The Detroit times., 1912-02-23
STAGE
DETROIT oPERA HOUSE.

OeTHOlT OPERA HOUSE.
Drolly amusing, smartly gotten up,
inough OF the risque to tantalize but
lot offend, and altogether out of the
rdinary as farces 20. is "Nobodys
Widow" the light comedy In which
llaXi1 -Belascn- presents his-taxorlte
TAR, Blanche Bates, In the Detroit
pera house, for a half-week's en-
;agement. which began Thursday at
ernoon with a Washington's birth
lay matinee. t'Nobody's Widow" was
written by Avery Hopwood. who has
turned out good many things along
the farce line in the past few seasons,
but, In this Instance. Mr.. Hopwood
has had the good luck TO have the
Bclusco genius for stage production
behind him, the cleverness of Miss
Bates and cast OF the highest excel
lence. The result OF this combination
is couple OF hours OF refreshing en-
tertainment and charming stage pic
tu.es.
For some years past, Miss Bates
has given her time and talents TO the
more lugubrious sort of stage
hcroines, and while she made a
tremendous success of IL there Is no
room for doubt that during that time
the theatergoing public missed be
coming. acquainted with a delightful
commedienne. Miss Bates case seems
to be one parallel 10 that OF Margaret
Anglin, who for much too long a time
ruined dozens of perfectly good hand
lkerchiefs, on and off the stage, In
portraying emotional heroines, and
then made herself known/to an adj
mirlng public in comedy characters
that made. II possible for her to
create the heartiest laughter where
before she had drawn forth tears and
sobs. So IL Is with Miss Bates, who,
IN "Nobody's Widow" is as light and
gay as she was tragic and sorrowful
in Nine. Butterfly" and 1.-THE OAR
ling of the Gods" She was mix
ture of emotion and comedy In The
Girl of the Golden West" TO say
nothing of the conventional emotion
slism of the wife in THE Fighting
Chance" in which play she last APP
peared In Detroit.
In "Nobody's Widow" Miss Bates
PLAYS the part of q rather unusual
and original young woman, known TO
her friends as Roxana, who, after
marrying a handsome young English
him few moments after the cere-
mony when she catches him saying
an osculatory farewell to a former
Partisan friend named Suzette. Hav-
ing written her American friends of
her handsome dashing lover,
Roxana's pride will not permit her
10 return and confess the truth. so
she decides to "klll'' off the husband
efaa rrtA
the Borrowing widow, Mrs. Clayton
she returns TO America and makes
for Palm Beach to stay with her old
friend, Betty Jackson in the latters
villa, there The very first person
RoXana meets, in her friends house,
is the late lamented Mr.. Clayton,
really the Duke of Moreland, and the
three acts of the comedy are built
upon the complications that ensue
from the dukes determination TO
have Roxana for his wife. and the
widows" equally determined atti-
Jude TO pay of her score against her
dear departed" for his fond good
bye to Suzette.
Bruce McRae, who for so many sea-
sons came 10 Detroit as leading man
for Ethel Barrymore, plays the Duke
the part is worth going a long way
TO see. II is simply delicious
With Miss Bates he carries the whole
comedy on his broad shoulders, dc-
spite the presence of six other per-
sons in the cast. Miss Adelaide
Prince, is Betty Jackson, whom nature
endowed with a forgotten" instead
OF a memory, and who simply cannot
Il.
band by divorce or destruction. Rex
McDougall plays Ned Stephens, who
thought he was in love with Betty
until he met her In Roxana's boudoir
in a kimona with her hair down ana
cold cream on her face. About these
four the principal incidents Of the
farce revolve. The dialogue is of the
sort usually associated in the com
mon mind with the inhabitants OF the
smart set" II is wittily epigram-
matte, spicy and quite down.to-the-
moment in every way. The action
takes place in RoXana's suite OF rooms
in Betty's villa, the sitting room and
boudoir. and as might be expected or
Mr.. Belasco's setting. no little detail
has escaped his master touch and
nothing is left to the imagination in
the picture. The rooms are charm.
ing in color. In drapery. furniture, ami
In those Belascoan touches Of lamps
and flowers and even the use OF an
old sedan chair as a telephone booth.
Nothing is wanting to MAKE the pic.
ture a delight 10 the eye.
Miss Bates and Mr.. McRae as the
! widow and the late lamented. respec-
lively, provide one Of the best laughs
OF the season. aud not TO see them
making merry in "Nobody's Widow ,
rs 10 miss enough fun 10 store one
over the staid days Of the Lenten sea-
son.O
The engagement includes perform
ances- on Friday and Saturday even.
ings and Saturday afternoon. Mon
day evening, the farce Excuse Nc
| will pay its first visit to Detroit, iu
| this theater
ELLA NAE HAWTHORNE.
| Hurtig's Social Maids" company
will be the attraction in the Gayety
| theater next week. A "pell.mell" In