The Washington times., 1915-01-26
NATIONAL.

Maude Adams and James NJ. Barrie |
In THE Legend of Leonora" and "The |
Ladies' Shakespeare" laid violent |
hands on the cauial appendages OF
several Of the lions civilization and |
culture have erected in the pathway
OF progress-and an audience that
easily represented both watched the |
process at the National Theater last
evening-and roared. To take some
Of the sacred traditions OF English |
custom and literature and satirically
poke holes in them has heretofore !
been reckoned the private province Of
George Bernard shaw, The author Of
The Little Ministerr Peter Pan"
and Quality Street" seems TO desire
mixed foliage instead of a severely
simple wreath to shade his fevered
brow and he has planned to add few
leaves from the one belonging to Mr..
Shaw and to the late Mr.. Cervantes.
In the pursuit of his object 1t was
should have the assistance of Miss
characters only MISS Adams can
ss nss. ss@ is prodaeton sea vr,y Of tssir srG
newest Joint efforts not only afford.
ed opportunity for some plain and
fancy thinking among those who are
SO inclined. but gave one OF the most
that mas been presented in Washing
ton for many months--probably as
oelghtiul as was ever presented here.
The Legend Of Leonora" is gem
As writer of human things Mr.. Bar
rie naturally turns to the law az a most
inhuman thing upon which to base his
satire. because the law was invented to
he has not been satisfied to reserve the
barbs of his wit solely for the law
woman. social customs generally. and
host Of other things came In for at
ton.
Leonora is a mother Of seven chill
dren. regular human mother. who is
more Interested In her children than
anything else although she Us somewhat
cause. is % elever @'dn dinner 'as guest sc n ae-
lightful dancer and lot Of other things
an accomplished and socially possible
woman should be. She was seated in
q railway carriage on a cold. raw day
with her daughter Mile.
gentleman entered the carriage and
raised the window. Leonora asked him
to lower it because Mile had a cold.
The gentleman refused Leonora asked
him again. just as politely. but this
time very firmly. Again he refused.
And she thereupon pushed him out OF
the window and he was killed. She
was accused OF murder and two acts
Of the play snow the trial Leonora
failed to understand why 80 simple and
natural thing as she mad done should
be treated 80 seriously.
There have been few scenes produced
on the stage so roaringly tarcIcaI-that
is the way they usually descri be farces
as those court scenes. Leonora's
friends went on the witness stand and
calmly perjured themselves In her be-
half. Tney declared Leonora was not
in the railway carriage at the particu-
lar time she was sad to DO ana they
also proved that the man she killed
was alive ana we'll when he was ac-
tually found dead.
Leonora sat calmly knitting in the
prisoners box Or putting in word ~
advice here ana there to the judge. the
jury, the counsel and the witnesses. as
It suited her iancy-tryinE TO convince
them each against the protests of each
that she dlo push the man out OF the
| railway carriage and he did cie as
result. and that 1t was perfectly nat
urai BECAUSE" Mile had a cold" The
CapstOne came to the farce when Leo
nora solicitor and Leonora herself
| went into the jury room with the jury
while they were considering u verdict
and the solicitor Came out with the jury
and took his place in the box as one
OF them to pronounce verdict OF not
guilty! There Is bit OF love story III
tho piece. OF course. but 1t does not in
lIuuc unnecessarily On the satire OF
farce. whichever you've a mind ~ call
The Ladies' Shakespeare Mr.. Bar
rie Is not only careful to explain III
note on the program, but mas Bapusta
frankly tell the audience in person. is
one womans reaoing OF the Notorious
work by William Shakespeare called.
The Tanning OIL the Shrew. There are
three beautiful scenes to the Barrie edi-
tiUE Of "katnerlne and Petruchio, de-
signed by John W. Alexander. president
OF the National Academy OF Design, that
| deserve to rank with the famous Burne-
Jones settings Of the late Henry lrving's
production OF King Arthur"
The story is purely the story OF
Shakespeare. with an Introduction to
each scene which katherine ard Bap-
tista use In taking the audience into
| their confidence to explain tnat It was
not katherine but Petrucnio. who WAS
| text are changed. they announce, ard
Katherine declares the audience must
guess what these are.
Miss Adams, In the two plays. was
| shown in entirely different characters.
that are distinctly Adams creations.
| character that even Mr.. Barrle makes
| q partial apology for 1t In the closing
| speech he gives the judge In which he
states that Leonora is not woman of
| today. But improbable as Leonora
might seem to Mr.. Barrie. and as she
appears on analysis. Miss Adams makes
her not only probable and possible. but
| so convincing that NO one in the audi
| ence, not even the most hardened crust
of law and custom that hides a real
human being. but believed the action Of
the Judge and the jury and OF all
Leonoras friends was precisely the
proper action.
As Katherine. she was whimsical.
naughty. stormy. audacious, and yet al
ways keenly alive to her situation and
mastering It beautifully. As a kaleido-
| scope of feminine foibies she offered a
| perfect picture And as an interpre-
| ter of the ideas of both Barrie and
shakespeare, she gave that sort of per-
formancs which. like the Ideas Of Mr..
Barrie and Mr.. Shakespeare. are SO real
to q many-sided audience that each
| sees what he wants to see and what
delights him to see, and each Is salts
fed.
The supporting company Is we'll chos-
en-. Charles Hammond Is leading man
in "Leonora." and makes an admirable
social lion and lawyer. As Petruch.o
Grant Stewart had difficult part
which he admirably sustained. r. Pey.
ton Carter was excellent as the solici-
tor of Leonora and Baptista In the sec
ond piece The remainder of the COM
pany gave intelligent understanding to
the complications Of both plays. DUAL
ity Street" will be produced by Miss
GARDNER MACK.