The Washington herald., 1915-10-03
Grace George Resppears.


of the season.
Grace George Reappears.
| At last we have a really bright Amer
I lean comedy played in refined and real
comedy fashion. The New York Idea
/ by Langdon Mitchell, was done almost
a decade ago with Mrs. Fiske at the
| head of the cast. but the play has been
somewhat changed and an entirely diff
| ferent company gives the revival al
most the novelty of a new piece.
! II brings back Grace George to the
New York stage. She returns in the
dual capacity of star and lady manager
of The Playhouse, which she promises
| to conduct this season as repertory
theater. with frequent changes of bill.
| The New York Idea" is rather extrav
agant comedy. pushing the possible
complications of divorce it is prac-
ticed in New York society almost to the
| verge of farce. No American artist Of
our time has shown such marked and
continuous improvement as Grace
George. She is today our most finished
comedienne. From the moment that
she abandoned the emotional school to
| take up comedy, practically every new
| role has marked an advance in her
art. Time has no effect on her personal
charm. and. in fact, seems only to
| smooth down the rough spots and add
gentleness and sweetness to her looks
and speech.
The star has not been afraid to sur
round herself with what is in the main
an excellent support Slight changes
in minor characters might improve the
atmosphere of the supposedly aristo-
cratic New York house in which the
principal action takes place. but in the
more important parts there is little
opportunity TO find fault. An especially
delightful impersonation is the Vida
Phillimore of Mary Nash. one of the
young Nash sisters. who have scor-
ed so tstrongly in a wide range of
parts in different plays Of the last few
seasons. Others in the cast who dis
tinguish themselves are Messrs. Lums
den Hare. Ernest Lawford, and Conway
Tearle.
The successful acting of The New
York Idea augurs we'll for the success
Of the season OF plays at The Play
house. 1t even gives promise of the
esta blishment of what New York has
long missed-a permanently good stock
company. The only trouble is that the
present play will find it SO easy to
make a run that it seems beyond man.
agerial power to take it off to try
something else not so certain.
Tragic Postponement
The new musical piece by Victor
Herbert and Henry Blossom entitled
The Princess Pat was to have had
its first New York performance at the
Cort Monday. 1t had already been
thoroughly tried out and polished up
at Atlantic City. and from the reports
of those performances there was little
doubt that it was destined to be sue
cess here.
When first nighters went to the Cort
Monday they found that the opening
had been postponed until Wednesday.
On Sunday evening a young artist In
the company who had the role next in
importance to that of Eleanor Painter.
the prima donna, and who was known !
on the stage as Pearl Palmer. had been
shot and killed by jealous admirer
who killed himself al the same time.
The postponement was announced to |
be on account of the impossibility of
securing an understudy for an important
role at such short notice. It may we'll !
be that the management. recognizing |
that the account of the murder widely |
read in the morning and evening news |
papers would cast a gloom over the |
first audience that might interfere !
with the success of Princess Pat" Ger
tain it is that the thought of the dead |
girl would have been present in every |
mind Good taste as we'll as prudence
made a postponement the only proper
course to follow.