The Washington times., 1916-02-01
BELASCO.
He CORRESPONDENT

Nv" BldN III lO'l awe "''''
was produced by Il. A. Wen,
at the Belasco last might after
preliminary tryout In Stamford, may
not be the most perfect play on the
stage today, but practically the whole
audience enjoyed II hugely
Because OF this the maiden legitimate
enort OF Miss Rita weiman, and Mrs.
Alice Leal Pollock, several hundred un-
sophisticated people. who know little
or nothing about newspaper life, and
less about why they are pleased or dis
pleased rightly passed a most enjoyable
evening.
There Is not the slightest doubt but
mat the story of the young girl who
was drawn into a divorce case through
an indiscretion. and who afterward was
enabled TO get hack at the man through
trick Of fate which put her on news
paper and assigned her to the divorce
case TO which she was un~ittingly a
party, Is intensely gripping
1t has as 4 basis the perhaps lament
able but funda amcntal race character
istic-the desire to get even-to square
oneself with the villain.
Therefore, despite certain amount OF
inadequaCy on the part OF almost every
one in the cast but Miss Emily Ann
Wellman. who gives a promising and
pleasing delineation in tho leading role
the play was we'll received. And viii
probably continue to be well received
There Is nothing so ritally wrong about
1t so as to make an operation fatal.
Anne Gray was Just a little girl who
lived way out West with some sort OF
a mythical elder person. in a little, one
horse town. One day Langdon Van
kreel. wealthy New Yorker. came
along in his touring car. fell In love
with her. and In a manner entirely con
sistent with his selfish and worthless
manner Of living for tho purpose of con-
summatinE his own desires only. per
suaded her to clone with him. represent.
ing himself as a Bob Gordon.
AssistnR him in his plan to perform
mock marriage was friend. Anthony
Morrell. who posed as a Judge in order
that he might perform A civil cere-
morr.
But Mrs Lanedon Van Creel. Of New
York. desirous Of obtaining direct Cvi-
dencc Of the inhdelitv OF her husband
had put a detective or two on his trail
and At the end OF the first act. Just rs
the mock ceremony was about to be
concluded IN the little hotel at tho Juno.
tion. they materiaize.
Poor little Anne GRAY finds that BOB
Gordon Is not Bob Gordon at all. that
he has fooled her completely. and that
he is already married man. While he
(eeNes the room to buy the detectives
on she disappears. hops a train bound
for New York. and disappears entirely
from the kon of Van Crcel.
Tho next act onens ono wear later In
New York; where she had obtained a
situation on newspaper. One OF the
inconsistent things about tho play Is
that she doesn't find out what Rob Cor
don's real name Is. But IT might SO
hanpcn
She has made a success and gained
not only tho admiration but the love OF
the nauari ~ editor. lie sends her out
on big divorce case. which turns out
to h" tn" Nerv one In which she has
been named as a correspondent
She even goes to the home OF the Van
CrceIs ,act IvO and faces Mrs. Van
Creel before she discovers that Sho Is
tn" Anne Gray who is party to the suit.
\ quick scene follows into which Van
trCel himself IL soon projected. only
then docs she discover that she is the
cores spondent. and that this Van Crcel
is her Bob Gordon.
She leaves after a stormy moment.
vowlnS TO fight both Of them. Act four
shows the newspaper offices at mid
night OF the same day. with the man
aging editor waiting for Annes reap
pearanCe. He locates her At last and
succeeds in coaXing her back to the
office, where the trouble IL stralghten-
cd out TO the satisfaction OF almost
eNerY one
Rockciffe Fellows PLAYS the part Of
Van treel, with a mOdiCum OF success.
Ramsey Wallace. Joseph Gillow. Nor
gan Conan. IIalett Thompson. Marie
Chambers. Winifred Harris Suzanne
villa. william Melville. Elmer Red
mond, Arthur FenVaN. Edward DUN
hrille, and Foster Coates are other
members OF the cast. F. y.