The Washington times., 1915-05-04
Plays and Players at Capital
Theaters This Week
B. F. KEITH'S.

Setting against the primitive argument
Of war the accumulated reason of CIV
ilization, motherhood makes a peace
plea that is powerful. direct and almost
unanswerable in the combination of ex-
quisite acting and tense. drama pre-
sented by Nazimova and company in
War Brides" by Marion Craig Went
worth at keith's this week.
Whether the play that Nazimova pre-
sents Is approached as a drama or bit
or skillfuliy constructed propaganda.
It's Interpretation nevertheless stands
out as one OF the most remarkable ex-
hibltions of the acting art as we'll as
one Of the most convincing and easily
understood combinations of a big idea
with series of dramatic situations that
include most of the greater human emo
tions.
The careful fusing of the spiritual
and the material. which is supposed to
be the highest development or many
OF the arts, the knitting together OF
| picture that gives no clue as to where
the one ends and the other begins,
| seems to be intensified in this comol-
| nation Of artistic players and play.
| power OF the argument that Is pre-
sented by War Brides: IT Is SO
simple. 80 direct, SO unmistakable. IT
| comes as new force ana an entlreiy
new development OF womans part In
war, though 1t is as old as both woman
| and war.
| War Brides" is a protest and an ap-
peal. 1t tells the story Of the war
brides-those women who are being
married by the hundreds in Europe al
the behest of the authorities. in order
that some provision might be made
for the repopulation Of the countries
from which the war will winnow mos,
of the men. 1t places the fact Of the
war bride plainly and uncompromising-
ly before the audience. And then II
shows the remedy for the TACT as a
remedy for all war.
Joan. the heroine OF the play, thor gf
she Is not. In true sense. a wa,
bride. ends her life when news Of heI
soldier husbands death reaches her
rather than become the mother Of q
child that might be educated to he q
soldier and provide more food for thu
slaughter!
The womans point Of view as to wa,
in its entirety is presented badly anc
bluntly at the very start Of the piece
The remedy that Is to be applied II
so unmistakably that II cannot be es
capped. And the combination of tn,
statements of the disease and the cur,
are so artisically interviewer that tn
ganda play that has been presented II
Washington for a generation. 1t ap
proaches real drama.
Nazimova isn't Nazimova in IVA
Brides'-she Is Joan. II one were Z
utilize all the powers Of description an
= analysis the average human being cal
command, there could be found no NOR
completely encompassing statement o
, the actress work than this. The actres
Is the character she assumes in tn
) the slightest artficiality. At no tim
, are any of the artifces OF tho stag
{ apparent She makes the characte
[ of the saddened. maddened woman req
and virile.
8 The women Of the supporting com
!, pany were especially good. Mary Alder
y as the sister of Joan, who refuse
v to be a war bride after she has hear
the arguments OF her sister. and de
gives a Scholarly and thoroughly M
| man performance. Louie Emery. as III
r mother. and Edith Speare. as a ligh
o hearted young war bride. who did nc
realize W hat she was doing. fitted pei
n drawing. Charles Bryant, Willial
II Hasson, and Mr.. Brown provided II
: male roles to the satisfaction OF tf
audience.
d the Woman's Peace Party attended II
performance, and during the intermi
y sion Miss Fola La Toilette made
brief address to the audience, invitir
the women to Join the party.
e The vaudeville bill provided as reli
q from the tensity Of feeling aroused b
>, war Brides" includes a number (
II interesting features. prominent amor
&C which are Dave Schooler and Louis
. Dickinson In musical number: Edd
l. Carr and company in The New Office
4 Boy" the Friedowsky troupe OF Ru
stan singers and dancers. Harry Tigf
e and Babette. Ben Welch. and Grace
= Mar GARDNER MACK.