The Washington herald., 1913-02-04
HT IIfI[|LE ![[H1 KI[IRlzS
THE NATIONAL.
May Irwin in .swidow by Proxy.

| may I" 1uO" Dy ffOAys
May Irwin has found an exceptionally
entertaining vehicle for the exploitation
Of her wholesomely satisfying brand Of
humor In Widow by Proxy" a three
act farce-comedy from the pen OF Cath
crime Chisholm Gushing, presented by the
Leibler Company at the National last
night.
Miss Gushing, who achieved fame as
| the author Of that remarkably clever
| exposition of feministic philosophy. THE
Real Thing" departs from anything that
tinges even of the semi-serIous IN
widow by Proxy" She has written a
comedy that constantly borders and in
several instances becomes pure farce.
and one that proves an admirable gloom
dlspeller. primarily and principally be-
cause of the constant presence OF tho
ever-Clever. ioyously cffuIgcnt Miss Ir-
win
Miss Gushing finds a little difficulty in
getting her star started on the road TO
and its attending hu-
morous compllcatlons-the greater part
of the first act being devoted to that end.
with more explanation than actlon-but
once started on her widowed way May
Irwin furnishes fun in wholesale guam
tity. In the second act Miss Cushing
might well eliminate the Introduction OF
the dressmaker. whose almost FTencn
phrases are not in especially good tasta
and whose presence is a somewhat Jar
ring note in the action. However, one
glimpse of tip irresistible Irwin smile
the dressmaker is forgotten. and things
move merrilY
The story concerns one bundle of tol-
lily, Gloria Grey otherwise Miss 4ryyinl.
who decides that she will impersonate
Dolores Pennington and thereby annex
some OF the coin of the realm which
Dolores late husband has left to her I'm
conjunction with her brother-in-law,
Capt Pennington. L. S. N Dolores has
no especial regard for the Pennington
family. they being of old New England
stock dating back about Mayfiower time,
and the two antique aunts particularly
being her pet denominations, but Gloria
didn't know them. and besides she want
ed Dolores to have the money. So you
can imagine what happens
The captain and his lawyer, Galloway.
come TO call on Mrs. Pennington, and
Gloria receives them as the widow An
amusing scene ensues as she racks her
brain for the proper answers to the nU-
merous questions the gallant captain
Is putting to her. She extricates herself
neatly, and accepts an invitation to
Visit remington manor, where dwell the |
auntS- Already she begins to feel an |
attachment for the captain. and. of
course Dolores needs the money. |
The second act finds the real Gloria as
Dolores and the real Dolores as ,Iloria !
making themselves at home midst the |
Penningtons. but only after mfrtb. |
tuI encounter during which the widow
ny proxy describes certain connections. |
pf noble birth, which exists only in her |
Imagination, and which completely over. |
whelm the maidenly Pcnningtons. Gloria |
and Dolores Immediately become honorcd |
guests. and all is going nicely until the 1
captain announces that he could never
love woman who had deceived him. OF |
course, that makes Gloria feel, oh, so |
J"yfui. and then as kind Of climax |
capper the captain receives orders 70 re
port for sea duty immediately.
II" loses no time in proposing. hut |
Gloria holds him OF. fearing to tell
MIN that she is not what she seems |
Just at this time comes the further |
cheering announcement that the hus- |
band Of the real Mrs. Pennington-"our
husband" as Miss Irwin calls him-is |
alive and will shortly make his appear- I
ance at the ancestral hall. Gloria in
dulges in one of our best funmaking |
faints. ~but recovers in time to see all |
complications Strengthened out and en-
JOY the knowledge that she is shortly |
to be Mrs. Capt. Pennington.
Miss lrwin's Gloria Grey is simply Miss
Irwin. and why say more? She is the
of jolltty. radiatlng good
humor, and just for the sake of old
times. makes the best of an opportune
moment in the second act to sing three
songs. which last night were received
with every indication Of keen enjoyment.
OF the supporting company. Orlando
DAILY meets the slight demands made up
on him as Capt. Pennington capably
ClaNa Blandick makes an effective foil
for Miss Irwin as Dolores Pennington. and
Frances Gaunt and Helen Weathersby
are typical farce creations as the antique
aunts aforementioned. Arthur Bower
contributes good bit as Robbins. while
Joseph WOodburn capably rids himself
of sUrfeit of eXpletives as Galloway.
Lynn Pratt. wearing a pink and white
make-un, Ia Will Danforth, Is the
Jonathan Pennington.