The Washington herald., 1912-10-01
THE NEW ACADEMY.

A dramatic offering OF thrilling varie
ty and unusual situations is being pre-
| sented at the New Academy this weel
in Rowland and Clifford's new play
THE Divorce" one Of the real dramatic
features of the season. its stirring
scenes appealing strongly to the emo
tions Of the large audience. The pro
duction seen last night has a record OF
over one hundred nights in Chicago. the
same cast except one character appear
ing here. Delightful touches of comedy
give the necessary contrast and make
the salient features of the play stand
out all the more.
The play in striking manner shows the
evils of divorce. with a strong demon
stration that II is a bar to social prog
ress, inasmuch as 1t leads TO the dis
integration of the family, thereby threat
ening the entire social structure, and is
also an object lesson. proving that divorce
does not remedy domestic happiness.
The story of the play is wonderfully
human. and is a true picture of cOndi-
tions of to-day which cry insistently for
remedy. Mr.. and Mrs. Manners, long
married. the parents OF two children. a
boy and a girl, are divorced. and the
children are placed in care of poor rel
atives. The mother shortly after re-
marries the father likewise. The boy
and girl. longing for parental love, run
away from their caretakers. The par
ents know nothing of this, as they have
been absent on their respective wedding
tours. and communication had long since
ceased. The boy and girl come to the
city, the boy thrown among evil asso-
ciates becomes "Dopie Doe and Mamie
a member OF the underworld. His SIS
ter has disappeared. and in his lucid mo-
fr EnanG n rOn Qt tarat arsh
and, finally, in rescuing her, shoots a
member OF the gang, and with his sister
takes refuge in a church. Mrs. Manner
and Lockwood are there. They retire
while "Dopie'' tells his story to the
priest, and Father jerome, from his
story and that of Mrs. Manners and
Lockwood. which has preceded it, con-
lectures that "Dopie'' and his sister are
the children of the divorced couple. Mrs
Manners and Lockwood come into the
room, and the priest tells them the truth
Mrs. Manners fears that she will lose
her social standing II she takes her chill
dren home with her. and so refuses. and
Lockwood, for the same reason will not
take them to his home. Mamie upon
hearing this dies of heart disease. Dopie
resorts to a pill for solace. The fol-
lowing scenes are stirring, vividly depict
ing the perils of the inexperienced sud-
denly thrown upon their own resources
in a great city.
The one change in the original cast
gave Washington theatergoers another
opportu0ity to see John NJ Kline, for
merly of the Columbia Players, in the
principal character of Rev. William Je-
rome, S. ]. Rowland & Clifford have
secured the services of Mr. Kline espe-
cially for the Washington engagement.
John NJ. Kline gave a strong and force
full portrayal OF the good priest in true
to-iife manner, at all times playing his
role with dignity and ease. Virginia
Pearson. last season the Vampire in
Robert Hilliard's play, "A Fool There
Was" as a girl of the street, stirred
the emotions and sympathies in a man.
ner7 that gave her a good tribute OF ap-
plause. William v. Mong pictured the
victim of drug, and as Dopie Doe pre-
sented the revolving features of this
character in realistic style, at the same
time adding to the relief of the heavy
parts OF the play by his talk of the
street Charles C. Durham furnished
much of the lighter touches by his quaint
Irish talK and manners. Others of the
cast were Burnette Radcliffe, of the
original Madame X company; Shell
don Lewis. Charlotte GRANVILLE. and
othera