The Washington herald., 1913-12-02
AT THE THEATERS LAST NIGHT
NEW NATIONAL.
Miss Billie Burke In NIhe Land oi
Premise"

Promise
We meet w. Somerset Vaughan, the
celebrated English playwright, and Miss
Billie Burke, the popular Frohman star,
on new ground at the National Theater
this week, called by Mr.. Vaughan "The
Land of Promise"
To those who saw Miss Ethel Barry
more in his Lady Frederick John
Drew in Jack Straw" and Miss Burke
in Mrs. Dot'-au sparkling, epigramatic
oraNing-room pieces the choice of the
Canadian Northwest for the dominating
scenes Of a new drama will seem a
strange one for the dramatfst. but not
half so remarkable as the central figure
or the story so foreign to Miss Burke's
airy, fairy personality and her exquisite
gltt OF comedy, specially when 1t is con-
sioered that Norah Marsh was created
Dy Mr.. Vaughan specially for the ex-
ploitauon of Miss Burke's ability.
IL Is not a pleasant story, this tale
which Mr.. Maugham tells of young
English girl of excellent breeding and
culture who is left financially so re-
stricted at the death of an employer to
whom she has been for ten years COM
panion that she goes out TO her brother
Edward who, with his ex-waitress wife
Is doing pioneer work in breaking the
land of Manitoba.
Imagine Norah, in the person of Miss
Burke, washing and ironing under the
critical eye Of Brother Eddie's wife, who
Is 9eaIously incarnate, with all its ac-
companyfng unreasonableness, and irri-
liability, to escape which. in a moment
OF outraged pride and fury, Norah offers
TO marry Frank Taylor, a hired hand,
who has expressed his intention OF going
SCRUB, wash, iron, and keep his shack in
order, for the sole purpose of which
duties, woman, in this estimable gentle
mans opinion, has been created.
So when the curtain ascends on the
third act, we find the little English gen.
tlewoman entering the prairie home of her
caveman, where he quickly brings her to
a realization that physical strength is the
only law he recognizes through a per-
sonal demonstration, revolving in its
caddishness and brutality. which, how
ever, does not seem to affect the little
heroine when she comes to the final chap
ter where money and the offer Of posi-
tion comes to her from England She finds
that the prairie has woven itself into the
woof of her life; that the pots and pans
are more to be desired than the position
that the man who has subdued her pride
and her spirit through british force is
quite worthy of her love and respect con-
clusions so inconsistent with ones first
conception of the girls character as to
leave one dubious of her sincerity.
On his new ground of primeval in
stincts in the man of the great North
west Mr.. Maugham's technique as
sumes an unconventionality totally
foreign to his former plays. His hero
is not seen until the second act, and
then he makes himself so thoroughly
obnoxious that the auditor finds it easy
to wish that he might be left out alto
gether
THE Land of Promise" is essentially
a dramatization of physical force, fail
ing TO accord in its spirit with the
dainty young star for the exploitation
of whose gifts it was written. Whilei
Miss Burke is a delightful comedienne
a fluffy little person, whose chic and
charming mannerisms quite won our
hearts, even before she became a
twinkling star, she has not the attri-
butes to give realism to a strongly
emotional role, such as that with which
Mr.. Vaughan has provided her in THE
Land of Promise" Even the crude set
tings of the Canadian shacks seem an
incongruous frame for her purely lady
like loveliness and charm.
The cast selected by Mr.. Frohman to
support the star is an adequate one. the
most effective portraiture being that of
Gertrude Marsh, the ex-waitress wife.
drawn with faithfulness and dramatic
force by Miss Lillian Kingsbury.
Shelley Hull imbues the character of
Frank Taylor, the husband, with all the
savage characteristics which Mr.. Maug-
ham seems determined that he should
possess, while Lumsden Hare, Norman
Tharpe, Thomas Reynolds, Barnett Park
er, Marion Abbott, Henry Warwick,
winifred Harris, Mildred Orme, Leopold
Lane, and Selma Hall render adequate
support in less important roles.
The story of THE Land OF Promise
Is told in four acts, and is realistically
and artistically staged.
J.C NJ.