The Washington herald., 1915-01-12
"Today" at the Belasco Is
Admirably Acted Tragedy
breaches Powerful Sermon on Wages
of Sin-Edmund Breese Gives
Virile Performance as Injured Hus-
band Ethel Valentine Makes the
Young Wife Perfect Little Beast.
By JULIA CHANDLER MANI.


In their drama of a certain strata OF
human life. its motives and the grim
certainty of its consequences, George
Broadhurst and Abraham Schooner have
stripped their subject of every VestlSe
of glamor, sending the erring woman
who is the central figure OF the story 10
her inevitable doom without stirring the
slightest sympathy in the hearts OF her
auditors in her behalf
Today breaches a powerful sermon
on the wages of sin telling once again
the story of inordinate vanity and self
ishness. Lily the young wife OF Fred
erick Wagner is happy enough when the
tale begins it's unfoldment, for the first
act finds her in her sumptuous home
with every surrounding bearing the ear
mark of her husbands business success
Here are gathered her butterfly friends
who feed on her bounty as long as her
money lasts, and throw her aside like
a sucked orange when she no longer has
the wherewithal to entertain them. Here,
also, under young Wagners roof are
his simple German parents, and to them
as well as to his young wife the son
brings home the story of his desperate
struggle to maintain the purposeless pur-
suits and pleasures OF his spendthrift
wife, who alone of the family gathering,
offers him no comfort in the hour of his
financial distress.
Young Wagner forces his wife to ac-
cept the sacrifice of even her jewels
that he may be fair with his creditors
and they begin life over on simple scale
in a small apartment where the loving
mother does the work and Lily sulks
the long days thrOugh-sulks until
friend of her more prosperous life-MrS.
Garland, plants the seed in the garden
of her young mind from which springs
the ugliest weed life ever grows. Mrs.
Garland shows the girl how very easy
of arrangement is the matter of pretty
frocks and hats, and Lily, listening to
the siren voice of the silken lure, pays
the price for the soft and Clingy things
so precious to her mind, leading her
hypocritical life without detection until
grim fate takes a hand in her affairs
and sends her husband on a straight
path to the detection of the betrayal
of his home and the desecration OF his
love. Follows the final tragic chapter
when the girl pays with her life, and the
sordid tale is ended.
The program bills this melodrama |
which had its first Washington presen- /;
tation at the Belasco Theater last night |
as "a vital, vivid drama of New York !
life" which accurately describes the /
piece, save in its confinement to the !
There are brainless, but
teriy women all over the world; women
whose vanity must be satlated at any
cost. and other women-like the Mrs.
of the observation-disclosures +.
stand ready to gaily point
the path to the easiest way. Nor is
the play bounded by the present for
there is neither age, nor land, nor
people where its central theme has not
been enacted with the same tragic con-
sequences since life began.
trait of the erring young wife entities her
man nature and the relentless verify
with which the theme is handled Broad
hurst touches are much in evidence. The
story is presented with a directness of
purpose and virility of style, which add
to its realism, in addition to
which it is interpreted by an excellentIy
company of players. headed by
Edmund Breese in the eXacting role of
Frederick Wagner, in which he realizes
the full effect of its tense emotionalism,
a most consistent picture OF
mans reversion to primeval instinct and
action when wounded to the quick in the
matter of his love.
Playing opposite Mr.. Breese, as Lily, is
Miss Ethel Valentine, whose vivid por-
trait of the erring young wife entities
to praise equal to that given Mr.. Breese
as the featured member OF the cast
Miss Valentine has magnetism, clever
ness, a keen sense of dramatic values
and so utterly strips the character she
DOrtrayS of loVable qualities that she
meets her tragic end quite unptied.
In every particular the supporting
is capable. Miss Margaret
Robinson imbuing her characteriza-
ton of Mrs. Garland with subtlety and
wearing her gowns with distinction;
Miss Louise Sydmeth and Bernard i
Reinold furnishing the comedy relief
in their charming portrayals of tie
German parents. and Miss Grace
Throne Coulter playing the part Of
Mrs. Harrington with credit
To-day" is artistically staged by the |