The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-04-11

I the lady has TUCKED herself up. comes
the thief-hero, not on love or robbery
| bent, but designing to remain long
enough in the room to compromise the
| lady and thereby provide a safe getaway
| when her official husband has to appre-
bend him for the big robbery he has COM
! mitted in Nice.
At the first performance of Taking
Chances" when all the critics and re-
viewers were present getting the mate
rial and impressions for their notices to
| be printed next day, this act was played
| through without a break. Mr.. Lou Telle-
gen quieted the lady's alarms, and then.
, by his charm of person and conversation
| appealed to her romantic nature and kept
her interested until he could pocket
trinkets to prove his presence in the
lady's chamber to her husband. She even
went SO far as to divide a pint of cham
payne with him.
The published verdict on this scene.
drawn from the first performance, was
that it was risky but amusing and done
in a way to save it from serious offense.
At the second performance there was a
change in the presentation, which was
not expected to be described in the news
papers, as when 1t was made the reviews
in the dailies had already appeared. and
those in the weeklies were already on
the press. 1t was intended to be passed
along by word OF mouth as a lure for
the prurient-minded. who are always
quick to learn Of anything salacious on
the stage.
The change occurred at the point where
the couple had finished the bottle of
champagne. The curtain was lowered and
the audience kept dark. At the foot
lights was displayed an electric sign with
the words. Two Hours Elapse." Then
the curtain rose again. Where there be-
fore had been one empty bottle there
were now four. The lady was sitting up
in her bed in a dishevelled condition.
Then the action went on as before to the
point where the gentleman thief took his
departure in the gray of the morning
The reason for the change was obvious
1t IS by no means sure in the<terrorism
the theatrical managers hold over the re-
viewers that even the changed scene
would have called out any severe con-
demnation in the New York press. 1t is
a fact, though, that the managers of this
play exhibited one thing to the reviewers
for their notice and is giving something
very different to attract the public.
The description of these things that are
now on the New York stage is not set
down for the purpose of moraliZing.
Every reader, with the facts before him,
must do that for himself. 1t would seem,
though that there can be but one conclu-
sion concerning a press and public that
can permit such misuses of SO valuable
an institution as the theater.
Notable Revival.
1t is a joy to turn from the considera-
ton of the worse things of the New York
stage to the contemplation Of so good
and wholesome a play, so well done, as
what we have in the revival Of "Trilby."
When Joseph Brooks announced the I'M
dertaking, the theatrical wiseacres were
positive that this 20-year-olds Paul Pot
ter drama, based on the famous Du
Maurier romance. was too old and too
old-fashioned to attract our up-to-the-
minute public. The instant appreciation
it gained not only from the oldsters who |
renewed their earlier pleasure, but to
the newer generation to whom neither
book nor play was familiar has given |
the pessimistc gentry a severe jolt.
Mr.. Brooks was fortunate in being able |
to secure three artists who had i'm |
portant parts in the original production. |
These were Wilton Lackaye. creator of |
the famous impersonation of Svengali; |
Burr Macintosh. as Taffy, and Leo Di-
trichstein. as Zou Zou. With this back
bone falling off in the roles assigned |
to newcomers might have been allow
able. Instead, the new impersonators
are in every respect up to the standard
of their predecessors. Further than this,
Phyllis Neilson-Terry is the best Trilby
ever seen in New York. Her youth,
beauty and build At her admirably for
the part of the adored model. Besides.
her singing ability makes possible an
innovation which adds picturesQueness to
the play.
This occurs at the end of the act when
the three Englishmen have returned to
Paris to hear the singing of Trilby, now
at the height OF her fame. Formerly
the singing was supplied by a substitute
voice, and for this purpose Trilby was
supposed to be singing on a stage out
of sight of the real audience. In the
to go on the curtain is dropped for a
When it rises again red plush
curtains are shown, and through these
Svengali leads Trilby and then steps
down to the conductors chair in the
orchestra. He leads while Trilby sings
an elaborate selection. and again the
homeler. DO You Remember Sweet
Alice, Ben Bolt?' Miss NeiIson-Terry has
a pleasant and rather snowy voice. which
in connection with her good looks and
the imposing and commanding Svengali
Of Lackaye makes the scene realistic
and impressive. u
From every point OF view the revival
Of 'Trilby'' seems successful. certainly
from the literary and artistic one. Com
ing just now, it has a special value as
showing that the old virtues of the thea
ter still prevail. Clean romance and
dramatic excellence retain their power
to attract in spite Of the managerial
claim. and too frequently exposition, that
the punch" no matter how degraded
t may be. Is the sure and only attrac-
lion for the public today.
Little More Shaw.
Mr.. Arnold DAILY is a persistent and
,ombative chap. He has had a good
many knock-down blows. but always
eems able to get to his feet for another
~. We have read in the newspapers
# legal proceedings instituted to prevent
lis announced revival of You Never Can |:
rell," because Of personal difficulties be-
ween himself and the author which had
ed Mr.. George Bernard Shaw to register
high oath that Mr.. DAILY should never
gain appear in n play of his. This
Gems rather ungrateful of the Anglo
because Mr.. DAILY was mainly
esponsible for the early vogue In Amer
ca Of the Shaw plays which has now
;rown to such great and profitable pro-
'ortions.
Having overcome this legal barrier. the
found himself confronted
With great difficulty in finding a theater. III