New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-11-03
LOVE QUEERS B0RD0Nl
"The First Affair" at Winter
Garden Puzzles First Nighters.


world has been a subject for the POLITICALLY
/ imaginative for a great number Of years.
/ IL has been a popular notion-now appar-
I entity somewhat on the wane among the
well posted-that Adam and Eve started
/ the whole thing off in the Garden Of
/ Eden Prominent individuals from time
10 time have contributed other notions.
/ The matter Is still unsettled
] The idea entertained I'm the version pre-
scented Tor the first time at the Winter
I Garden last night under the casual title
of The First Affair Favored OF Darwin
! i-ta At all events the curtain went up
on q group II monkeys disporting them
selves I'm what the programme called "A
Jungle u must have been spring, for
/ the woods were green and tender. OF
| course il was spring. come TO think of IT,
/ because that IS the time "a young mans
/ fancy 49,
! After a few minutes OF sportiveness on
| the part Of the star-eyed, ruddy-lipped
| monkeys" who behaved in a moderate
/ ladyilkc way-not indulgins in tail swing
/ ing or doing any OF those bizarre little
/ things that interest and amuse us so in
I monkeys Mile. Irene Bordoni rose from
/ the underbrUsh at the rear of the stage
I and tottercd forward 10 the footlights.
/ She was born, and apparently ready for
| anything that might turn up. Her birth
| day dress consisted OF a silk drapery OF
/ the varying ,olors of AUTUMN leaves. It
| had a splendid fringe, just below the
walstlnr. that served as skirt Whether
| il was lust Mile Bordoni behind the fringe
| or whether they were pink silk tights was
/ iudeterminatc.
/ No sooner had the first debutante set
/ tied down into possession OF her heredI-
tary property than the usual thing hap
pcued. Man came. and seldom has man
/ appeared at so frlghtful a disadvantage.
| The present writer has wasted foolish
paragraphs IN taking against business
suits. claw hammers, etc, as proper dress
/ for men. But how much better they are
! than a sparse covering Of coarse hair
and a bare, limp tail. NJ. August. when
| he appeared I'm the first performance Of
the new pautCmime AS man, looked like
a pink mattress bursting into bloom. From
the tail the spectators were left 20 gather
that even in those days man was not as
far advanced as woman For BordUni
was tailless.
/ The contretemps between the first wom-
an and the nearest thing there was at the
time to man was an interesting one, and
/ not uucharacterlstic OF later history. For
after the first few minutes OF clustering
admiration on the part or man, woman
turned on him and freed him. As soon as
she had him safely perched on the high
| limb Of a sturdy property tree she began
TO dance and whIrl about in tantalzing
noses. lust to amuse herself. CoaXed be-
yond endurance, he finally made bold to
come down, but he soon lost his head,
and she freed him again: nor did he dare
to descend till the moon came out.
When this happened It had its custom
AIRY effect. and she who hated by day
loved by night. The curtain descended
inst about in time as man laid woman
at the foot Of his fayorite tree. But
love, as those who know nothing OF 1t
tell u.s. is elcvating, for when the curtain
went up again, as though for an encore.
the lovers were discovered by the spot
light lying. hazardously, high up In the
broad aims of the ever useful tree.
with the exception of a change In NJ.
| Emile Agoust's costume-he now wears a
LEONARD skin and no tail-"The First At
fair" IS being presented at the Winter
Garden as above described. The panto-
mimic dance-actiug Of the principals Is
gravely serious over poses and insinua-
tions that strike mirth TO the marrow of
the spectator,
The little French girl is pretty beyond
a question Unfortunately, her role al
though It allows much OF her to be seen,
does not show her off. Perhaps In a
speaking part she would spring into life.
The idea of the affair is w. Cronin
Wilson'S The accompanying music, by
Leonard w. Chalk, deserved to accom-
pany something better.