The Washington times., 1915-10-12
Plays and Players at
the Theaters
BELASCO.

Satire In speech. action and costwn-
ing. impressionistic Ieanings In stage
settings or decor ations." company
thoroughly capable. and two choice bits
OF comedy OF recent French and Shaw
ian vintage made three full hours pasa
quickly at the Belasco last night. whers
the London company headed by Q. J..
Heggie opened a weeks enga cement in
George Bernard Shaw's "Androcles and
the LION and Anatole Frances The
Man Who Married Dumb Wife"
Unique and unusual scenic embellish-
ments, the first Of which was a drab.
almost colorless. curtain, which rose on
a street scene sans any colors except
a striking combination OF black and
white, composed the first step In tho
AUDIENCES journey Of entertainment.
Then followed the one.act French COM
edy Of the Partisan Judge and his dumb
wife, which was filled with q kaleido-
scope Of characters that were eloquent
In expression as an entree or appetizer
for Shaw's tabled tailor. the lion with
other characters In Ave scenes neoes.
sary to tell the story Of prosecuted
Christians who finally almost converted
Caesar himself
as the Judge and Mary Forbes as the
dumb and later the talkative wife. head
large cast which includes Incidental
characters such as watercresshian.
a candle, man. chickweed man.
whom Is bestowed attention because OF
the Ingenious stage decoration" which
Affords simultaneous action on the
street and the judges house; Prom'-
nent In the cast were Charles Dods-'
worth as the surgeon. william Pod
Braham as their companion and Ger
aid Hamer rs the blind piper.
Androc!cs and the lion meet In the
~ ha ilnVle whore the faOled
plucking OF the thorn from the animal Q
paw converted the king Of the jungle
Into as mild a parsonage as the meek
| tailor who removes the thorn. Tho
second scene shows the gates Of Rome
before which the Christians are driven
to make merry later In tho Coliseum be-
fore the ferocious lion. Here are intro
Cuced Fcrrovius. the all powerful giant:
Spintho, the hated sinner; Lavinia. tho
| most sincere Christian of all the mar
| tyrs. and the captain Of Roman guards,
| whose love for Lavinia prompts him to
! encourage her 10 sprinkle little In
cense on the altar and save her skin.
Behind the scenes OF the Coliseum,
| the arena and finally the triumphant
march OF the Androcles and the lion
| after they recognize each other IN tho
arena where Androcles is thrown to
| satisfy the hunger for excitement of
the populace. Shaw's wit never lags.
o. =. Heggie as Androcles was the
embodiment of meekness, ever con-
scious Of the honor OF a tailor, and en-
| deavoring always to demonstrate to
humans the love he bears for dumb
animals. His work with Edward Sill
ward the lion. was excruciatingly funny.
As Fcrrovius Lionel Braham looked
every inch the giant he typified. and
when he killed six gladiators in tho
arena no one blamed Caesar for capitu-
lating and offering him the position Of
| major domo of the Roman guard.
Charles Dodsworth as the bumptious
Centurian was excellent. and Fred Eric
personified quantities Of Shaw's satire
as the Emperor. The remainder Of tho
| large cast met every opportunity ade-
! quately.
Tn. tabled play and the French
comedy progressed without orchestra
ton OF any sort, except the plafntive
l tune OF the blind piper in the curtain
| raiser. the trumpets announcing the
app, zach Of the troops in The Shaw
production and the growl Of the lion.
which was eloquently musical.