Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-01-11
New National.

A pretty story told in stage form and
animated by the brisk and charming
mentality of Mrs. Fiske- constitutes the
first offering that Washington has seen
from the offices of the new theatrical
firm, Corey Williams-Riter. Inc. Mrs.
Fiske is one of the few players who
preserve definite literary interest in
their stage presentation She loves to
go afieid in search of talent and ma :
terial, and proceeds with confidence be-
cause of the knowledge, born of ex-
perience that she will be able to make
the role she decides on for her own use
so forceful in interest that it will hold
the admirng attention of an audience
for the evening.
Her play. "Erstwhle Susan" at the
New National this week, finds her in a
new type of Characterization related to
the other portraits in her art gallery
only so far az it brings to view a wom-
an of aggressive mentality struggling
with earnest purpose against adverse
conditions and preserving with all the
gentlest feminine standards.
The cynicism which sparkled through
Mrs. Bumpstead-Leigh. the bitterness
of Becky Sharp. the tragedy of Tess,
are absent from Erstwhile Susan. The
play is from Helen Martins story en-
titled ''Barnabetta. 1t was shaped
into dramatic form by Marian de For
est. The title role is sympathetic Its
attitude is not critical of the faults OF
society. excepting as it protests against
the harshness and tyranny that igno-
rance may WELD and makes an appeal
that the delicate and sensitive nature,
so easily disheartened. may have its
little chance at the sunshine.
1t is a sweet. honest. wholesome idea
presented with rather more dlrectnesS
than is expected in a play for Mrs
Fiske. whose art depends much on
subtle significance. Mrs. Fiske does
not precisely play Erstwhile Susan.
She does better than that. She makes
Erstwhile Susan play Mrs. Fiske.
lending the charm of cultured person
alIty to a character which, as 1T relates
its own history, might easily be inter
preted as pathetic, visionary and alb
surd.
The lady who had been dazzled by
the glare of the footlights so far as to
contemplate an elopement, with an ir-
responsible showman: who, for the
cake of assuming motherly response
bilities over pretty, covering
drudge, entered into the bonds OF
matrimony with the girls father,
and ate with his knife, would have
been Quixotic to a point where a Ger
vantes would be needed to hold it to
level, either of humor or pathos, had
it not been for the note of authority
which the star put into her express
sion.
The characters are such as usually
assemble in the American comedy,
which deals not with typical American
citizenship out with remote and iSo-
lated characters. 1t does not bring to
consciousness any new thoughts or
suggestions concerning our own people
and customs, but invites attention in
spirit of whimsical interest to condi-
lions and people, apart from the gen.
eral life of the country.
The tinsmith, the stage driver. the
hotelkeeper's son, the genial lawyer.
the gawkish country girl, are all pres
ent to convey the impression of rustic
environment. with a group of Menno-
mites lending the distinctive local touch.
The atmosphere they create would be
more genial if it reflected the philoso-
the hard, uncofnpromising greed of mod
crate prosperity, won by rigid selfish
ness. But against this cold background
of organized stupidity and greed the
generous sweetness of Erstwhile Susan
and the affectionate gratitude of her
protege shine out like sunlight on the
snow.
The play sparkles consistently through
out three acts; sometimes with re-
Elected light, since the little pedantic
quotations from the classics in which
Susan INDUCES SO frequently form no
ecant element of the charm which at
taches to Mrs. Fiskes reading.
Erstwhile Susan. although a Parthe-
mia in resolution, wit and charm, meets
in the parsimonous tinsmith an Ingo-
mar who battles all her powers. In the
third act his portrait is shown hanging
on the wall. entwined with crepe. He
has died rather than surrender.
The audience last night was delight
ed with the evenings entertainment,
finding touches of human nature
throughout the cast particularly in the
work of John Cope as the tinsmith,
Robert Stowgill as his suspicious and
ill-natured son and Madeline Delmare
as Barnabetta. J.