The Washington times., 1914-12-26
COLUMBIA.

When one realizes sense Of purity
through hearing a melody that is real
music, reading a book that has the
soul Of literature or seeing a picture
that is honest art, there Is provoked a
feeling that the use OF superlatives in
describing such thing are undigniaed
and that the words better and best are
after all merely qualifications Of the
strongest word Of commendation in the
language-good-the real quality OF
which can never be strained. And one
is also made to feel the want Of re-
serve In the use Of this big word be-
cause Of the application that has not
only been made OF it but OF its more
extravagant qualifers TO things which
only suggest purity without making 10
a reality. 1t is in something like this
spirit that the task Of reviewing the
production, Lady Windermere'S Fam.
by Margaret Anglin and her excellent
company at the Columbia thsater last
night is approached. One of the Gu
riouS things about the Christmas sea-
son Is that We not only try to put the
best 1OOt foremost. IN a manner OF
speakinS-but We do put the best foot
foremost. The spirit Of fellowship and
good will is recognized in a great out
pouring Of honest feeling and only those
with little souls would ever stoop 10 an
attempt to counterfeit it And so II is
Singularly appropriate that at this sea-
son OF the year. and after these sea
sons OF so much dramatic counterfeit,
the theater's Christmas gift to Wash
ington should have been this mas
terpiece of Oscar Wilde's.
1t has been urged that the plays OF
Wilde are written for the understand
ing of the sophisticated and that tbs
broad general appeal is lacking which
a Univ =a1
feet in dramatic literature While this
might be true TO some degree, it Is
nevertheless a fact that to whatever
state of mind Wilde made his appeal
the appeal always reached that partiou-
lar state OF mind with q dehnitness
beyond question And in this, probably
the brOadest in its general effects OF
all his work, there is no denying the
completeness of his workmanship o.
the skill with which ne accomplished it,
The story, as practically all theatsr-
Soers know, concerns a Mrs. Erlynne.
who deserts husband and infant daugh-
ter and remains for twenty years in the
obscurity of what is later politely called
a past She steps forth from that
obscurity for the purpose OF blackmail-
ing the rich husband Of the daughter.
who thinks she is dead. Then she
faces the forgotten fact OF motherhood
in such a way that she casts aside the
self interest which had always DONNA
ted her and is willing to accept oblivion
again. In working out this story to a
conclusion that perfectly satisfies the
demands OF literary and dramatic art
and of the audiences that support them.
Wilde has not felt called upon 70 per
form that quite unnecessary and alto
getker too common task Of modern
dramatists, of rolling all the loose
threads OF his plot into nice compact
ball OF the absolute conclusiveness OF
happy ending where each character
is definitely put in possession of all
the facts known TO the audience and
lets only his audience know all and
they 90 home in the satisfied possession
many or the play people who are most
vitality concerned
Miss Auglin and her comnanv inter.
pref the work of the dramatist in a way
that is almost as satisfying ~ the man
Ter in which the dramatist has inter
preted his plot The star in the part OF
Mrs. Erlyune brings TO her work all
that understanding and delicate tinesss
which are needed for thorough eNposi-
ton Of the text. Florence Carpenters
Lady W!ndermere was in complete har-
mony with the work OF heT principal.
and Sidney GreenStreet possessed him
SELF of all tine opportunities afforded him
in the part OF Lord Augustus Lorton-
The entire cast showed balance and fin
ish. verv necessary requisite in such
a production. The play will be repeateS
tonight and all OF next week. except
Wednesday and Friday NIGHTS and the
Thursday matinee, when Green stock
ings' will be substituted.
GARDNER MACK.