The Washington times., 1916-02-01
Plays and Players at Capital
TheaterS This Week
BELASCO.
NHE co.REsPoNpENT.
new play in four acts viii


9TH CORRESPONDENT" a
new play In four acts which
was produced by u. A. Well.
at the Belasco last night 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
EFFORT 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 . most enjoyable
evening.
There is not the slightest doubt but
that the story of the young girl who
was drawn into a divorce case through
an indiscretion. and who afterward was
enabled to get back at the man through
trick Of fate which put her on a news
paper and assigned her to the divorce
case TO which she was unwittinEly a
party, Is Intensely gripping.
II has as a basis the perhaps lament
able but fundamental race character
istic-the desire to get even-to square
oneself with the villain.
lnadequacy on the part OF almost every
one In the cast but Miss Emily Ann
Weilman who gives a promising and
pleasing delineation In the leading role,
the play was we'll received. And will
probably continue to be well received.
There Is nothing so vitally wrong about
II 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. a 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 the purpose OF con-
summatinE his own desires only. per-
suaded her to elope with him. represent
ing himself as a Bob Gordon.
AssistinR him in his plan to perform
mock marriage was a friend. Anthony
MorTell, who posed as a Judge In order
that he might perform a civil cere-
monY.
But Mrs. LanEdon Van Creel Of New
York. desirous Of obtaining direct evil
dence Of the inhdelltv OF her husband.
had put detective or two on his trail.
and and At the end Of the frst eSt, lust as as
concluded In the little hotel at the June
tion. they matertalize.
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
leaves the room TO buy the detectives
on she disappears hCps a train bound
for New York. and disappears entirely
from the ken OF Van Creel
The next act opens one year later In
New York. where she had obtained a
situation on newspaper One Of the
inconsistent things about the play Is
that she doesn't And out what Bob Cor
don's real name IL. But 1t might so
happen.
She has made a success and gained
not only the admiration but the love Of
the manar'"V editor. He sends her out
on big divorce case which turns out
to he the very one in which she has
been named as a correspondent
She even goes to the home OF the Van
Creels (act IV) and faces Mrs. Van
Creel before she discovers that she is
the Anne Gray who is party to the suit
4 quick scene follows into which Van
Crcel himself Is soon projected. only
then does she discover that she is the
correspondent. and that this Van Creel
Is her Bob Gordon.
She leaves after a stormy moment,
vowing 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 Anne's reap
pearance. He locates her at last and
succeeds In coaXinE her back to the
office, where the trouble is straighten-
ed out to the satisfaction OF almost
every one
Rockcliffe Fellows plays the part Of
Van Creel. with a modicum OF success.
Ramsey wallace. Joseph Gillow, Nor
gan Conan. Hallett Thompson. Marie
Chambers, Winifred Harris. Suzanne
villa, william Melville, Elmer Red
mond, Arthur FenWay, Edward Dunn
brille, and Foster Coates are other
members OF the cast F. Y.