Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-11-20
"a Woman of No Importance"
Revived After More Than
Two Decades

Footlight cynicsm turns to sentiment
when seasoned with time Two decades
ago "A Woman of No Importance" was a
play of stellar brilliancy, startingly bold in
its message" radical exempiar OF new
dramatic thought. The titular heroinc's
refusal to wed her bctrayer savorcd of rev.
olution. "Sex against SEX" the theme with
which sydney Grundy used to thrill the
playgoing public In Sowing the Wind"
was just beginning to dominate the theatre.
Its rule lasted until comparatively recently.
Stanley Houghton's "Hindc Wakes said
very nearly the last word on the subject
three years ago.
The presentation OF oscar Wilde's most
serious comedy thus assumes much more
the aspect of a peep into the past than an
actual revival Scenes of which perhaps
the playwright was proudest are morbund.
What remains Is colloquoy that formely
snapped, sparkled and flashed. hut which
Is row curiously scared by sentiment. in
the midst OF passages once supposedly
penned ironically. Possibly Bernard Shaw
himself is in store for a similar fate. Some
Of the once amazing veneer Of Man and
Superman" is already a little tmeworn.
while the older Devils Disciple" is scarcely
diabolonian at all. In the earlier Shavian
satire II Is indeed quite easy to detect what
now passes for dramatic sugar
In his quartet of social comedies. Wilde
was unquestionably the Shaw of his day.
He reveled in verbal fireworks and new"
ethical standards. The pyrotechniCs. al
though dmmed in luster still enjoy
able, and such work THE Importance
OF Being Earnest" which relies almost en-
tirely on their exploitation, is. for all it's eN-
travagance. the most enduring OF his prod
ucts. In "A Woman OF No Importance
conversational glitter is curiously blended
with situations whose sheer theatricism is
now exceedingly tritc Good acting cam
OF course, do much for such a vehicle. Not
only can It make momentarily tolerable a
glimpse of outmoded playwriting, but mod
ern histronic technique can even galvanize
into life ines whose stagness would other
wise be distressingly palpable.
A triumph Of this nature was assuredly
achieved last evening by Margaret Anglin
and her admirably equipped associates. 1t
is questionable whether any other actress
of the American theatre could have I'M
parted as she did even a fitting suggestion
OF conviction TO the third act Climax IN
volving the disclosure Of young Geralds 9
bar sinister. once probably regarded as
"strong" frank scene. Her task was less
difficult in the closing episodes, as there
Oscar Wilde's charactcrizations and dia-
logue have still favor of verify. The
final act is. indeed compactly and sincerely
compounded. and the emotonalism de-
manded of the stars role of Mrs. Arbuthnot
was handled with exquisite taste and pol
ished art.
Many OF Nllue DIIsHlSoN '''N' -
crowded into the almost static opening
The verbal fencing artificial though 1t be, Is
there sometimes inspired by genuine wit
of the Congreve variety-which the years
cannot stale. That capital and veteran
actress, Fanny Addison Pitt as the loqua-
cious Lady Hunstanton. was no small factor
in keeping this merit alive. Edward Emery
As the type of indoent and elegent wrong
doer, which Wilde delighted to paint, did
not bring to the part of Lord lllngworth
quite all the authority at his command but
II Is conceivable that another performance
will make his fitness very happily evident
Naturally the conspicuous achievement OF
the evening was Miss Anglin's. OF the
serious moods of the stage she is past
mistress and even unreality Is TRANSPORTED
and ennobled by her magic.
II. T. c.