The Washington times., 1916-01-18
NATIONAL.

IA '''oi' Ht IsuSot "iA' -
1 \ playing this week at the Ma
tional Theatcr in the new
urana' Margaret Schiller" by Hall
|a!he' more mature. capable. ana
tcilihE Characterization Is offered.
i'"t this Is only as 1t should ne, If all
OF the prophecies csncerniug the ca
reer Or this most talented of our
younger Stars be anywhere near
realized.
AS Margaret Schiller" then. Miss
fergus"n gives us the best OF her
Whole career up to the present time,
put 1t Is to be regretted that the We
hicle which she has chosen should be
so faulty in construction.
S.Nen the excellence OF Mas Fersu-
sons dclineation. courled with two
cther strong portraituTes, and backed
by supporting cast which. while not
perfect. was not too poor. fail to dis
Eulse either the triteness Of the dia-
ingue, or The masterful hand Of the
Huthcr az II urged The plot about
| from Que action 10 another.
-nueed, the banality Of the dialogue
ana the annoying habit of letting the
'hhra"t"is explain in 30 many words
| "hat the audience could DaVe been
given credit Cor grasping without
hlPhl wen nave
'louded the personal efforts of the
cast
The story opens with prologue
| which reveals members Of the Cab!nft
or England on the night that war is
| declared with a foreign power.
| BESIDES placing the time o.; the events
| which are to take place, this prologue
| serves to acqLaint the audience With
| several facts necessary to an under
| stnndmS Of the rlay, but which might
| IGnDI
| prCrer and substituted In lieu Of tEa
| trite dialogue which seemed designed
rot to tell the audience anything they
did not know. but to repeat thai
th"Ight which might lc suggested tc
them b. the action.
In Act |, ihrca-( months aftrr the
declaration cf war. TIC hons, OF one vi
he foreign residsnts of Lordnn u
have ECcn respected members " thciI
community III. Schiller is professor
at tn" L"nGun 'onscrN atory OF Music
ana his sou FIielerich is one OF tn,
editor. Of the international TclrG rapl
Agency. " ben the curtain rLseS it dc
r"logs that curing N" three month
TINT thr war has Trcgr"Sscd DR.. Schl
ler y rOther r&'l. has be- y arrested
trirI and condemned /" prison on TN
ChnrGr ui nv, irr nih"d his cOurtry,nrl
in g"ttir@ "ut Of EnHlnnd. There ~
di"d, Hud il son pit" ard daYGhte
! Nargal,. enc brought to the hUIu" u
thrlr aunt nd unCI" to liVt.
| Their feeling AGAINST TN" gOVernman
j. strong. and. blinded by what the
io"l Is an iIi' stic", th"T ar" - 'int"
/, the ramc of esriora"". VIII ! naiCr
ally luilovS them NiIt toe n"t'h "
Tn,ir uncla loses his rositiou in N
tn,>'IritN, their c"uslH. Eri"or'ca.
Giyrni. .rG DUm tN" l. !, Grn h ~"r' ices
aud with thor friends. prohibited fr"r
ven meeting t. v'.th"I. thtE a., pI a
ticallv urIscncrs.
Chance gives AIurEHrvt Srhil"r IN
ouportunitv for which sh" nHs lonecd
tho privilr." Of entering the hom" q
th" nInu" minI "r who - held moraIl
Responsible lay tho foreign resident
for tho whole. var.
= She rcprs..u herself H. the Swts
povcrnrss who is expected IN ia nous
E hold and had II not cen Tor tn" i"I
rlnoio ChanC" when allow" 're sem
inspnctor who has seen her not an nov
, before in her own home. to b" pres"'l
' in the Same room. when sh" arrives -
would have succeeded in ConceaIlnE IL
= tr,lc identity.
However, regardless Of VI" rroot
, th, detective, the prime ntAiStcr T"tnH'
u to believe her Ma"Ear"i N'H'I'rr' al
: not until he is himself ""rtnin hocs
accuse her. She pleads "mE,
:, DrIrne minister. however "Nti a>t'
nicdRc that she will be loyal TO III
ana his household. and never sc"
!, sneak to her relatives again, Iron ~
: the safety OF her lovod ones IN r"i"T'
;, How they approach her, inform her
|, ,hrlr Dlans, and reveal to h"r q pi
, 70 XIII the minister-how, in a d'st
,r rrotnc, him, she il entanGl"d.in in cor
:, rJiCations from which she cannot g
;, ron,--4nd how she gives herself aS q
- sarrtucc. constitutes the three RENAL
IL img act. , ,,..
+, oar, n Hughes. as the brother or
!" ana Norman Travor as Sir Robert Ter
IS plC the prime minister, civ" high
n 'nterrstng and exceptional rharact
II tt!ons. =,
lie I, would not do to say that L
. events of this drama are far-f"tche
nut often the strangcnoss OF Irul
IS when made into fiction, mn-t y" sol
!, entd Indeed in this instance y W"u
- have added to the interest "f thr III
IT, for instance. q lEh'"r demand n
been made upon the bullet. which, ul
at an opening door. in the ptlch da!
! hy an excited youth, across vi
,o nom. hit its mark uncrrlnglN "nd K!
'e II Margaret Schiller. PerhaNS III
very set OF circumstances mas u"
duplicated somewhere during the @oul
NJ Of human events. but II the proven
stance j. difficult 20 believe. how mu
h harder. then. is 1t to nssum" thht
Is an easy and natural circumStar
whrir embodied in q fictitious drama
Fr.ORFEtt; +. YODEH