Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-23
New National.

Every member of the audience at the
National Theater last night surely felt
himself one of the large beneficiaries
under THE VIII of j. NJ. Barrie, as
presented by John Drew and his well
balanced company. Those who gath
cred at the legal Office of Devices, De-
VICES & Devices to hear THE VIII
found the occasion marked with the
solemnity appropriate to such occa-
sions, but not in keeping with the
usual effervescence of a John Drew
play. But there was all the more deep.
though different. pleasure in this offer
ing of one SO closely identified in the
minds of most theatergoers with lighter
roles.
To convince those who, after seeing
him year after year in the same kind
of plays and the same type of roles,
have been skeptical of his versatility,
Mr.. Drew needed just such virile play
as j. NJ. Barrie's THE WILL" 1t was
a keen satisfaction to those who have
placed a high estimate on Mr.. Drew
abilities to find their confidence so fully
justified.
This little play by Mr.. Barrie, new to
Washington is an odd conceit. Strongly
suggestive of "Milestones' in its method,
but deeper in it's purpose. Mr.. Barrie
would have the audience believe a man
q
and that each successive will marks the
changes in his character. 1.-The VIII is
in practically three scenes, all In the OIL
flee of a barrister, with one-mlnute IN
termissions to denote the passing OF
twenty and ten years. respectively. The
first scene shows Philip Ross as bride
groom, with an income OF l6O Englis n
pounds a year, preparing his VIII ieavins
all to his wife. In the second scene MT.
Ross appears as a man of riches far be-
yond the dreams of twenty years before.
q brag about his material success, pre-
pairing a new will that gives his wife only
La life interestsin his estate, so that II
will not be scattered In bad investments
The. third scene presents Sir Philip Ross
possessed of every honor and comfort
that money could insure, yet a man
broken in spirit and bitter toward the
world because he has come, with the
death of his wife and the disinher1tance
of his children. to find the lack of love
and heart and happiness in the avalanche
of gold that binds him.
Like the cancerous growth that was at
first pin point and grew and gre"
until il killed the faithful Surtees, the
barrister's clerk. Sir Philip found all too
| late the appetite for gold and yet more
| gold was IAN accused thing. Mr.. Drew
portrayed Philip in a manner which eff
fectually revealed the diffidence of the
| clerk the assurance of the successful
man of affairs and the broken-in-spirit
| yet assertive Sir who finds little pleas
| ure in looking back from the horizon of
\ the setting sun upon his money-mad
llife's day. AS Mrs. Ross, Miss Mary Boz
| land had an opportunity, though not a
/ rich one. to show her versatile capabill-
| ties. too long buried in apparently self
/ effacng roles maid or secretary. AS
| quaint as conceit as the .eyesore" of
| "Pomander Walk is Mr.. Devices. ST., in
which role Hubert bruce gave a clever
character sketch.
| Those many friends of Mr.. Drew who
| attend his performances with pleasurable
| confidence that they will be amused and
yet not taxed with problem solutions
| found enjoyment in THE Tyranny oil
| Tears" revived after dozen years. Mr.
| Parbury is one of the roles that helped
/ to create the John Drew type. There
/ is an effervescent humor running through
the piece and the portrayals were in capa-
| BILE hands. Perhaps in this revival In
| these DAYS of militant suffragettes there
| is fitting reminder to the present-day
champion of womans rights that the wife
/ of some years ago had her distinctive
| methods of having her own way.