The Washington herald., 1914-10-25
. Repiew of the Past Week
In the New York TheaterS

/ AAAaAuNA1 anu OOelhAAACe- ne llAAg - = VA
misleading, for the pair Of SILK stockings
in question are never seen on the limbs
/ Of their owner, but are used IN an emer-
gency to shackle q supposed burglar.
The risky element Is amplined IN bed
room scene where one of the young worn-
en- gets ready, in full sight Of the audi
ence. to turn in. and In the bedroom con-
versation between her and others OF the
women characters The distinctive fea-
lures of "a Pair Of silk Stockings" are
its ingenious farcical plot its clever dia-
4 logue, the ease OF the English actors Of
both sexes who appear in II, and its faith
fulness In supplying the very English and
very frivolous atmosphere Of a quite nu-
| merous section of British polite society.
Its slang, of the kind employed by Lon
don's upper classes Of the faster sort,
Is brought down to date and will be Of
vast assistance to Americans ambitious to
keep up with London's very latest
"a Pair Of silk Stockings" is well acted
In strictly London fashion, Is properly set
and costumed and should play to the
capacity of the Little Theater for some
weeks to come.
Another InHtItution.
Also Of interest to the advanced class
in things theatrical is the annual opening
Of the Princess, with its policy of CIV
ing short plays, which the young person
Is not invited to witness That policy 10
rather negatived this year by the FIRST bill
which contains very little to shock the
young person, IL any young persons are
left who can be shocked by anything
they see on the stage or to be read in cur
rent literature by anyone OF any age who
has the price OF . popular magazine.
The new bill At the Princess consists,
ss usual, Of five playiets. The first IL
trife consisting Of q talk between q
young Englishman OF title, his young wife
and their footman, in which the topic Of
discussion Is whether the last-named may
be utilized as correspondent in a divorce
case which shall end the strained rela-
tons Of the married couple. Played with
the utmost seriousness, this might be an
effective satire on British mentality in
certain circles; but Mr.. Blinn has pre-
ferTed to give II q farcicAl turn which
destroys Its effectiveness.
Next We have q scene in a tropical AZ
rican forest, with a defaulter dying in
delirium- His Authorizations are visual
lied by the appearance Of members Of
the company in the characters OF those
he has known in his other surroundings.
It Is rather an effective bit and well done.
A revival of THE Cat and the Cherub"
supplies another number. This Is an in
teresting depletion Of a tragedy which
might occur in the life OF San Francisco's
Chinatown when that district was in its
prime and made its own laws and had
its own romances and crimes.
Mr.. BIInn has his chance as an actor in
a new presentation OF Mr.. Henry Arthur
Jones' seventeen-year-old character study,
The Goal" The type pictured is q pros
porous and rugged contractor and engi-
neer, who retains his insistence on hav-
ing his own way in spite Of his very ad
vanced years and the sentence Of death
the doctors have pronounced upon him.
Mr.. Blinn's rendering Of this picturesque
study is another evidence of his versa
tility and command of stage technique.
The most unique and humorous Of the
Princess plays is called Little Face"
and its scene is laid among the cave-dwel-
lers In the year 199. 900 B. c. The set shows
their caves and the characters, men and
women, clad in fur garments, with their
legs bare, scraping bones and smiling
the air for the scent Of approach of
friends or enemies. human or beast. The
dialogue concerns itself largely with mar
riage, and especially with the hard lot Of
a spinster, whom no one Of the opposite
sex has ever chased with the intention Of
carrying her on to his cave TO make her
his wire- Jerred into despair. the spin
ster reverees things. and becomes a pur-
suer of men instead of the pursued. She
introduces a new fashion, and inspires
the jealousy Of the other cave women
by wearing her skirt heightened to the
ankle instead of stopping at the knee.
Her rivals cannot understand why this
innovation excites so much interest and
attraction among the cave men. Its con-
sequences and other stirring events
among the cave people make Little
Face really funny and satirical. It is
the most important item in a bill which
for interest is not up to the standard Of
thrilling and shocking that the Princess |
has created for itself under Mr. Blinn's |
direction as actor-manager.