The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-01-28
BELASCO.
Mrs. Leslie Carter.

After having given Washington the go
| V for several years Mrs. Leslie Carter ap-
paered at the Belasco Theatre. last night.
for weeks engagement during which
| she presents David BelascOs adoption OF
'Saza' and Pinero's The Second Mrs.
TanQueray.'
''Zaza" was the attraction last even
ing. and a fair-sized audience. not par
ticularly enthusiastic, was present. 1t
must be confessed that this French
dramatic connection is not calculated to
commend itself to the judgment of the
ordinary spectator, nor to that of the
literary critic. When it is not crutic il
tends to the commOnplaces. II seems inn
probable that even SO course a creature
as Zaza is represented to be in the first
act would indulge in violent OsculatOry
eruption with her newly found lover in
the presence of a whole company Of the
stage of theatre: or that any man. how
ever impervious to finer feeling. more es-
peCially one who until that moment has
been a perfect stranger to the atmOs-
pheI of behind the scenes of French
vaudeville house. would 50 far forget
himself as to make himself the laugh
ing stock Of the motley aSsemblaEe. 1t
Is to be recorded that not a sound Of
even perfunctnry applause was heard
when the curtain fell upon the first act.
1t seems no less incredible that a
French vaudeville artistic of the ZaZa
persuasion would dare to venture upon
an invasion of the home Of her lover
or upon an enforced interview with his
wife: tn" fear of the policeman would re-
strain her. ZaZa : sudden conversion to
better thoughts by the appearance of her
lovers little daughter is melodramatiC
to a degree. The only thing quite nat
ural is the lovers outburst Of fury when
he finds that she has profaned his home
by her visit.
Mrs. Carter's impersonation of Zaza
quite meets the intentions of the au-
thOrs Of the play. Zaza's unspeakable
VUlEaTity is exhibited in the most CIau
manner. There is not the faintest at
tempt to tone down the picture. The lc-
ruranc". the animal craving for ma
tcrial indulgence. tn" complete shame
lcssuess Of the cocottc are given true to
life. That phase Of the womans char
acter could not he drawn more strikinsly
Like verisimilitudc is impaired to the
scene in Dufrene's home when ZaZa
meets his daughter and finally his wife,
and by their gcnteness is turned from
her purpose to make known to the wife
her husbands faithlessness.
The subsequent interview with Du-
irene, the meekncss with which she
hears his reproaches, the dignity with
which she bids him leave her forever
and announces her intention to lead a
purer life. and the final meeting with
him. all these Mrs. Carter invests with
much grace. She fully deserved the cor
dial applause after all these scenes.
Brandon Hurst was rather CoIorIess
Dufrenc. lie was neither convincing in
his character as a sport nor yet in
the later development of pater familias
Indignant over the PROCLAMATION of his
home by his mistress. Albert Perry is
excellent as CaSCaTt, ZaZaS singing part
ncr and good friend. Maude Hanaford
presented a most delicate picture as
Alice Morel, Zazas friend. who accom-
panies her On her excursion TO the Du-
irene home: Josephine Morse made the
personality OF Rosa Bonnie, Zaza's aunt,
as absurdly ridiculous as could be i'm
aCined; COrah Adams was capital as
Nathalie. Zazas maid; Edith Harding
played the small part Of Nine. Dufrene
with nice discretion. and Ethel Lawrence
was a rather simpering Toto, Dufrene's
daughter. The minor parts were accept
ably taken care of, and the scenic in
vestment was in every respect admirable.