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

N of Elsie Ferguson. who ie
4 \ playing this week at the Ma
tional Theatcr in the new
drama Margaret Schiller" by Hall
Caine' a more mature capable. and
telling Characterization is offered.
hHt THIS Is only as II should be, If all
OF the prophecies concerning the ca
reer or tliis most talented OF our
younger stars be anywhere near
realized
As Margaret Schiller" then. Miss
Ferguson gives us the best OF her
whole career up to the present time,
but 1t is to be regretted that the We
hicle which she has chosen should be
so faulty in construction.
Even the excellence OF Mas Fergu-
sons delineatlon. coupled with two
other strong portraitures, and backed
by supporting cast which, while not
perfect. was not too poor, fail to dis
guise either the tritaness of the dia-
! logue, or the masterful hand OF the
author as II urged the. plot about
from one action TO another.
indeed, the banality Of the dialogue
ana the annoying habit of letting the
Shara"tsrs explain ip 80 many words
what the audience could baVe been
given credit Cor grasping without
them might well have completely
! east.
The story opens with a prologue
which reveals members OF the cabinet
or England on the night that war is
declared with q foreign power
BESIDES placing the time OF the events
which are tc take place. this proloSue
serves to acqJaint the audience with
| several facts necessary TO an under
standing of the play. but which might
we'll have been developed in the play
prCrer and substituted In lieu OF the
rot to tell the audience anything they
did not know, but to repeat that
thought which might be suggested ia
In Act i. three months attor the
declaration OF war, tic home OF one vi
the foreign residents of LondOn II
shown. For thirty years the Schillert
have EeCn reRpected members Of theiI
community. Dr. Schiller is professor
at the London ConscrV atory OF Music
and his sCI Friedrich, Is ono OF the
editors Of the International TELEGRAPH
Agency. When the curtain rises 1t de
velops that curing the three months
that the war has Progressed DR.. Schil
Ter y lrother Paul, has been arrested
triei and condemned 10 prison on Ih'
charge uG ha'i inr aided HE countrYinci
in getting out of Encland. There h,
dicd, and his son Otto and daughte
MargarCt aI, brought to the home o
their aunt and uncle to liVS.
! Their feeling against the governmsn
f. strong. and. blinded by what the.
teel Is an iril sticc. they arc 1S 'inie
L, the flame of espionage. wht0h natCr
: ally follows them after toe death "
thcl- father.
Their uncle loses his position in IN
? ! trntVCTEity. their COUSIN. Friedrich,
dismissed from the llegranh ser. ices
and with their friends. prohibited iron
even meeting T. r"thcr, thtN az, pIac
ticaIlv urTsCncrS.
/ CHANCE gives Margaret Schiller tn
opportunity for which she has lonecd-
the privilege Of entering the nome o
= the prime mimi err who is held morall
responsible by the 1orelHn TeSiu"h'
for tho whole. var.
' She rcprcsen herself a. the Swis
governcss who is expected IN ia honss
= hold, and had II not 'een for the loI
tunate chance when tdiowcI tnt So. -,
inspector who has seen her not an hou
, before in her own home, to be presen
' i'm the same room. when she arrives, ~
would have succeeded in concealins ne
L true identity. -,
, tho detective, the prime minister refuE'
u to believe her Margaret Sch'lier, an
: not until he IL himself certain does ?
! accuse her. She pleads "'hitS. ~
= prime minister, however. "NtIaSts
: pledge that she wa oe 'oyhl 20 ~
and his household. and never see
J. snealx to her relatives again, prom tir
g Tho safetv OF her lovod ones in return.
!, How they approach her, inform her
l, their plans, and reveal to her a pi'
, to xiii the minister-how, in. a desi
TO protect him, she il entansled. In con
:, DIiCations from which she cannot. q
II rape--and how she gives herself as q
sacrifice. constitutes the three remal'
u ing acts. ., ,,..
g Garc In Hughes, as the brother OFT
)" ana Norman Travor as Sir Robert Ter
Is ME the prime minister. give high
N interesting and exceptional characte
iZations. j.,
e II would not do to say that Il
= events of this drama are fsr-tetche
bur often the stranscness OF trut
IS when made into fiction, must h" sol
II ened. Indeed, in this instanCr-it wou
i" have. added to the interest Of the pl'
II for instance, lighter demand HI
been made upon the bullet. which. fir
at an opening door. in the pitch dar
by an excited youth, across WI
-, room. hit lts mark unerrlngly and Ii
ie eH Margaret Schiller. Perhaps IN
very set OF circumstances has lie
duplicated somewhere during the couI
M of human events. but II the proven
stance Is difficult 10 believe. how mu
q harder then. is It to assume that
Is an easy and natural circumstan
when embodied in fictitious drama
...... .. FLORENCE +. HODEIs