The Washington herald., 1913-02-16
BY EMORY b. CALVERT.


seems to be room for more; not only
room for more, but appetite for them.
The week Just passed witnessed the re-
turn to New York of the famous lrish
Players from the Abbey Theater, Duoilh.
This is the same organization ana the
y same plays, with one exception tnat
elected showers of variegated vegetables
in New York. Philadelphia, and other
cities where the Irish Players appeared
last year. But Lady Gregory ana her
company have met with no such embar-
rassment thus far, and 1t is not iheN
that any resentment again will De snow n
by Irish-Americans against TINS eNcel-
CLIENT company of players or their ara
matte offerings. The lapse or year
= has pernitted a better understanding to
develop of the plays that are being pre-
scented, and the result is that the lrish
Players are being received with marked
cordiality here.
The week also brought forth two new
plays from the pens of American authors.
The present season has not tended 10
boost the native playwright either in
the estimation of the producing man
ayers or of the public, but, of course,
there have been few brilliant eNcep-
tions. In the present instance the ma.
tive authors are Edwin Milton Royle
and Edward Sheldon. The former con-
trihuted melodrama. called ''rhe I'm
hectic love story. called Romance"
"Romance."
This play had its opening at the Maxine
Elliott Theater Monday night TO an au-
dience which packed the house. 1t was
an exceedingly friendly audience, and
literally applaudeG this fifth effort of
Mr.. Sheldon.
Romance is written in three acts,
with a prologue and an epilogue. The
three acts constitute the play proper. but
they are in reality the narrative of an
old man who is supposed to be relating
the great love affair of his youth.
In the prologue a young man calls on
lis uncle, who is bishop ITO inform
him of his betrothal to an actress. The
bishop does not take kindly to the pros
pectiVe alliance, and, with the idea or
dissuading his Young relative from TAX
ing the step. begins to relate to him an
affair OF his OWE youth. Inc scene is
laid in New York. The first act harks
back to the early seventies. The bishop
is a Young Curate. He attends a social
function given hv wealthy banker, and
there he meets La Cavallini, a beautiful
operate star who has scored triumph
at the Academy of Music, and is the
toast of the town. Before the young
curate realizes il he is madly in love
with the Italian singer. He makes love
tC her impetuously, and wins her heart.
= Then il develops that the relations be-
. tween her and the banker have been
such as to rouse suspicion. He asks her
about the past, and she assures him that
il contains no blot Still not satisfied
lac goes TO the banker with the question.
That smooth man of the world lies like
n gentleman or trooper. But the great
love La CaVallini has conceived tor the
young minister Compels her to make
clean breast of it. This has the effect |
at sending the curate from her for il
short spell but his love is too great for
him. He returns to her. Then she sud |
denly develops an admirable strength OF
character. She would keep her one true
love, above reprOach. She will not taint
the one clean passion that has taken |
possession of her, and. in scene pois- !
nant in its pathos, they take leave OF
Ed, II other forever.
This closes the third act. The curtain
rises on the epilogue. 1t is the same |
scene. OF course, the prologue IN" |
M man closes his narrative. bat his =,
nephew is not dI>suAdcd. AS a most ef-
fectivc close, the old bishop picks up a .
newspaper and reads of the death in
Italy of La Cavallini.
Will, there is a Camille affect to the
play, the treatment Of the theme was
original The dialogue was deft, grace
Iul, and frequently poetic. The quaint at
'mosphere of the city seventies was MAIN
tained in charming manner. and the.
audience followed the action in the grip
Of a : nuinc interest
boris kcane, as La Cavallini, pIayed
with charm and intelligence. never once
falling into lad taste. William Courtney,
both as the bishop and the young curate,
was splendid. He played with due sup
preston. and was the ideal romantic
lover But perhaps the most convinc-
ing work was done by a r. -inson. who
af 10
a long cast, hut others decidedly worthy
of mention were Gilda Nares who play
ed an eNacting role on very short notice
and did it splendidIy: Mrs. Charles de
KAY. Paul Gordon. and Grace Hender-
son.
The Irish Players.
II is A rare treat to listen to the rich.
musical voices of these players from
The famous Abbey Theater. The mem
hers OF this company are so fresh so
virile. and the plays they present are so
direct 50 witty. full of that shreWd
irony for which the Irish are famous
that the audience at Wallacks Theater
Monday night literally thrilled with de-
light
The. opening bill of this company con-
sisted of three short plays. The only
one which had not ben seen here before
was The Macnanmous Lover. from
the pen of St. John G. Ervine. The |
othcr offerings Hero "BirthriEht, by 7. |
G Murray, that terrible drama of fam |
fly strife and Lady GreSory's deliclous-
lv absurd "Jackdaw."
The Magnanmous Lover" is the same
theme as "IIindle Wakes" the English
drama which was produced here early IN
the season. It is the story of a young
man who returns TO marry the Slrl VINO
he had SeducSd ten years before. But
bo saws if Is to save his own soul, ana
tho Girl will have none of him The play |
e written in a humOrously ironical style |
The performance of the Irish flayers
Monday night was marked by the same
simplicity and indebtedness that made
such an appeal to their American auui-
ences last year. Perhaps the only point !
of criticism is the extreme barrenness of
the settings Most everything is left to /
the ina gin a ton and New York audiences |
are not always pleased with that. They |
go TO the BelaSco Theater too often. but |
the splendid acting makes up for this
defect.
The cast is the same as was seen
here last season. 1t is composed or
Sara AIlgood. ]. NJ. Kerrigan, ]. A.
O'Rourke, Mona OBeirne. sydney j.
Morgan. Eileen ODougherty and Fred
O'Donovan.
"The Unwritten Law"
THE Unwritten Law is a melodrama
from the hand of Edwin Milton Royle,
whom we thought would know better. 1t
had its opening at the Fulton Friday