The Washington herald., 1915-09-28
by JULIA CHANDLER MANI.

! The first American presentation of
! Alfred Sutro's comedy, The Two Nfr-
tues, at the BelasCo Thrater last
! evening carried the double interest of
! a premiere and the return Of r.. II.
Sothern to that field of dramatic er-
| fort in which he first won signal sue
cess. testing his breadth OF comedy
! conception and portrayal as only Il
vehicle saturated with satire. and
! teeming with Subtlety could test it.
! And that admirably describes the
four acts of the SItro piec'. for it is a
quiet ltti" play happily free. from mcIo-
dramatic touches; depending upon tho
lleeness of its satire: the clearness of
! its insight into human nature: the
! edge of its wit 10 carry it to success.
elements which were acccntuated in
its first performance in this country
| last night by Mr.. Sothern and sur
rounding cast singularly gifted in
sending every ounce of its subtle
hum"r across the footlights.
Woman's inhumanity to woman rs
the theme upon which the playwright
has constructed his delicious COmmen-
itary upon feminine nroneness to view
the indisCretions of her sisters with
out charity.
The story is that of a bachelor who
cherishes the memory of the girl who has
Tilted him for another man to the point
Of maudlin scntim"ntality. until his lost
Isabel comes to him 10 ask that h" Us"
his good offices in preventing the con-
tinuanc.. Of h-r husbands visits To - C'I-
tain Mrs tiUildfOrf. upon whom Mr.. Jcr-
voise Griend husband) has been calling
for that inspiration for his poems which
Isabel furnished him while love was Yet
Young.
Jeffrrv Panton. the Tilted lover after
fltilp lInl.rt kpS tlt mission
Tosed uTon him. and is astonished to tind
Mrs. Guildford twho is supposedly outsId"
the social paleI a gentlcwoman of cN-
uuisite personality and gifted student
of history, which latter fact furnishes
Pamton the inspiration for which he has
been seeking through his years of history
writing. sweeping aside the convention"
ne persuadcs Mrs Guildford to become
his Collahorater which hut strs the hor-
nets nest. for the prudisms of Panton 5
sister. Lady Millisan. have been this gen
tlrman'S pet ahOmnatiOn since childhood.
and her sense of prOpriety Is outraged hv
her brothers. indisCretion to an extent
that brings her into his home, accom-
Tanied by Isabel. where she flaunts tn"
gossip that has trailed Mrs GuIidford
like a shadow before that lady in the
pres~nc. of Panton and secures the de
partIrc Of the undesirable collabOrater.
alter having fecelNtu lFOHi iit'F lHt h'tlI-
est POSSIBLE analysis of woman's attitude
toward woman; her heinous crime of un-
charitableness. and commentary upon
the unpardona BILE density and stupidity of
her ,.mincntly respectable prosecutors.
Which brings US to the fourth act of the
play. where Panton realizes that he has
nurSeI for years dead fancy for an i'm
POSSIBLE Young creature as result to
his inherent loyalty. and where he adds
thu final insult to his long line of r.
spectacle ancestors by quantity possess
ng himself Of the full and legal COM
panionship of the one woman int"ll'c-
tually and personally fitted to hold this
position in his life.
left, ry PantOn. as Visualized by Mr.
SOthern. is man whose intellectual pro-
pcnstieS are nicely balanced by keen
wit: deep insight into the motives of his
f,IowS. and an admirable reserve in mat
ters pertaining to his personal affairs.
Sothern'S picture Is at once quaint and
distinctive. painted with a subtle brush
that is kept well within the spirit of the
Play. flashing humorous lights that are
suggested rather than portrayed. and fur
nishing those rare and delicate touches
which have in years past lifted his COM
edy upon so high a scale.
In the more emotional role of Mrs.
Charlotte Walker gives a mag
nificent performance. accentua ting the
OF womanhood: the fineness of
intellect. and the sweetness and courage OF
the pure of heart. employing in her emo
tional moments a technique OF repression
that is admira bic as il is effective and
bringing to her characterization all those