Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1912-02-16
ABLE AMATEURS ACT
Women Win Woman Suffrage Votes
Through Clever Cast in ANA
teur Theatricals at the
Colonial.
A SPLENDID PERFORMANCE.
Staged and Produced Under Mrs. D.
Clinton Redgrave Marrison's
Superb Acting Three Good Plays
Under Auspices Of Just Govern
ment League.

meut League.
There are more ways of winnins
votes for women than by electoneer
ing on the streets or by lobbying
at the State House, and il wa.
clever womankind who conceived the
idea of winning "Votes For Wo
men" through the three plays giver
last evening before a large and
fashionable audience al the Colonial
Theatre.
The theatricals were by amateurs
and were under the auspices of the
Just Government League, of Mary.
land, of which Mrs. Donald Hooker is
president. There were three plays,
viz: "A Close CALI farce in one
act, by Grace Luce Irwin, followed by
Something to Vote For" a play in
one act, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman,
and the performance was concluded
by How the Vote Was Won," play
in one act by Cicely Hamilton and
Christopher St. John.
This last is an Eaglish play and has
been played successfully by amateurs
in England and America, although
never produced here until last even
ing. All three plays, in their entire
ty. were produced under the personal
direction of Mrs. d. Clinton Redgra7e,
the wife of naval officer, we'll versed
10 stagecraft, and once a professional
in the company with Olga Nethersol.
Mrs. Redgrave is also woman of
literary attainments and recently a
serial of which she was the author, has
been running in one of the popular
magazines.
Too much credit cannot be given
to Mrs. Redgrave for her skill in the
management and staging of the plays
last night, and for the coaching she
gave untirin gly which resulted so sue
csssfully. Her artistic touch was dis
cernible' in all the minor details. as
well as in the more important ones.
Every character was well taken and
fitted the individual to a nicely, and
the atmosphere of the three plays
was not the least amateurish, but
would have done credit to profession
ais, so ably were they managed and
directed by Mrs. Redgrave.
The audience numbered many dis
tinguished people, including Governor
and Mrs. Goldsborough and their
young son, Brice Worthington Colds
borough, and the house guests at the
Executive Mansion, Mrs. Showell, the
mother of the Governors wife, being
among them. The boxes were all
filled, mostly by naval officers and
their wives and friends, and there
was a sprinkling of gold lace and navy
and army uniforms throughout the
audience. Everybody was in evening
clothes, .and the affair was quite a
recherche social event.
The curtain raiser. a one-act farce
entitled "a Close Call" told the
story of one young man of amorous
I~inclinations whose love-making was
not of himself a thing apart, but
his whole existence. First he had
made love to a dashing young widow
(Mrs. ]. D. Wainwright), then to q
society bud who had just come out
miss Vera Baker,. Another of his
victims of Cupid's darts was a gir
who had money in her own name
miss Nancy DashielD; still another
was the sentimental damsel with 9
pet lapdog "Popsy" miss Gemms
D'Auria) and fifth to fall under
the charms of the gay Lothario wa:
the clever giil miss Carolyr
Steele).
The young man, himself, with the
heart breaking propensities, was Mr.
Eugene lglehart who, at the las
moment, when the play was being re
hearsed, took the place of Lieut.. F
H. Poteet, U. S NJ, whose name wa;
down on the program. The stage set.
| ting was homelike and attractive anC
much prettier than the commonplace.
usually seen. 1t represented living
| room where tea was served the call
ers, who aired their grievance
against one Harold Bentwell, who
by the way, having preceded them ant
not able to escape, was hidden behinC
a screen and heard all they said.
Mrs. Wainwright as "Mrs Marsh,
| was charming, graceful and natura
| in the part which sAe filled, equal to
professional. Miss Vera Bake
| Mrs. Fell's niece from England
acted her part well. Indeed she is
splendid little actress as shown late
on in one of the other plays.
Miss Nancy Dashiell, the girl wit
money, impersonated Edith Ber
tram" of the cast in a highly com
mendable manner. Her dignity AM
hauteur, her patronizing air to tn
other girls and her affected manner
all ''filled the bill" to perfection, t
use stage parlance. Miss Dashiel
was elegantly gowned and made
handsome appearance which for
the stamp of the girl :'who ha
money in her own name" whicI
character she so ably impersonated
Miss Gemma D'Auria, as the sen
| timental damsel with q pet dog, wa
splendid. Her acting was fine. Sh
is her aunt's true niece, and one see
in Miss D'Auria the imprint of Mrs
Redgrave's talent and personality.
Miss Carolyn Steele, cast as tn