The Washington herald., 1916-04-23
Across the New York Footlights
By George Jean Nathan

Richard Bennett. Lolo Fisher. Amelia
Gardner. Robert McWade, Calvin Thorn
as. and Frank Campeau. Mr. Bennett
plays the leading male role as II 1t were
an obituary notice. Miss Fisher is
pleasant in the first act, but evidently
has been so badly directed that her per-
Torrance thereafter amounts merely TO
succession of stifled sobbings and
shoulder hunchings. Miss Gardner Is
satisfactory in role that make few
demands; Mr.. Mcwade is very good as
the second in command at the post; Mr..
Thomas is very bad as the young philan-
derer, and Mr.. Campeau Is a wooden
villain.
"The Correspondent is to be envisaged
upon the platform in the Booth Theater,
It Is as has been implied, crudely
executed business. devoid OF eharacteri-
cation and authentic pulse. The first act
shows US a wealthy New Yorker In the
act Of Turing into mock marriage an in
nocent little country maiden. The scene
Is a room in a rural hotel Even as
the little innocent is about to succumb
to the fellows nefarious plot, the doors
are smashed open and two sleuths in
trude. The latter announce that they
are in the hire of the wealthy rascaPs
wife and that they now have the evil
dence necessary to their client for the
obtaining Of a divorce. Tableau. Pause.
Hush. darling, III fix things up"
whispers the oppulent rogue. He steps
into the corridor. Heroine, In deep dis
tress. looks fixedly at the audience. Then
-decisioni She runs off, reappears with
hat and bag and hurries away from the
place. leaving the deceitful and discon-
solate lurer the center of the stage as
the curtains falls.
Evening Miss Fenwick's.
We next find our heroine in New York.
She has become a newspaper reporter.
The managing editor assigns her to get
the name Of the correspondent in the
celebrated Van Kreel's divorce suit. Lit
tie, Of course, does our heroine suspect
that Van Kreel Is in reality her own hotel
fellow! She goes to the Van Kreel
mansion. She meets Madame Van Kreel.
She sees Herr Van Kreel. She faints.
She revives- Van Kreel says he will
divorce his wife and marry her. She
spurns his offer with a noble hauteur.
More curtain.
The next and last portion finds US
back in the newspaper office. What is
our best heroine to DO? She loves the
handsome managing editor and the
handsome managing editor loves her. But
the handsome managing editor. II he
learns LnaL Sne Is Ine correspondent, Will
Jilt her. Shall she tell? Shall 81 not
tell? Suffice It, at this moment, m
form a probably highly nervous ..,oiic
that everything turns out safely, that
the Van Kreels decide to abandon their
suit and that our heroine marries her
hero. As the heroine, Irene Fenwick
gives a performance that holds an audi
ence in spite Of the material vouchsafed
her by the playmakers. Save for habit
of speaking through her teeth at the
boisterous climaxes, a habit peculiar
also to Doris Keane, Miss Fenwick is a
capable and most engaging young stage
person. Norman Trevor finds little diff
ficuIty in negotiating the managing
editor; Marie Chambers, as Mrs. Van
Kreel, cannot be heard back of the sixth
row, and Harrison Hunter is a fairly
good lurer. The evening Is Miss Fen
wick's.