The Washington herald., 1913-05-27
COLUMBIA.
.The Ama.on..-


Interest in the presentation of Sir Ar
thur Wing Pinero's farcial comedy. The
Amazons," by the. Columbia Players this
week is two-fold. In the first place 1t
affords exacting test of the versatility OF
several members of this most excellent
aggreeation of players. In the second
place the recent revival of The ANA
IONS" at the Empire Theater, New York,
with Billie Burke as the star Of the
presentation, has proven one OF the most
enhancing entertainments offered during
this long season of unprecedented re-
vivaIs, despite the fact that the principal
figures OF the play are little. better than
dancing dummies.
From the moment of the first curtain,
when the Warehouses of Castlejordan ex-
plains to the Rev. Roger Minchin that
she has been so woefully disappointed
that of her three children no one of
them has had the good grace to be
boy that she has brought all three Of
them to the estate of young woman
hood dressed In male attire. and, fol-
lowing the pursuits of young athletes,
one gains the impression that Pinero
has cut his characters out OF cardboard,
sufficiently substantial to be twirled
roughly over the stage by a clever man.
agerial hand without falling into thou
sand pieces. The comedy is lacking in
that sympathy which even farcical
play must have to hold the attention
of the audience.
That the Columbia patrons gave
marked attention to- the performance
last night was due, I take it, to the ap-
pearance of their favorites in roles so
dissimilar to custom that it was i'm
POSSIBLE not to be highly entertained.
There was Helen Holmes, for instance.
as the Lady Noeline. quite willing to
Wild herself to her mothers whim that
she impersonate a man until love found
its way into her heart, and she found
that a woman's kingdom is the better
part. 1t is a pleasure at all times to
listen to Miss Holmes voice, which is
singularly clear, round, resonant, and
sympathetic. Her voice and personality
have reminded more than one of Julia
Marlowe, a suggestion which was par
ticuIarly insistent in the last act OF
The Amazons' last night, when she
made the transition from male attire to
a most charming evening gown. So.
DELIGHTFULLY."- feminine is Miss Holmes that
her boyish clothes of the first two acts
impressed as an incongruity.
Dorothy Bernard made a delightfully."-
Tom boyish, devil-may-care Lady Thorn
asin, VINO seemed TO get as much delight
her audience, which is saying a good
deal.
Jessie Glendinning was the other sister
the Lady Wilhelmina-who was frankly
dissatisfied with her mothers methods
from the rise of the first curtain. and
thought it would be pretty nice TO just
be the girl she was, play the guitar
and sing love ditties in sentimental fash
ion. She plays the role easily-all ex-
he dffrfaS which would
very we'll if only Miss Glendinning had
a voice.
Frances Younge was hampered last
night in her portrayal of the Marchioness
by a somewhat nervous uncertainty OF
her lines. while Carrie Thatcher handled
the small role of the physical trainer OF
the three girls with her usual capability. |
OF the masculine side of the cast, Ev-
arett Butterheld was the chief figure in
he role of the Earle of Tweenwayes, |
whom he made the cowardly cad we are
accustomed to conceive in the picture
A. H. Van Buren,, as the Vicomte
Litterby, plays the leading romantic |
role with authority and magnetism. |
and Stanley James again treats his
audience this week to a finished char |!
acter study in the role of the Comte de |,
Grival, who wooes and wins the Lady |
wilhelmina, thus frustrating the hope
of the eccentric Warehouses that she |
may always be able to make her young !
daughters impersonate the sons whom |
she vainly desired.
George w. Barber was seen as Roger |
Minchin, Jack Ellis as a servant, Will
lard Robertson as the game keeper, and |
John NJ. Kline as a poacher. all OF
which characters are of small impor-
lance in the main theme of the play. |
but were so presented as to paint in a |
background to the picture |
presented last night by the Columbia |
Players of The Amazons.
]. c. MANI.