The Washington times., 1913-10-21
Julia Murdock Has Nothing But Praise
For Elsie Ferguson's Latest Play
"The Strange Woman" She De-
cIares, Is Best Vehicle in
Which Star Has Appeared.

~ ELPHI, Iowa, Is a town which
you probably won't find on any
map. I haven't looked for 1t.
but think the only place 1t ex-
lists is in the brain Of William Hurlbut
dramatist. and on the stage of the Ma
tional Theater this week.
But Delphi is plain little medium
sized town filled with plain little medi-
um-sized people-very much like any
small town in the Middle West Of today.
Into the midst of their hum-drum daily
lives. into the midst of their petty quar-
rels and gossipings and backoiting
comes a strange woman-indeed, MI
Hurlbut has thought her so strange
that he has named his latest play for
her The Strange Woman" and,
through a merciful dispensation he has
selected for the title role the one woman
best suited TO portray the role-Miss
Elsie Ferguson.
Before I go any further. let me say
that The Strange Woman" Is success.
1t is the first big play Washington has
had this season excepting. Of course
Fine Feathers" which was not pro-
duction Of the present season.. 1t Is big
in all that goes to make up big play
and. above all, acting. 1t surpasses the
authors other success, The Fighting
Hope" in which Miss Blanche Bates
, appeared some years back. Ill that II
takes every string Of the human emo
tions and plays upon 1t with a master.
hand, leaving the audience spellbound
at the melody produced, thrilled at the
multifold sensations through which II
has passed. pleased at the logical, but
not altogether happy ending OF the play
Al, ,x-tth fhn
The characters of the Inhabitants of
the little h,de-bound town of Delphi,
Iowa, are all sketched with the hand
of a dramatist who Is familiar with his
people. who has thought as they
| thought and who has felt as they felt.
Mr. Hurlbut first shows you half a
dozen OF Delphis leading citizens.
There is Walter Hemingway. the Don
Juan OF the village. carrying on intri-
| CUES with a married. woman and grass
| widow and neglecting his pitifully plain
wife; there are the MacMasters. the
husband henpecked. the wife flirting
with Hemingway: there is Cora Whit
man, the village belle. and May Arm
strong the grass widow. Lastly. there
Is Mrs. Hemingway, mother to John
Hemingway. who has Just returned
| from Paris bringing with him his
fancee. Mile. Inez de Pierrefond. d.
| vorcee the strange woman
| And Mile. de Pierrefond is strange to
Delphi. They cannot understand her
| manner. they cannot fathom her ideas
| they cannot but envy her clothes
Therefore, they hate and ostracize her
1t is in the working out of his plot. In
showing how the strange woman
| takes hold OF the elements of Delphic
| life and fashion them to her own ends
that the dramatist finds the greater part
| of his drama and comedy. The speech
| OF denunciation in which Mile. de Pierre
| fond reveals to each member of the
| sextette the fact that they are far from
living the Christian morality and char.
ity which they have ben preaching al
her is one OF the best written and besi
| delivered bits of Its kind l have ever
| had the pleasure Of listening to. II Is
| masterfully written and beautifully read
| BY Miss Ferguson who rises to emo