The Washington herald., 1912-01-14

New York, Jan. 13-If II had been pos
slbie for a visitor 10 have seen every
thing offered by New York In the the
atricaI line during the week, he would
have rendered the verdict that never had
such a crop of high-class performances
been staged at one time anywhere. Added
10 the cbOve-par list of last week were
six new pieces. each possessed OF merit.
The TaIker,'' by Marion Fairfax. star
ring Tully Marshall and Lillian Albert
son, at the Harris: The Bird OF Para
disc" by Richard w. Tully, with Lewis
s. Stone and Laurette Taylor, at Days,
and ''Over the River an enlarged
musical skit presenting Eddie Foy, at
the Globe, all Of which were launched
Monday night. were all gems in their
own particular ways.
The same can be said OF "a Butterfly
on the Wheel fresh from a London
triumph. with Madge Titheradge in the
part she created. Butterfly" which was
offered on Tuesday night at the Thirty
ninth Street Theater; THE Return From
Jerusalem" featuring the celebrated
Nine. Simone, at the Hudson. opening
on Wednesday evening, and The Right
10 Happiness" performed by the Wilton
I.ackaye Players on Thursday night at
the BiiOu. The entire bevy included
everything from pseudo-vaudeville mus
ical comedy to the heaviest tragedy.
The TaIker."
The "emancipated woman is given a
severe slam in the moral carried by
Marion Fairfax in his new play. The
Talker," which opened at the Harris on
Monday evening The title part is play
ed by Lillian Albertson, who interprets
with perspicacity the motive Of the play
wright. She is Kate Lenox, wife OF
Il ~ has nffr oh
living her own life, the freedom Of the
individual, the right TO happiness. and
various other sophistries Incidentally
the wife's sense of freedom expressed IT.
self in a little motor trip unchaperoned
with a married man, whom her husband
didn't trust, but she is forgiven because
Of coincidence which kept the husband
late at the ONCE, and compelled him to
dine at a restaurant, so that there is
something TO explain on both sides
What made the worm turn at last was
the sudden revelation that the man in
question had been using the wife as
cloak TO cover an affair with Harry's in
nocent little sister, who elopss with him.
Harry, disguised, breaks away from his
wife, whose theories have caused the suf-
fering of the four principals in the play
the other mans wife. Harry his sister,
and the sisters loyal young sweetheart
The desertion Of Harry also brings suf-
fering home to his wife, who suddenly
realizes her fault and determines to at
tempt reparation. OF course, everything
has to end happily. and it does in a more
or less artificial manner. but in such
way that the moral of the play is driven
home by post-mortem descantations OF
the wife.
1t is in this final scene that Miss Albert
son receives her first opportunity to be
appealing TO the audience, and she Is
fetching to the last iota. Tully Marshall,
as the husband, who loved not too well,
but too meekly, has the sympathy OF
the audience throughout, while Pauline
Lord. as the little sister; Wilson Day, as
the excuse for the disturbance OF happi-
ness. and Malcolm Duncan, as the young
suitor, play their parts well.
''The Bird of Paradise"
With the coIorful scenes Of Hawaii and
the weirdIy sensuous music of the island
people as q background. charming lit
tie story IS told in The Bird of Paradise
which showed for the first time to a capac-
ity audience at Days Theater. In the
course Of the plot one derelict is re-
claimed and another is created. both
white men. The first one, Paul Wilson,
a chemical scientist, played by Lewis s.
Stone, arrives on the island with Diana
Larned, a writer. Wilson is intent upon
isolsting the bacteria OF leprosy, while
Diana is eager to study the superstitions
of the islanders.
Wilson happens upon Luana. a Ha-
waiian girl, and granddaughter Of the is
land king, who proceeds to win him At
this iuncture enters Ten Thousand Dol
lar Dean" played by Guy Bates Post.
Dean meets up with Diana. At the time
he has drifted far down the social ladder
until he is a beach comber." Diana
discovers that he is possessed OF scien-
IA 70 r1fo
Before the act ends Dean is doing the
work that Wilson had set out to do, while
the latter has gravitated to a plane even
lower than that OF the Dean that was.
Some remarkable scenic effects are OBJ
tanned in the staging OF the production,
among them being a glowing volcano.
cover the River"
Recently we have heard quite a good
deal about cabaret shows. but few can
claim the distinction OF really knowing
what they are like. The number Of the
enlightened is considerably augmented
now, however, by the large audiences
that attended Eddie Foy's new show, |
'Over the River" which opened Monday |
evening at the Globe.
The first scene of this piece represents |
the much-talked-of Louie Martins some |
time after dark, and among those pres !
enL may De observed Inc rNeu W NiQO"H
The Pink Lady" Ina Claire" Elsie |
Janis and ''Gaby Deslys.' All the |
dances, from the Turkey Trot" to the /
Tango" are paraded by no less per
son than Maurice, a full-fedged product
of Paris.
Maurice Is one OF the many diversions
OF the piece. There is an abundance Of
other diversions, the story itself being
in realty subordina:ed TO them. What
little story there is encloalSs Eddie Foy /
in the guise Of a man who. getting into
trouble and sentenced TO RlackswelIs
Island for thirty days, tells his wife that
he is going TO Mexico.
Maud Lambert's buoyant singing, LII
Ian Lorraine's eccentric acting, and sew L
eral vaudeville specialities. such as the 4
Miss Methyen, who sings an
octave higher than high and the /,
Berlin madcaps procided vast amusement
for the audience.
II New York has ever had anything
that can be called 'melted altogether
vaudeville performance this is It i.