New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-10-05
SOTHERN COMES
BACK TO COMEDY
Returns After a Years
Absence in Bright
Play at Booth.
"THE TWO VIRTUES"
is BY ALFRED SUTRO
Charlotte Walker, Haidee
Wright and Blanche Yurka
Score-Dialogue Bright.

"The Two Virtues" comedy in four
acts. by Alfred Sutro, at tho Booth The
atre. Presented by the Messrs. Shubert.
TIE CAST
Ie~ery rsn'on Observation-Disclosures. z. r. srlern
CIsu4r Icrfoise l.. or anlo pSF
Mr. GullaforI ...,...... Charlotte Walker
las MiI.sn. sister Of Ietery Psnton -.
Hal'ee NfiFhi
Nj Jor,uise ........... ........ Pauline Wilton
AIiao Fteru ............ ...... Blanche lurkh
boh ...................... a. hut W a..
NHF q '''''NN ''N''
a shade. perchance a shade and
half. grayer. Z. II. Sothern returned
to the stage last night. He had been
absent but q season, which Is not near
long enough even to begin to forget
him. yet his return was something Of
theatrical event. In the first place, the
year that has elapsed since Mr.. Soth-
ern's appearance has witnessed the re-
tirement Of Julia Marlowe. Secondly,
he returned in comedy. which has not
known him for more years than the
followers Of Mr.. Sothern care to see
printed.
The play was "The Two Virtues" by
y
other Of those English things, although
better than most OF them. The Soth-
crn role, while long, at no time gave
the star anything difficult to do. His
was an easy task, and he was happy
and enjoying himself even in the mo-
ments when his assumed perturbation
was greatest. Certainly he had a
right to be happy. for the beauteous
Julia Marlowe looked down on him from
one box. while the daughter OF Edwin
Booth gazed from the other.
The play is high comedy exactly
the kind that it takes an Englishman
TO write. High comedy, as the maya
zines continue to tell us, Is not an &C
complishment Of the American play
wright: in tina; field "the higher the
fewer" is the American slogan. Last
nights comedy, for that matter, was
never high enough to sail over the
heads of the audience.
Briefly, the story concerned Jefery
Panton. bachelor with memories or
Isabella, who had married another. For
solace he takes himself TO history, and
is engaged in a voluminous work. -FOUR
wears after her marriage Isabella calls
upon Jeffery, and one learns that her
poet-husband is seeking inspiration
from one Mrs. GuilGford, woman
with a past and present. Jefery Is
asked TO call upon Mrs. Guildford to
endeavor to persuade her to give up
the poet-husband-and he does so IN
the second act. The author adds a
couple more acts, but there never -
any doubt about the outcome.
But if the play moves slowly. which
il does, the dialogue is as bright as
that heard in any play OF the season
There was a moment in the third act.
in fact. when Mr.. Sutro stood at the
side Of Lewis Carroll.
what do you say to next lnurs-
dav7" inquiries Jefery's aristocrauc
sister.
"What could say TO next Thurs
dav9" snorts JefFery. in great disgust.
What does it expect me to say 70
it?" -, l..
The aristocratic sister. as played by
Vaidoe Wright, was Joy forever
Never before upon New York stage
have so many insulting remarks been
uttered in manner so perfectly that
Of the lady. One could not in the leasT
blame Jefferv when he finally turned
unon the lady and inquired II there
were not some way in which he could
"unbrothcr" himself. some office where
no might swear off an irritating slster.
Charlotte Walker was the notorious
Mrs Guildford, who turned out TO be
neither notorious nor Mrs. Guildford.
II lacking in those things, however, she
was the possessor Of a marvellous MS
,orical library, as well as great
knowledge of what the library, con,
tanned. That was the link that bound
her and Jeffery together, and IN turn
persuaded her to go TO the rooms OF
the bachelor 70 assist with the Voiuh-
inous history.
There. naturally, in the due course OF
the third act, the collaborators were
discovered with heads G. ose ttogetner
by the sister and the. lost lsapeIla'
Whom visitors chose to be suspicious r.
att accusatorv. rather - Jeffery in
formed them that the virtues of woman
are two in number, chastity - ana
charity.
Miss Walker did not quite sugges,
tho historical scholar, but certainly II
Is no part Of the province of Leading
women 10 do so. She was at all times
excellent and scored particularly IN
good scene in the third act. B!anche
Yurka did good work as Alice Exern'
ber comnanion, but Pauline Whltsoh
shaved a tendency to everyday the vac
Ilating Isabella. Orlando DAILY was a
fat poet a violation of all histrionic
nrecedent. Now that the thing has
been done. however, one may hope LOT
even a sideburnless butler.
Mr.. Sothern, Miss Walker and MISS
Wright carry at least ninety-hve per
cent Of the performance, and there
seems TO be an excellent chance of their
carving it to a distinct success. Per,
sone WHO liked "The Clever Ones and
"a Pair Of silk Stockings" and they
were legion, will like THE Two Viz
,vos" eyen better. And even those who
were raised in the George NJ. Conan
school will find plenty to laugh at IN
the play and much to admire in the act
/ 81