The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-09-17
LAST NIGHT ATTHE THEATERS
POLLS rHEArER.
"The Thief,

"The Thief."
The artistic work of the Poll Players
reached a climax last night in their mag
nincent Interpretation Of 1.-The Thief"
Henri Bernsteins play which made MAJ
garet Ellington q star overnight. and
which won from q score OF the coun-
try's best dramatic critics unqualified
praise. From a literary and dramatic
standpoint the play IL a masterpiece. 1t
is Of French origin and locale. but hap
PLY, omits the theme Of 'the eternal
triangle upon which the French play
too .often hangs
II tells the story of the young wife,
Marie-Louise Voysin. whose idolatry Of
her husband makes her supersensitive to
her physical defects and determined that
she shall compare favorably and at any
cost with women Of beauty and wealth
with whom they are constantly thrown.
The first curtin raises on the story
when the Voysins are visiting the La
gardes. who has "a son, Fernando, who
is head-over-heels in love with Marie
Louise. She cares only for her husband
and fiirts with the youth just because he
amuses her. until she realizes how dead
ly in earnest he is, when she subjects
him to a severe rebuff.
Richard Voysin is an employe of Ray
mond Legardes, his. host. and earns a
salary insufficient to attire his wife as
she Graves to be clothed.. that she may
look beautiful In his eyes. Just at the
time when she 10 threatened with ex-
posture by her creditors the carelessness
Of her hostess. Isabel Lagardes. gives
her the chance Of stealing thousands of
francs without detection. The crime
is repeated until the money is missed
and Legrades employs NJ. Fam
bault. a clever detective, to discover the
criminal. Circumstantial evidence
points to Fernando Legardes, the son,
who confesses to the crime TO save the
woman he loves.
The confession would perhaps have
passed muster had not Richard voysin
accidentally come upon a sum Of money
in his wife's possession which he knows
II Is Impossible for her TO have saved
from her allowance, and forces her con-
fession to him while they are alone In
their boudoir.
Marie-Louise pleads her great love- her
woman's foolish vanity. her fear of los
ing his admiration. and Richard Is per-
suaded to leniency just as the strange
ness Of Fernande's part in the matter
occurs to him. shatterirg the last atom
of his faith in his wife. until the third
and last act. when WAREHOUSES con-
fesses her guilt to her host and hostess
and saves the boy from a stupendous
sacrifice. later proving the courage and
nobility of her course by Offering to go
with her husband to the Brazilian branch
of Legardes firm. where they begin life
all over again without the artifcialities
which led to their disgrace in the first
place.
Not since the Inauguration of the Poll
Players has Izetta Jewel been seen In
a role which exacted SO much of her
as that OF Marie-Louise Voysin, THE
Thief
In her first act she was so chic and
charming in her billing and cooling with
her young husband that the audience
which she capt.vated was quite unpre-
pared for her second and great act IN
which she rose last night to magnificent
dramatic heights, handling her technique
with a sureness which made her in
depreciation quite equal in fneness and
intensity OF emotion that OF Miss Hing
ton, who created the role in the original
production.
1t takes a big thing like The Thief
to bring to the surface Miss Jewels
genius-to make an audience. realize that
from the stage OF dramatic stock to the
position to star is but a little step
ahead.
A. H. Van Buren, played opposite Miss
Jewel. essaying the role OF Richard Voy-
sin. which was played in the original
production OF The Thief by Kyrle Bel
lew. He gave a strong and sympathetic
portrayal Of the part. and shared honors
with Miss Jewel in their second act, in
which they alone held the stage. and
the rapt attention OF their audience as
well. He made the character OF Richard
Noysin altogether human and lovable by
virtue of the very strength with which
he imbued it. This role and his inter-
probation of Pierre in Pierre OF the
Plains" last week. stamp him as "a dra-
matte artist of no mean ability.
The role OF Raymond Lagardes gave
Duncan Penwarden an opportunity to-
win favor in thoroughly sympathetic
which he did last night
through meritorious work. Through the
parts in which he has been cast all sum-
mer we have come to think of Mr. Pen
warden as a deep-dyed stage villain. so
that IL was quite a pleasant sensation to
see him Invested last night of all villain
Gus traits and cast as young Fernando S
father. in which character he was given
an opportunity to prove his ability
where noble emotions count.
Isabel Lagardes, wife of Richard and
TO the misjudged youth, was
,apably handled by Louise Kent, while |
Graham Velsey. in the role of Fernando
Lagardes. gave a portrayal of the love- |
SICK youth winch rang with sincerity.
At the close of his first act in which |
ne arduously poured out his love for the |
wife of his fathers employe. Mr.. Velsey. |
vas the recipient Of a large bouquet of !
lowers.
AS Monsieur Zambault. the detective. |
Mark Kent. was seen only in the first |
lct during the action of which he sue |
,eeded, however. in giving a most ia
'orable impression of his marked ability |
Is character actor
The production of The Thief was so |
smooth in movement. so finished in ar
istry that II was a difficult matter to |
'ealize that its presentation was by a |
stock company which has had but a |
weeks rehearsal of the piece.
]. C. MANI.