New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-25

garet Anglin and the estate Of Henry
b. Harris:
Lord lningworth ............. Hohfook Elinn
ST. John Poufefract. .........-. Max Mcnfcsoe
Nffd , AnrSi Hunord. ----..-....... Lionel iape
M. hfiNll- Ivan T. simpson
Archdeacon Daubncy ..........-... Richard Tcmpe
Icfad AFbuthnot. ...... George II GueTe
thQ"iaf ..t.-....-... .....-.. haIph hcnmft
Francis George ThorHe
Lady Hunstanton. ............ Fanny Addison Pft
Lady Caroline rontcfract ...... Marguerite S. John
Lady Siu'ned ,............... AiCe lindshi
MN. Alonty .......................A Annie Nlghos
Hester WoGsey ................... 0,toia Nc,mitl
Aice. ...-... ............ Carolyn Darling
Mn. A1huthnot Margarci Angiin
A yellow primrose by the rivers
brim was a red flag TO Oscar Wilde. He
saw in it unlimited possibilities for
evil-or, rather. for good which was
evil to Wilde. He could demonstrate
that the primrose. by reason of its
very simplicity and innocence. was the
cause of 30 per cent OF the social dis
orders of England. He would not have
believed il himself. of course, nor
would he have expected any one else
to believe il. But while the argument
ragged he would contrive TO keep every
body amused by his utterly illogical.
yet quite unanswerable. reasoning.
Nothing annoyed Wilde so much as a
convention. To read or 10 hear his
plays is TO be convinced that society
Is a myth. that black is white, that
nothing amounts to everything. and
that everything amounts to nothing.
For time il may appear that he Is
endeavoring TO guide one along GER
tain path, but IL is a path impossible
70 follow, for sooner or later one finds
that IL is overgrown with Wilde flowers
of speech.
IT. the tendency to indulge in in
verted epigrams while travelling no
where in particular "A Woman Of No
Importance" played last night at the
Fulton Theatre by Margaret Anglin
and Holbrook Blinn. goes TO greater
lengths than any other Of the Wilde
plays. One comes across frequent ref
erences 10 the fact that Wilde permits
the plot Of Lady Windermere's Fam"
to halt for ten minu-es, IN the third
act, while his characters handy cpl
grams. But if this be SHINING, con
slider the iniquities of "A Woman OF
No Importance"
The first act is solely epigrammatic.
1t contains not a hint of the plot. At
the end Of il the principal character
has not yet come upon the stage, for
the reason that she was not needed.
The first half of Act II reverts to the
style of Act |: the plot takes posses
sion of the latter half. The third act
is devoted almost entirely 10 the brill
liant remarks of Lord Illingworth the
story fares out in a moment of fury
at the curtain. The fourth act alone
is to be seriously considered from a
dramatic standpoint.
With Oscar Wilde writing the cpl
grams, however, play thus construct
ed is bound to be highly amusing. "A
Woman of No Importance" fairly bris-
ties with brilliance at almost every
point. Judged only by Wilde stand
ards dramatic values not considered
it is better than Lady Windermere's
Fam" and ranks no great distance from
"The Importance of Being Earnest"
And the exceedingly credtable per-
Torrance given by Miss Anglin, Mr..
Blinn and their associates brings out
nearly all of its brilliance in fine
fashion.
1t is difficult 10 understand why this
play has not been more frequently per
formed. Since 1893. when it had its
first American production, it has been
acted hardly at all Whatever the rea-
sons for its production, il cannot
be claimed that il has aged. Wilde,
like Shaw, wrote not for the moment,
but the century. The very artificiality
and the undramatic qualities of Wilde's
plays prevent their aging; their out
standing feature is the substance-not
the form.
Although the programmes set forth
the fact that Miss Anglin was present
ing Holbrook Blinn in the play, Miss
Anglin and Mr.. Blinn appeared as CO.
stars in every sense but nominally. Mrs.
Arbuthnot, TO tell the truth, is a char
= - 1n
that this fact is responsible for the in
frequency with Ehich the play has
been acted? Miss Anglin gave a SYM
pathetic and intensely human portrayal
Of the woman who had sinned. and won
the plaudits Of an audience which
showed singular powers Of discrimlna-
tion throughout the evening.
Mr.. Blinn, acting always with his in
telligent restraint, was a suave and
polished Illingworth, although there
was nothing of the Engishman about
him. AS a gentleman he was precise
and elegant; his caddish moments sat
upon him with less ease. The role is
quite the best in the play; TO him falls
a goodly proportion OF the Wildian
philosophy.
The remainder Of the company min
eled the good with the bad. Fanny
ADDISON Pitt was an excellent Lady
Hunstanton, but Ottola Nesmith never
for minute suggested the beautiful
and fascinating American girl that she
was supposed TO be. American types in
English plays rarely are satisfactorily
PLAYED for some reason. Either the
Americanism is overstressed or under
stressed-in Miss Nesmith's instance
the latter is the case.
Annie Hughes, aided by Mr. Wilde,
made Mrs. Allonby delightful creation,
and Marguerite st. John was reason
ably satisfactory as Lady Caroline.
George lie Guere brought no particu-
larly mannish qualities to the role OF
Gerald. although he did we'll in his sole
outburst Of passion at the end Of the
third act. Richard Temple and Ivan I.
Simpson played small parts effectively.
The production has been staged in ex-
cellent taste by Livingston Platt.
"Beau Brummell," with Arnold DAILY
in the leading role, was revived last
night AT the Cort Theatre. 1t will be
reviewed in to-morrow's Tribune.
JFO DITRICHSTEIN I'LL