Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-07
DAMAGED GOODS
INSPIRES INTEREST
Intensely Thoughtful Audience
Sees Eugene Brieux's Play
Produced.
SEX HYGIENE PROBLEM
STRONGLY PRESENTED
Every Circle of Life in Washington
Embraced in Audience at
National Theater.

with intense and thoughtful, if not real,
pious interest, one of the most remark
able audiences ever gathered in public in
Washington listened to the message con-
tanned in Eugene Brieuxs play, Les
Avaries. translated 'Damag ed
Goods which was presented at the Ma
tional Theater yesterday afternoon by
Richard Bennett and his company spe-
cially gathered for the purpose. The pro-
duction was under the auspices Of the
Washington Society for Social Hygiene.
1t was not an audience Of young and
thoughtless voluptuaries or Of prurient-
minded elders that gathered to witness a
disclosure in dramatic form Of the evils
and consequences of an unmentionable
disease. but it was an audience of wives
and mothers and fathers, with but rare
exceptions. 1t embraced every circle of
life in Washington. Even the clergy, with
out regard to faith, were gathered in
large and Interested numbers to listen to
the message with which the stage has
stirred the pulpit probably as it never did
before.
There were men high in the official life
of the nation and their wives, grave and
serious members of the highest judicial
rank, senators and members of the House
Of Representatives, actors and actresses
and men prominent in the business life
of the city. 1t was an audience such
perhaps as could never be gathered under
any other circumstances.
1t did not need the reminder OF the Rev.
Earle Whitley. who pronounced the invo-
cation, that the gathering was in the ma
ture of 1.-The greatest and most important
crusade ever undertaken in the world, y
come to listen to that which would help
to a cleaner life, a holier manhood and
Womanhood, and for that reason applause
should be suppressed. Unless the great.
the forceful, the shocking lesson unfolded
had touched deeply the souls of those
who had 1t unfolded to them, the fnjunc-
ton as to applause would probably have
been invoiuntarily ignored at times be-
cause of the tremendous climaxes Of the
drama.
Deep Silence and Profound Attention
AS it was there was deep silence, and
profound attention was given throughout
the dramatic discourse. The histrionic
performances Of Mr.. Bennett and his
splendid company We're lost sight of IN
the force and terror of the story they
unfolded. And when the last curtain fell
the big audience slowly dissolved and
went its way, some in deep thought,
others in animated conversation. There
was no sign OIL ieNlty, no iiIuiSe@tAoii .A''A.
the performance had failed in Its avowed
aim OF pointing the way to cleaner
better destiny for the human race.
There were those who. in the midst OF
the shock of their more delicate sensl-
bilities, shrunk from the startling frank
ness with which the dramatist and those
who gave realization to his characters
dealt with the various phases or the
simple but horrible story OF the play.
There were others who felt that the les
son might have been conveyed with equal
force to segregated audiences OF men ana
Of women instead CT in a mixed congre-
CATION. There were those who differed on
one thing or another. but, judged by the
derneanor OF those who had been invited
to pass upon the suggestions drawn 1fonl
the play, there were few, indeed, VINO
did not feel that 1t was epoch making
and that the time had come for a sur
vey of the needs of society and new
code of customs for the protection and
sanctifcation of humanity
Long before 3 o'clock, the hour for the
opening Of the performance. great lines
of people had gathered to receive tickets
for seats which had been rendered to
them but were not delivered until almost
the last moment. because the performance
was not for commercial gain and all VINO
saw it We're there upon the invitation OF
its promoters.
Something after the hour set Rev. Don
aid Macleod of the First PRESBYTERIAN
Church. with few PREDATORY remarks,
introduced Rev. Earle Wilhey OF the
Vermont Avenue Christian Church, who
also prefaced his Invocation with an ap-
peal for the reception of the offering as
one for cleaner life and hol1er human
ity and therefore in its nature a great re-
ligious effort. Following the invocation,
Mr. Mcleod read Bernard Shaw's pref
ace to the play. written with frankness
as an indictment of 1.-The conspiracy OF
silence regarding sex hygiene.