The Washington herald., 1913-02-18
jHlF Ef[|IlE@ @I|EHI IzzAl[l2llES
BELASCO.
.sThe Painted Woman"


MelodfAma In its most alluring form
was unrulled sefore a magnificent audi
ence at the Belasco Theater last night
With the first presentation in Washing
ton Of Frederic Arnold RUNNERS latest
play. THE Painted Woman" 1t is
tale OF the days. two and half CEN
turies ago, when pirates swept the
Spanish main. reaped Sich booty from
Spanish galleons. and rocked not how
many hundreds were slain in such en-
terprise, nor how many other hundreds
were made TO leap into the sea to escape
the sword or were sent to the bottom
with the ship after che had been stripped
Of everything OF value. 1t Is a story OF
beautiful maidens captured on these ves-
sells and either appropriated by the pi-
rates themselves or sold In the slave
market. Il brings back to memory all
the weird ron ances OF outlawry on the
high seas which We were wont to read
in the time of our bnyhood, and 1t has
the enchanting setting OF the tropics,
There is not a minute during all OF the
four acts without some thrilling incl
dent It is a gripping play from begin
ming to end.
Ramona, the heroine. whose father has
been slain by ''The Firebrand." a pirate
chief mas been taken as his prize anu
installed In his home. supplanting Ann
peyereaux. Of whom the chief has tired.
She Is visited by John Barton, mate OF
the good ship Thanksgiving" owned
and manned by GodfearinS Puritans. VINO
traded salt fish and other New England
commodities for the silks and jewels
which were part OF the pirates piunder.
] OF course. it's a case of love at hrst
sight on the part of both the man and
the girl. John takes his leave promising
TO return but on his way back TO MS
shin he is shot by Portugee. pirate.
whom, shortly before, he had chasuseo
for an insult offered to Ramona
John staggers wounded into her pres
ence, and just at that moment all 'ne
pirates return in search OF him. lie is
quickly concealed by the girl. ana u'eL
the departure of the pirates on one OF
their adventures is nursed by her. Love
deepens, and John asks her to become
his wife Unexpectedly, The Firebrand
returns. John. in his concealment, hears
that Ramona is the slave and mistress
of the pirate chief. He and the chief
engage in a struggle. but the pirate Is
killed by Pedro, a servant devoted 10
Ramona John upbraids the girl for her
supposed deception, but relents when she
tells him the story of her wretched Fate.
They are surprised by the other pirates.
John and his brother Puritans. who have
lust arrived TO persuade him to return
with them. are made captives. but SUD
sequently released upon Ramona's PROM
Use to become the property OF Portugee
The hast scene Is the slave market, where
Ramona Is put upon the auction block
by Portugee. and at the critical moment
John and his shipmates appear. pur-
chase The girl. and the lovers are made
happy.
Florence Reed. whose assumption OF
the part of Ramona signalizes her first
stellar venture, has been seen In this
city in Mr.. Sothern's company. ana
more recently was with Walker WHITE
side In The Typhoon." From this
time on she will have TO be regarded
as one of the leading emotional ac-
tresses on the American stage. In this
play her acting is nothing short OF
brilliant Graceful and coquettish In
the lighter phases OF the part. she
evinces in the more intense scenes
superb dramatic force. tempered. how
ever, by artistic reserve. Nothing more
effective can be pictured than the pose
of utter despair and resignation which
she sustains throughout the slave mar
ket scene without utterins word 1t
was artistically perfect. Miss Reed
was repeatedly called before the cur
tain, and achieved a genuine triumph.
CASTOR Mervale. in the part Of The
Firebrand. was admirable as the reck-
less, brutal buccaneer chief. Geonrey
Stein. in the role Of Portugee- added an
other to the long list of bizarre char
acter sketches for which he has become
famed, and Anthony Andre, as Tench.
was tho real thing In the line of utter
pratical depravity. Charles Waldron
gave an adequate Interpretation to the
part of John Barton, the Puritan lover.
Jobyna Rowland made all that was pos
sible of the role of the deposed Mistress
Ann DevereauN. and Louise Evarts was
more than good in the minor part OF
Lucia David Barton did very creditable
work as Pedro, and the rest of the cast
was In every way satisfying.
The scenery is magnificent and the cos
tunes and all other accessories sumptu-
Gus to a degree.