The sun., 1916-12-26
HEWITTS GIVE THEIR
ANNUAL XMAS PLAY
Decidedly Homemade Produc-
tiOn. Written by the Wife,
Entitled "L'Art Libre."

Mr.. and Mrs. Edward Ringwood Hew-
1T gave their annual Christmas Day play
yesterday afternoon at their home. 1c7
East Twenty-frat street. IL was a de-
cidedly homemade entertainment as
Mrs. Hewitt had written the lines Of the
play. which was entitled "LArt Libre," a
takeoT on the tendencies Of some of the
so-called artistic people Of to-day. their
free verse and cubist art, and Mr.. Hewitt
worked like a trooper In preparing the
stage properties and settings. The anus
ing skit was acted on a stage which was
placed at one end OF the drawing room.
slightly raised from the floor.
As well as being a homemade produce
tion. II was very much OF a nclghborhood
affair, Rs the participants were children.
some Of them OF the older generation. OF
the Gramcrcy Park section. who are inti-
mate friends Of the family OF Mr.. and
Mrs. Hewitt.
The plot OF the little skit was more
amusing in the acting than In the telling.
Ethei. the heroine. played by Elizabeth
Harrison, daughter by his second mar
riage Of the late Benjamin Harrison. IL
one OF those creatures whose yearning.
earnest soul rebels at what she considers
the frivolities OF her parents. who are
excusably fond OF the gayeties OF life, such
~
parties. She IL in great state of mind
because her parents, who In the cast are
Mr.. and Mrs. BortrGm. played by Miss
Louise Herrick and Lieut.. Carlton Grf-
nth. L. :. A.. OF Governors Island. are
getting ready for a great Shakespearian
ball. in which they are to have important
parts In an animal ballet.
The parents leave their soulful daugh-
ter In order to prepare for the nights
frivolities when there appears on the
scene Ethers lover clifford, played by
Ensign Forest I.iebenow. L. S. ". Wig
orous and manly chap. who has just re-
turned from Alaska very much Injured to
the Arctic climate. simultaneously with
his arrival there appear on the scene a
group Of "souIfuv' friends Of the heroine.
and he is not at all in sympathy with
them.
There Ia a Hindu mystic. played by
Alice Heating. who cavorts about the
stage between her mystic sayings
promising at some time or another TO
tell all these soulful people about the
animals from which they are descended.
one OF the souls recites one OF
Vachel Lindsay's poems, which she
playfully calls THE Kallyope Yell" and
this is accompanied by rude and i'm
promptu music the recitation being
done by Julia Gilbert.
Another one Of the souls" played by
Mrs. Francois Tonetti. Is dressed as a
futurist COW with a black square head.
two red cornucopias for horns and large
white eyes Then the other souls. who
are dressed as animals, all have stunts
10 do. which hugely amused the
audience. In the midst of their per-
formancc there appears Ariel. the spirit
Of freedom ,Eunice SMITH. and to this
parsonage the forlorn sweetheart frees
his mind. with the result that there Is a
grand making up between him and the
heroine, Another set of parents In the
cast. named Mr.. and Mrs. ArsddIc. were
played by Candace Hewitt and her
brother. Ashley Cooper Hewitt.
Other souls were played by +. Talifcrro
Ford, Lucy Hewitt. Llewellyn Grihith,
Ernest Dielman. Philip Broughton and
Abram $. Hewitt. After the perform
ance there was general dancing and light
refreshments were served