Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-22
SHALL A WIFE DARE
WHAT A HUSBAND DOES?
Problem of Mems Neglect and Decep-
ton of Wives Theme of"The Revolt"
A Play That Gets Across"

waiting wifc-a wife waiting late in the
night for the husband to return-who, loving
dcludes herself into believing her husoands
excuses and untruths and who, caring for the
home and child, is stinted by meagre all
lowance, makes over old dresses and bears
negligence patiently. a wife tortured with sus-
picions narrowed with jealousy still devoted
and meek and silent, A pathetic fgure-a too
common figure in life. Her counterpart is to
be found in the little frame dwellings of every
town. in the drab rookeries of every hive, like
city apartment house.
1t has remained for Edward Locke to present
this pteous human drama in such a popular
way as to express and bring home the injus-
tice of the double standard Of morals in the
marriage relation in "The Revolt which
opened at the Adelphi last night. One might
say it remained. through the vehicle of Mr..
Locke's play. for Helen Ware to present the
heart tragedy of too many wives
THE Revolt as a play has excellent quail
tiles. 1t transplants complications and phases
of actual life to the stage. 1t carries its allie
CORY convincingly. 1t is play that must seri-
ously do good. While it throws before its
audience. in the second act the meretricious
elegance and luxury Of vicious living, main
tained by self-righteous, self-justifying men,
The Revolt" is clean and salutary. 1t is an
American play, dealing with familiar domestic.
conditions. 1t is effective a play on its
theme as was the antiseptic, much-eXplolted
drama of Brieux another.
Anna Stephens, the wife, has waited for her
husband night after night for seven years.
There was only honeymoon year Of happiness.
John, the husband acted by Alphonz Either
spends his evenings many husbands do. and
while he tells his wife he works at the Office
minges in the company of a certain kind of
emancIpated women. To them he gives his
money. A tribute must be paid to Miss Ware
as an actress. Unaffected by the tricks of the
stage, intellectual in her Interpretation, her
acting has the simplicity OF really great talent
One is never conscious Of the actress you see
only the wife. Such a portrayal is art.
Assured of her husbands inhdelity by her
schemng, villainous, whsky-addicted step
mother. who urges her to the life which, If It
costs men money, brings money to women
Anna confronts John with evidence Of his mis-
diongs in a letter received from a woman. The
long pent-up passion of years bursts forth, and
Anna rushes forth to the life Of freedom en-
joyed by the husband while her precpitate
fight after midnight in the morning from the
dingy fiat in Brooklyn to the swell apart
ment of Flora La Rose. formerly Lima Schmidt,
her old school chum, on Riverside drive, raises
excused by the claim of dramatic eXigencIes
Most women would wait till morning and, II
they loved their child prodriously as Anna
did would take their child with them.
In striking contrast to the mean home Of the
decent wife, the second act faunts the allure
and horror-of the luxurious home Of the ahan-
doned woman. Beth Franklin, as La Rose is
shockingy true to life, Just almost hate to
make her acquaintance in public. \ night or
rather very early morning, revel takes place,
and Anna Stephens radtantly clothed in a
Partisan gown of rose satin and spangIed sill
Yer, is wooed by an intoxicated admrer. She
drinks champagne, sings, smokes cigarettes
finally breaks down and weeps, There is a
struggle. for the indomitable honesty and purity
OF Annals nature recoil from the abyss. At
the crucial hour Anna is rescued by one Of the
anonymous visitors, and is about 10 flee when
a telephone message informs her OF the serious
| illness of her child.
over the bed of the child believed to be dy-
ing. the husband, confronted with the folly OF