Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-02-18
Belasco.

BelaScO.
In a setting of exquisite beauty Will
liam A. Brady has enveloped Frederick
Arnold Runners tale of the days Of
! he buccaneers, 1.-The Painted Woman,
which was presented for the first time in
Washington at the Belasco Theater last
evening. The large audience, distinctly
representative, showed the deepest i'm
| terest throughout, applauded when it was
proper and talked about it on the way
home.
But it was not alone Of the play they
talked, novel as was it's theme and broad
as were some of it's lines. Contendins
with a romantic drama, or perhaps melo-
drama would be the better word, and
with scenic beauty such as has rarely
been seen in Washington, Florence Reed,
the young daughter of Roland Reed. the
comedian of years ago, rose above them
both i'm the dignity intensity and charm
of her impersonation of Ramona, high
born Spanish girl. who had been made
slave of The Ffrebrand. leader or the
buccaneers She subordinated every
thing else in her conquest of the evening.
Hers was splendid bit of finished ar
tstry, both in action and in the dlf1lcult
dialect which was faithfully maintained
throughout with surprising naturalness.
Notwithstanding the strong melodra-
matte current that seemed to force her
resistlessly with it's tide to rant and
buster, not once did she lose her con-
ception of her role and her best work
was characterized by the repression or
the true artist that conveys the deepest
intensity. If there were times when
delicately balanced sense OF propr1ety
might be disturbed, it was the wonderful
work of this young woman that restored
the equilibrium and made the wretched
Ramona. chastened with suffering and
purified with genuine love, a something TO
pity if not to love.
Ramona had been brought two years
before by her father from Barcelona to
the new world. where he had been sent as
governor of the crown. The ship had
been attacked by buccaneers and he had
been slashed with the sword and thrown
overheard, while She young, innocent.
hopeful and with high anticipation OF the
joys to be found in the new land. had
been appropriated by The Firebrand as
his slave. At this time she meets a young
Puritan who has come with his ship to
Port Royal, Jamaica, to trade. They fall
in love and as he is leaving her he is
shot by one of the buccaneers. She hides
him and nurses him back to life, glori- |
fled with her new love. which, as She
says she feels has washed all her sins
away. The Firebrand returns. discovers
the truth. but Is killed by a slave OF
Ramona. The buccaneers seize and are
about to hang the young Puritan and the
captain of his ship for the murder, when
Ramona. who has been sold to Portu-
guese Joe, who has pursued her relentless |
ly, restrained only by his fear of The
Firebrand, declares she killed the latter. |
Her sale to Portuguese Joe saves her
from hanging for a worse fate. which |
she averts by threatening to kill Joe
"some day. some night, some time" when
he is off his guard. He then beats her
and offers her for sale at auction. The
young Puritan buys her and the curtain
falls.
1t is in telling her simple story to her
lover, after he has repulsed her with
horror as '.The Painted Woman and in
her scee nwith Portuguese Joe, that Miss
Reed best establishes her claim a
dramatic star of brilliant luster although
she is none the less effective in her light
er moments and in several scenes with
The Frebrand
The beauty of the scenery and the bril-
themselves to make the play live. That
it has structural defects cannot be ques-
toned. and that it's lines at times have a
coarseness and liberty that jar upon po-
lite as we'll as pious ears is equally ffue.
Its biggest, finest climax is at the close
of the second act. when both lover and
The Firebrand meet. 1t possesses nothing
in motive or moral beyond the fact that
it Is deeplf interesting and entertaining, to
commend 1t, save, perhaps. its brilliant
opportunities to disclose Miss Reeds real
worth as actress whose work will |
place her in the brightest lights of her !
profession.
impressive Firebrand, Godfrey Stein a |
realistic POrtugee of the type intended, |
and Charles Waldron an interesting and |
adequate Puritan lover. Louise Evarts |
makes Splendid use of her opportunities |
as Lucia, a slave girl, and the remainder |
OF the long cast lend color and atmos- |
phere to remarkable play.