Evening star., 1915-12-28
Belasco.

I William Faversham must have been
tgratified at Washingtons valuation of
his latest offering, THE Hawk"
According to program the play Is a
drama of modern French life, but the
human nature compressed in it's three
acts is so independent of boundary lines
and eras that the same passions may
'have had their fling within the expert
ence of any mature member of the
audience which filled the Belasco last
night Also, THE Hawk" might equally
well have been called 1.-The Bird of
Paradise" since a woman's desire for
| fine feathers made of her husband a
bird of prey.
| Compe Dasetta loves his young wife
with devotion which expresses itself
| in. lavish gifts. To meet these demands
| upon his resources he has become a
gambler. and, in reasoning with his
hwife as to his right to fleece his friends.
as his plundering ancestors did in way
back ages, induces her to become his
laccomplice in cheating group of men
at poker-among them a good-na tured,
| lovable American. who can even smile
at being swindled.
| The palmed ace is observed by Rene
/ Tierrache, the woman's admirer. who
wishes to become her lover. He up
braids her for her dishonor, regardless
of the fact that he, himself, is seek
| lllS 10 roo MS 1TlenQ Oh MS Wile-d
somewhat we'll known phase of hu-
man nature-and persuades her to
leave her husband for him. Dasetta,
breaking on their plans, might. in his
first demoniac impulse. have throttled
his wife and her apparent lover. but
leaves them to each other, which was
built to everyday life and therefore
more realistically dramatic. Ten
months later the two come together
again; she to ask for a divorce that
Sb be he ha n
give her up to her new life on condi-
tion that she, in person, make the re-
quest.
With the incentive gone. Dasetta is
no longer the Hawk, but a broken
souled man, degenerated into mental
and physical weakness by the use OF
drugs. To any one familiar with the
effect produced by morphine-whlch he
injects in his wrist when overwrought
with the interview with his wife-the
set, glazed eyes, and a nonchalance
which is almost rakish and entirely
pathetic. marks the climax of realism
in play which. in its reflection to
nature. realism throughout from the
first curtain to the last. To praise
Mr.. Faversham's acting would be mere
ly to tell Washington playgoers what
ever. to the doctrine that each builds
the ladder by which he climbs. one
miSh say-even at the risk of being
an echo-that The Hawk" means for
Mr. FaNerSnam one runS nlSneT Oh the
steps that lead to whatever niche he
may be striving for on the heights of
fame.
AS the daintily intriguing wife, who
trif1es with the honor of an indulgent
husband, and who flies to him Loyalty
when she finds him wrecked by the
misfortune of her own creating. Arleen
Hackett gave an emotional manifesto
tion of a phase of human nature which
is mainly confined to the feminine
gender. Robert Roscoe, former lead
ing man of the Poll players. more than
fulfilled the anticipations of his friends
in a questionable role. to which he
gave the glamour of romance, and A. s.
Byron, as Eric Drakon, the American
who opened up a new and better life to
the man who had cheated him at poker,
was convincing in his Interpretation OF
so fine a role. The entire supporting
company is so excellent that 1t must
| be credited with an important share in
the artistic success of THE Hawk