Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-12-08
qAN[luSGK TENTS
New National.

Whether its object be to teach les
son to dress-mad women, to unfold the
heartaches and desperate misery that
lie behind the good things" which
the rich enjoy, or merely to furnlsh
medium for the exhibition OF Versa'iie
talent in two distinguished players
Edward Knoblauch's "dissected tras-
edy," my Lady's Dress" which re-
ceived it's first local presentation at the
New National Theater last evening
must leave its memory with those VINO
think.
The play holds the deep attention OF
the audience. if 1t does not make the
heart lighter with its entertainment
1t makes one think. because 1t SHOWS
and naturally. too-just what this
old world is made Of in the way Vi
humanity And it offers splendid OPP
portunity for versatile Characterization
and acting to both Miss Mary Boland.
who has heretofore been seen mere
only in daintier comedy, and Mr.. Leon
Quartermaine, who, overcoming some
serious obstacles, shows marked aplilty
as an actor.
John. a young husband who is try
ing to win a competency for his VIE
and babies. eagerly desires a position
which lies within the giving OF a GER
tain Sir Charles. Anne, the wife, loves
her husband, but she is CARRYING on
studied Irritation with Sir Charles to
win his favor for the husband, and to
this end she has purchased very
costly and very beautiful dress with
which to make an impression. Jonn
upbraids her and they part In TIN,
he for his room, while she curls her,
self up on a couch in her boudoir and
falls asleep.
What she dreams in her brief sleep
of thirty minutes makes seven scenes
or rather seven brief acts of the play,
each of which introduces to the au-
dience some phase CONCERNED in secur-
ing the material for the dress and its
completion.
These seven scenes are virtually made
up of six tense tragedies in human
life and one sprightly comedy. They
begin with the silk worms in peas
ants house in Italy. where PEG ana
Nina are using every endeavor to make
marry. Their efforts all go for naught.
probably because La Grisa. a rival
lover. with whom Nina has trified for
the presents he gave her, in revenge,
while they are on getting married;
opens the windows to chill and to kill
the silk worms. The next scene is a
workroom in France, where Annette
has stayed up all night to finish piece
of silk that her poor consumptive hus-
band, Nicolas, maye have milk and that
the rent may be paid. Her work is
failure, but the substitution of that of
the drunken Joanny through his gen
erous sacrifice furnishes the climax to
the scene.
The next scene is laid in a Dutch
garden, whittier flies the young Antje
from her determined father and the
sutton, Mynheer Cornelis. whom he
wishes her to marry. This is the scene
supposed to adorn the dress" al
though nothing in the play but sug-
gestion indicates it. 1t is the one
bright spot in the play. however. Then
humpback girl in. Whitechapel, whose
hands fashion the roses with which
the dress is adorned. and who lets an
old bag cut off and sell her beautiful
the world. to give her friend Liza a
"slap-up" wedding, because she her
self is finally convinced that the world
holds no Prince Charming for her and
her only place is back at the home"
Then comes the fur that enters into
the trimmings of 1.-The Dress and with 1t
one of the best acted and tensest scenes
of the play. which discloses the dainty
and refined Miss Boland as a sodden,
primitive woman, who casts off her hus-
band because he is intellectual" and she
cannot understand him, to take UP with
a man like herself, depraved creature
of the commonesa clay, role in which
Mr.. S. ]. Warrington. perhaps. rivaled
&c. iiiiS IL MS She1I siSteA isSltloii
The final scene Of the dream shows
the interior of the business place of the
famous Jacqueln, a MN caterer to fem
mime vanity, and with it the first glimpse
of the lecherous old Sir Charles and an
array of gowns Of exquisite daring and
fashion presented for exhibition by posing
models, one of whom. Anita Miss Bo-
lard), kills the coxcomb Jacquelin, who
snubs even the nobility in his vanity
for attempting to take advantage of her
and of belittling the illness of her
mother.
From this nightmare Anne awakes, her
perspective of life changed, and the cur
tain falls upon the satisfactory settlement
of the problem that wrought the dream.
In these many opportunities offered her
Miss Boland reveals her splendid talent
in Characterization, and the same is true
of Mr.. Quartermaine. Other fine imper--
sonations are presented by S. j. Warming