The Washington herald., 1913-02-11
HT 1I|[i[IIzz' 1[!|[H[ [IzA1[IgllIzzS
cHASE'S.
Ethel barrymore, in 1sThe Twelve
pound Look.0

Ethel barrymore, in ssThe Twelve
pound Look"
II you ever felt inclined TO ask with
William Shakespeare, Whats in a
Manner" Just step into Chase's Theater
some day this week and watch the fasci-
mating line OF folk jostling each other in
q their eagerness to procure seats for the
Washington debut Of Ethel Barrymore In
vaudeville; for fits the name Of the gifted
Frohman star which attracted a capacity
audience to her two performances yes
terday in ]. NJ. Barrie's one-act play,
The Twelve-pound CseO Look" It is
tho name of Ethel Barrymore and the
delightful memories which II conjures up
which promises to fill the big home of
polite vaudeville from orchestra to gal
lery throughout the week; for those- who
have followed the comedienne from her
girlish performance In Capt. Jinks''
through her successes to ''Midchannel," !"
in which she was last seen In this city
in the National Theater, cannot have
failed TO take a keen delight in the OBJ
vfous expansion OF her art. In Capt.
Jtnks' Miss Barrymore was scarcely
more than an engenue-a rosebud of a
girl. whom We found after a few years
IN Midchannef' a woman grown, the
rose in bloom: an actress having at her
command all the technicalities of her art
ana a clear strong conception of life's
balances.
And now. this week, she comes back
10 washington In a most delightful LITTLE
comedy whose only fault Is that n docs
not give Miss Barrymore to us for an
entire evenings entertainment,
You would not guess in a thousand
years whether 1t was comedy or tragedy
you had come out to see IL you depended
on the title of Mr.. Barries story to en-
iGhten' you. but one is prone to forgive
MIN this when the curtain falls at the
END or his cynical little tale of do
mestictty. in which one has the satisfac-
tion OF seeing at least the outer shell
OF mans eternal egotism peeled off.
The scene OF the drama is laid in the
den OF Sir Harry Simms' Mayfair Man
sion, to which there comes on a bright
forenoon Of 1905. a fair typist who has
been sent at his order to write letters
in acknowledgment of congratulations
received in his approaching knighthood
The typist it SO happens, is given the
number of the house to which she is
to go and does not know until she ar
rives that ii is the home of her one
time husband whom she left because his
wealth and success stifed her. When
she found that the making OF money
was the very religion OF the man she
married. that success was his God. and
among his friends, she began to look
for his real manhood. and failing to find
1t. TO look further for her escape from
what she termed his fat friends" fiat
meals" fat income and fat jewels"
She hired a typewriter and learned to
use it, and when she had earned. through
her own labor, the twelve pounds neces-
sary to buy the machine, she left the
egotist who could see no other sort OF
happiness for a woman save wealth with
all the useless, aimless. idle, colorless
life il brought her. And when she had
gone he could think OF no reason for her
action save another man, in which De-
lief she helped him so that he might
win his freedom by law, after which ne
promptly married another. into whose
eyes there soon came the twelve-pound
look" the yearning for a means Of es-
cape from a meaningless existence
AS Kate, the typist. Miss Barrymore
has spendid opportunity for the display
of that keen sense of humor Tor Wnich
she is noted She brings 10 the char- !
a acterization a touch Of the girlish grace |
with which created furore in Captain
Jenks." TO which is added that intenec-
tnaI quality which marked her later |
work.
The Twelve Pound Lock" is as
notable an example OF the finished liter
ary style OF the famous English writer
and dramatist as Peter Pan" or The
little Minister" losing nothing of its
polish; its keen insight into human ma
ture, or its scintilattng wit. because
Of its brevity. all Of which qualities Miss
BARRYMORE accentuates with the eI-
ouIsitely drawn lights and shadows of
her subtle art
Supporting Miss Barrymore are David
Torrance, who paints a realistic por- |
trait of the insufrerable English egotist: |
Suzanne Sheldon, who is excellent as the |
second wife, and Frank J. Mccoy. who |
is seen in minor role.
While Ethel Barrymore. in the Barrie |
sketch is the center Of attraction at
Chase's this week. don't get the idea |
that the rest of the bill is eclipsed by |
the star. for it is undoubtedly the most
aggregation Of acts which |
have been seen in the popular home OF
polite vaudeville this season
Earl Flynn and Nettie Mclaughlin |
start the vaudeville ball a-rolling in a
clever swirl of multttudinous dances, |
which act is followed by Ralph SmalIey, |
formerly solo 'cellist OF the Boston Sym
phony Orchestra, in programme so well
selected and so capably rendered as TO
win the enthusiastic approval OF his eu-
dlence. Mr.. Smalley was not only forced
TO play an encore yesterday, but was
called upon to respond to several curtain
calls.
The Four Athletas" also styled on
the programme "a combination of beauty,
grace, and strength" proved to be three
Young women in the inevitable tests of
physical strength, following whom Kellar
Mack and Frank Orth, the Broadway
song writer's and farceurs. richly earned
the enthusiastic applause which they were
in their delightful and highly
composite of drolleries and
songs. Their songs were catchy and
were put over the footlights with a spon-
taneity which won the unstinted ap-
proval OF the audience.
Those Four Entertainers" furnished
a pleasing medley OF songs. proving an
good male quartet, and the
photoplay held the audi
ence even after Miss Barrymores de-
lightful contribution to a bill which
numbers not a dull act In its entirety.
J. C MANI.
CASINO.