The Washington herald., 1915-01-26

Leonora" is like nothing else he has
done. From a purely dramatic stand
point it is frail fabric. telling as it
does the story of a mother who pushed
a man from an express train because
her child had a cold and he refused to
close the window; presenting the
/ adorable qualities OF her womanhood
which made slaves of her friends and
| brought her a verdict of Not Guilty"
| in open court when she frankly and
| insistently admitted the drastic meas
ure she had taken to protect her lit
tie girl But we cannot consider the
piece from a purely dramatic stand
point for it is a fantasy. Leonora her
self is legend. When the human SYM
pathies triumph without shame or
apology over the law of the land. and
the judge of the English court bids
adieu to the fair criminal he says:
You are one of those around whom
legends grow even in their lifetime
This is the sort of thing you might
have done had your little girl had
cold. You are not of today-foolish,
Maynard. unself-conscious, communi-
cative. Leonora. The ladies of today
are different-and wiser. But as we
look longingly at you we see again
in their habit as they lived, those out
of-date, unreasoning, womanish crea-
lures, our mothers and grandmothers,
and other dear ones long ago loved
and lost-and, as if you were the last
woman, Leonora, we bid you hail and
farewell"
The play being. as the program OK
presses it, how Mr.. Barrie puts a sup
posittious case before u.s." the first act
showing us the whimsical little lady as
seven different women all i'm one, the
second how Leonora, the very woman
learns that men and women are very puz-
zling to each other. What is of great i'm
portance to her seems absurd to them
perhaps. because they have made no laws
about it. They do like to make laws
She makes great difficulties for her
friends because she persists in telling the
truth. while her friends tell everything
but the truth in their efforts to save her
The Toveys lie very badly, not being
used to it. Lady Peripety's evasions are
more successful. MI Lebetter not only
lies in mastery. straightforward and
thorough way. but is constantly on the
alert to prompt others less resourcefuI
than himself. Leonora feels everything
going against her. But she is sure that
If they will let her tell the truth the jury
Will recognize mothers right to protect
her young, and it will all come right"
And so it does-in the third act. where
eventually Leonora has her way and ex-
plains all about the cold, which was all
the worse because il was a Sniff "
cold, after which the jury returns. wear
ing her flowers as boutonieres. and proud
ly announce to the delighted court that
she is Not guilty"
The two farcical acts Of the court scene
are saturated with satire, even while they
mere and there touch a tender chord. and
keep the audience quite in sympathy with
the attitude of the court toward the ire
sponsiole offender, who, by the way, ex-
tracts a proposal of marriage from her i
attorney in the very midst of court pro- |
ceedings as another tribute to her charm. |
The piece is charming whimslcality, |
delightfully."- played, not only by Miss
Adams in the title role, but by her sup |
porting company, Arthur Lewis giving a |
splendid portrayal of the Chief Justice. |
while Morton Selten as Sir Roderick Peri |
petty, Charles Hammond as Capt. Rattray,
R. Peyton Carter as Mr.. Toyev. byron ]
Silvers as Mr.. Lebetter, Miss Elsie Clar-l
ems as Lady Peripety, and Lenore Chip
pendale as Mrs. Tovey keep faithfully
within the picture.
THE Legend of Leonora'' closes two
hours Of delightful entertainment around |
10 O'Clock, and the remaining hour OF
the evening Is devoted to the picturesque
VI play, The L
Ladies' Shakespeare" which is a twisted /
version OF THE Tanning OF the Shrew,"
in which the vixenish Katherine wraps
the peppery Petrucio quite around her
little finger. Barrie having turned the
old work upside down by giving the
speeches the Avon Bard intended for the
men TO the women, and vice versa, call
ing 1t "one woman's reading of a noto-
rious work Of William Shakespeare
While the shorter play Is exquisitely
staged and costumed, it does not furnish
Miss Adams as great a chance for that
wonderful display of her sense Of poetry,
Imagery, and humor as does "The Legend
OF Ienora," which is undoubtedly the
most whimsical fantasy and delicious
conceit which has come to US from Bar
RES pen.
Miss Adams will be seen In a revival
Of Quality Street. tomorrow night and
saturday night. and at the Wednesday
and Saturday matinees. while the double
bin presented last evening will be re-
peated at an other performances.