Evening star., 1914-11-10
Columbia.

The Beautiful Adventure "a FS,rls-
imported play. buoyantly audacious.
but as clean as a breeze-made de-
lishtful first impression at the Colum-
bia last night.
The play, of course. is always tine
thing but the audience that crowded
the theater to its doors was obviously
so dominate by the ideal youthfulness
of Ann Murdoch and the lavender
sweet charm of Mrs Whihen.-the 10,
day. and yesterday of the American
staee-and by the refreshing natural
ness. of every member of the cast, q
perfection developed by months OF u
successful run in New York. that the
performance, somehow overlooked the
limitations of ordinary play acting
and took on that human quality one
calls the real thing.
After all the ability to bring out such
a combination of excellence, is one of the
best tributes one can pay to the French
dramatists who have provided Wash
ington with one of the most captivat-
ing comedies seen here this season. IL
goes without saying that 4 French
comedy must have it's flavor of the for
bidden-for the same reason, doubtless,
that Il French sauce is given It's
piquant tang. but the present adapta-
tiou has so disguised the taste OF
original suggeStivenesS that Amerl-
can-made morals get only the humor,
the epigrammatic snaps, the gusts OF
laughter and the touches of tenderness
which an audience always feels for in
nocently joyous youth and for loVable
old age.
The plot has for it's heroine, Helene
DE Trevillac, who is about to marry a
somewhat elderly man, selected by her
aunt. The almost bride, a vision oil
,,irHsh loveliness in the snowwhite OF
wedding gown, veil and orange bios
SONS, is suddenly confronted by the
man she loves and who has been es-
trInged from through the trlckery OF
her aunt. With the bridegroom wait
ing. the bells ringing out wedding
chimes and the guests arrived, Helene
and her lover elope-ln the BRIDE
,roora's automobile-andg go to Helene's
cot cage, where she had intended to
spead her honeymoon, and where An
,ir re-would leave her until their mar
ria ,se could take place.
This plan is interfered with by the
arrival of Helene's grandmother. who
cones to welcome the couple and who,
Tor that evening, supposes them to be
the bridal pair. There is 4 succession
of emba rrassing situations due TO this
mistake, which, in one instance, takes
the shape of advice from the dear
granny as to the duties entailed by
marriage. The situation was ridiculous,
but the tenderly wise counsel was
given with such loving earnestneSS that
the youngsters forgot their embarrass-
ment and the audience changed its
chuckles TO sympathetic applause.
Ann MuruOCh htleHe was youth ana
innocence personified, and with the joy
Gus mischief of the runaway in search
of the beautiful adventure her legiti-
mate bridegroom could not provide,
was womanliness as sweet as
"granny's' own. AS Mrs. Whiffien, in
the. latter role. stepped on the stage
in her old-timey bonnet strings. be-
fringed brocade, lace mitts and cameo
pin, she had every appearance of hav-
ing stepped out of Godey's Magazine
il one be old enough to remember the
dear, sweet ladies of that old-timey
publication. And no girl on earth could
ask for sweeter or more loyal grand
mother, on the stage or off. Ernest
Lawford was humorously objections bic
as the Tilted bridegroom, and equally
delightful as the afterward friend
Edward Fielding was a manly and ten
der-hearted uncle" and no one could
possibly have been cutter. in turn, boss
and servant. than the Jeantine of Mar
celia Esmonde. Altogether, it was a
beautiful play