dis
tributed, they would probably be cap
tured by John w. Cope, as Jim
Blake, representative from Illinois, a
CHARACTERISTIC picture OF political
boss. and Cuyler Hastings, as Mathew
Standish. the reform-insurgent leader,
the latter q refreshing departure from
the usual type OF the wild-and-wooly
political insurgent drawn by novelist
and playwright.
In spite of q rather thin story upon
which to seek to wreck mans repu-
tation. and many defects In drama,
making, the genius OF Mr.. Belasco for
making strong meat out Of watery
sour. has sent The woman along
successful public career. As Mr..
Belasco has dressed her, The Wo-
man" Ii mighty interesting. s4-
The highly capable company, aside
from those players already mentioned,
includes Edwin Holt, as Congressman
Robertson: Harold vosburgh, as Tom
Blake; Carleton Macy. as Ralph Van
nvta = Naur Work raflroad and cor
.poration lawyer; william Holden. as
Tim Neligan, congressman from
Pennsylvania, and stephen Fitzpatrick
as Silas Gregg, congressman from
Kansas.
the Woman" win be in the De-
troit all week with the usual Wednes-
day and Saturday afternoon per-
tormances. Next week the dainty
-Pink Lady" will be the attraction.
ELLA NAE HAWTHORNE.