Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-11
ADJUSTMENTS
Columbia

Mary James Pa the play by Edith
Ellis, which is being presented at the Co
! lumbia Theater this week by the Column
bia Players. is one of those delightful
glimpses into the domestic life. with its
smiles and tears. of a family supposed to
have lived in Gosport Ind. Its nearest
approach to tragedy is the tragic effect of
mans abandonment of his wife and
children and his return to their great
embarrassment. after the splendid char
acter of the woman has made prosper
Gus nome for her children and herself a
power in the town AS its printer and ed
itor of its only paper.
'Wanderlust' is his excuse. He is 9TH
erWiSe a strong. even-tempered man of
education and innate refinement. to whom
the real lesson OF life is taught finally
after his family have again suffered NOR
tincatlon and shame on his account. In
the long years of his absence his wife has
outgrown tears, although her heart is still
tender and susceptible to ache. And when
ne returns as tramp. willing to hang up
his hat and share the family prosperity,
he is Yet not SO lost to sense of real
manhood as to wish to linger against the
6eSire of his wife. Rather than turn the
father of her children out in want the
wiie PROPOSES to give him his board and
keep and $40 a month to attend to the
household chores and he, much to her
surprise. accepts. Her war as an editor
means used to bring scandal upon her for
doing this. Her children are snubbed
the village gossips tear her good name to
tatters and finally the politician, whom
she defeats for an Office. comes with a
mob to wreck her home At this point
she asserts herself. declares the truth and
all ends happily
me ay is one of wholesome morality
.nroushout. 1t makes fascinating
story. and in it's presentation the desire
LOT entertainment, whether by smiles or
tears. heartache or heart interest. is fully
satisfied. At least this seemed to be the
erect upon Very large audience at the
Columbia Theater last evening from
which it won cordial and continued ap-
plause long after the fall of the last cur
tain. 1T is one of the most delightful
offerings the Columbia Players have yet
presented.
Aside from the leading roles. it is full
of quaint and interesting character
studies. beautiful as well as ludicrous.
Ihere is. FOR instance. the little child who
has been taught to revere the memory of
father supposed to be dead, who cannot
understand why she and her sister are
not invited TO the other girls parties.
why folks say unkind things of her
father and abuse the mother she loves.
There is her elder sister. old enough to
know, who longs for glimpse of the
outer world to escape the shame and
modification at home. There are the
rejected sutton of mother and daughter
one d " pc VI SpleDulu WdHHOOu. IHc
other a ''bonehead' country boy who re-
sents his rejection with malice and an
evil tongue. There are 1.-The suffraget-
ter the village girl elocutionist the old
stage driver who consents to keep fur
coat for travelling man until he re-
turns again for the privilege of wearing
it and who does wear it regardless of
the fact that ii is hot summertime. and
host of other selected characters from
small town to contribute in one way
n another. n the hllmor of the nIay And
all of them. without exception. are pleas
ingly delineated by the Columbia Play
ers. from Miss Nelson and Mr. Robins
down to the Office boy in the print shop.
Miss Nelson. while not cast in a great
part in the sense of affording wide scope
for the display of her we'll known histri-
onic powers. makes an attractive and
forceful personality of the wife. MI
role of the husband. Quiet in his meth
DDS. keeping we'll within the bounds and
finally making of the me er-dO-welI
Iowa BILE character. who almost everybody
is willing TO forgive he Is strong factor
in the success of the play. \ delightful
impersonation of the child Is given by
little Helen Hayes. and charming por-
trayal of the elder sister by Violet Hem
ing. Aline McDermOtt as the girl elocu-
ZIONIST faithfully reflects humorous type
familiar in many rural towns. Stanley
James also gives ludicroLs picture, as
her rejected sutton, and Julia Blanc
forceful but natural presentation of the
millionaire ..suffragetter. As the old
stage driver Carson Davenport adds an
other to his stage pictures. and George
Barber and Godfrey Matthews meet the
requirements as the bad politician and his
manly rival Willard Robertson. too gave
a lifeiike portrayal of countryman;
John VI. Kline. with but little oppOrtu-
nifty. a glimpse of a campaign manager.
and Arthur Kitchie clean-cht .charac-
terization of a country printer.